Why would Xerxes find comfort in some portents and ignore others?

Xerxes and his whole force of Persians are now in Greece, at Doriscus, and are ready to begin on their final march southward toward mainland Greece. According to Herodotus, Xerxes land army numbered 1,700,000 men. Most scholars now agree that this number is far too great, even including all of the auxiliary forces and baggage handlers that would have accompanied the men at arms.

A more likely figure is approximately 250,000 men at arms, composed of 180,000 to 200,000 infantry, plus 70,000 cavalry, and 2000 chariots. Herodotus numbers Xerxes navy at 3000 transport vessels of all sizes and more than 1200 triremes, with the Phoenicians contributing 300 of these and the Egyptians 200, and the remainder coming from other parts of the Empire. Scholars, however, think the total number of warships was probably closer to 650.

Before setting out Xerxes reviews his troops.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.