It’s very clear in Herodotus that a delay wasn’t actually the mission, they intended to win. It just wasn’t a good plan. Anyway, even if you grant that they we

It’s very clear in Herodotus that a delay wasn’t actually the mission, they intended to win. It just wasn’t a good plan. Anyway, even if you grant that they were just trying to buy time (they weren’t), dying to the man in exchange for an extra day or so accomplished nothing militarily.