Xerxes Punished the Sea

Xerxes' servants lashing the sea; I bet the sea
really regret it's actions after this

The Persian king Xerxes wanted to go to war with Greece, so he had a bridge built across the Hellespont Sea to aid him with this. Soon afterwards a storm destroyed the bridge and he became furious, madly furious. In fact he insisted in having the sea called the Hellespont whipped a thousand times and even ordered some primitive version of handcuffs thrown into it. Xerxes ordered his servants to say this as they whipped the sea:

"You hateful water, our master lays his judgement on you thus, for you have unjustly punished him even though he's done you no wrong! Xerxes the king will pass over you, whether you wish it or not! It is fitting that no man offer you sacrifices, for you're a muddy and salty river!"(1)

Xerxes ordered the bridge to be rebuild and after a winter's time he crossed the bridge in elated happiness.

Sources:

1.Herodotus: The Histories: Xerxes at the Hellespont (mid 5th Century BCE); http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/world_civ/worldcivreader/world_civ_reader_1/herodotus.html

2. The History of Herodotus by Herodotus, translated by George Rawlinson, Book VII; http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.7.vii.html 

3. Xerxes by Jacob Abbot; http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=abbott&book=xerxes&story=hellespont