Pythius (Ancient Greek: Πύθιος) is a Lydian mentioned in book VII of Herodotus' Histories, chh.
[1] He met the Persian king in Celaenae and entertains him before offering to provide money for the expenses of war.
This Xerxes politely declines, and instead rewards Pythius' generosity by giving him 7000 gold darics in order that his fortune might be an even 4,000,000 (ch.
Xerxes grows angry, citing his own sacrifice of family members without exception and calling Pythius his slave.
[4] Since he has promised to grant the wish, however, he takes the son, cuts him in half and marches his army away between the two halves, put up on either side of the road (ch.