Xerxes sentenced the sea to 300 lashes for destroying two bridges! Yes, the sea.
On the other hand, it can do some serious damage. Just take Hurricane Katrina or the more recent super storm Sandy.
When the sea wreaks havoc, do we take revenge? No? Because it would do no good. However, in ancient times, people did not know this.
Around 482 BC, the Persian king Xerxes built two bridges over the Hellespont, a Turkish strait. This way, his armies could cross the strait into Greece.
A storm tore through both bridges though. In retaliation, Xerxes had the sea whipped 300 times. His soldiers also branded the waters with hot irons while they yelled at the sea. Ouch. Poor ocean.
