the history-第114章

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t　Artemisium；　proceeded　to　Salamis；　at　the　request　of　the　Athenians；　and　there　cast　anchor。　The　Athenians　had　begged　them　to　take　up　this　position；　in　order　that　they　might　convey　their　women　and　children　out　of　Attica；　and　further　might　deliberate　upon　the　course　which　it　now　behoved　them　to　follow。　Disappointed　in　the　hopes　which　they　had　previously　entertained；　they　were　about　to　hold　a　council　concerning　the　present　posture　of　their　affairs。　For　they　had　looked　to　see　the　Peloponnesians　drawn　up　in　full　force　to　resist　the　enemy　in　Boeotia；　but　found　nothing　of　what　they　had　expected；　nay；　they　learnt　that　the　Greeks　of　those　parts；　only　concerning　themselves　about　their　own　safety；　were　building　a　wall　across　the　Isthmus；　and　intended　to　guard　the　Peloponnese；　and　let　the　rest　of　Greece　take　its　chance。　These　tidings　caused　them　to　make　the　request　whereof　I　spoke；　that　the　combined　fleet　should　anchor　at　Salamis。　　　　　So　while　the　rest　of　the　fleet　lay　to　off　this　island；　the　Athenians　cast　anchor　along　their　own　coast。　Immediately　upon　their　arrival；　proclamation　was　made　that　every　Athenian　should　save　his　children　and　household　as　he　best　could；　whereupon　some　sent　their　families　to　Egina；　some　to　Salamis；　but　the　greater　number　to　Troezen。　This　removal　was　made　with　all　possible　haste；　partly　from　a　desire　to　obey　the　advice　of　the　oracle；　but　still　more　for　another　reason。　The　Athenians　say　that　they　have　in　their　Acropolis　a　huge　serpent；　which　lives　in　the　temple；　and　is　the　guardian　of　the　whole　place。　Nor　do　they　only　say　this；　but；　as　if　the　serpent　really　dwelt　there；　every　month　they　lay　out　its　food；　which　consists　of　a　honey…cake。　Up　to　this　time　the　honey…cake　had　always　been　consumed；　but　now　it　remained　untouched。　So　the　priestess　told　the　people　what　had　happened；　whereupon　they　left　Athens　the　more　readily；　since　they　believed　that　the　goddess　had　already　abandoned　the　citadel。　As　soon　as　all　was　removed；　the　Athenians　sailed　back　to　their　station。　　　　　And　now；　the　remainder　of　the　Grecian　sea…force；　hearing　that　the　fleet　which　had　been　at　Artemisium；　was　come　to　Salamis；　joined　it　at　that　island　from　Troezen…　orders　having　been　issued　previously　that　the　ships　should　muster　at　Pogon；　the　port　of　the　Troezenians。　The　vessels　collected　were　many　more　in　number　than　those　which　had　fought　at　Artemisium；　and　were　furnished　by　more　cities。　The　admiral　was　the　same　who　had　commanded　before；　to　wit；　Eurybiades；　the　son　of　Eurycleides；　who　was　a　Spartan；　but　not　of　the　family　of　the　kings：　the　city；　however；　which　sent　by　far　the　greatest　number　of　ships；　and　the　best　sailers；　was　Athens。　　　　　Now　these　were　the　nations　who　composed　the　Grecian　fleet。　From　the　Peloponnese；　the　following…　the　Lacedaemonians　with　six；　teen　ships；　the　Corinthians　with　the　same　number　as　at　Artemisium；　the　Sicyonians　with　fifteen；　the　Epidaurians　with　ten；　the　Troezenians　with　five；　and　the　Hermionians　with　three。　These　were　Dorians　and　Macedonians　all　of　them　（except　those　from　Hermione）；　and　had　emigrated　last　from　Erineus；　Pindus；　and　Dryopis。　The　Hermionians　were　Dryopians；　of　the　race　which　Hercules　and　the　Malians　drove　out　of　the　land　now　called　Doris。　Such　were　the　Peloponnesian　nations。　　　　　From　the　mainland　of　Greece　beyond　the　Peloponnese；　came　the　Athenians　with　a　hundred　and　eighty　ships；　a　greater　number　than　that　furnished　by　any　other　people；　and　these　were　now　manned　wholly　by　themselves；　for　the　Plataeans　did　not　serve　aboard　the　Athenian　ships　at　Salamis；　owing　to　the　following　reason。　When　the　Greeks；　on　their　withdrawal　from　Artemisium；　arrived　off　Chalcis；　the　Plataeans　disembarked　upon　the　opposite　shore　of　Boeotia；　and　set　to　work　to　remove　their　households；　whereby　it　happened　that　they　were　left　behind。　（The　Athenians；　when　the　region　which　is　now　called　Greece　was　held　by　the　Pelasgi；　were　Pelasgians；　and　bore　the　name　of　Cranaans；　but　under　their　king　Cecrops；　they　were　called　Cecropidae；　when　Erechtheus　got　the　sovereignty；　they　changed　their　name　to　Athenians；　and　when　Ion；　the　son　of　Xuthus；　became　their　general；　they　were　named　after　him　Ionians。）　　　　　The　Megarians　served　with　the　same　number　of　ships　as　at　Artemisium；　the　Ambraciots　came　with　seven；　the　Leucadians　（who　were　Dorians　from　Corinth）　with　three。　　　　　Of　the　islanders；　the　Eginetans　furnished　thirty　ships…　they　had　a　larger　number　equipped；　but　some　were　kept　back　to　guard　their　own　coasts；　and　only　thirty；　which　however　were　their　best　sailers；　took　part　in　the　fight　at　Salamis。　（The　Eginetans　are　Dorians　from　Epidaurus；　their　island　was　called　formerly　Oenone）。　The　Chalcideans　came　next　in　order；　they　furnished　the　twenty　ships　with　which　they　had　served　at　Artemisium。　The　Eretrians　likewise　furnished　their　seven。　These　races　are　Ionian。　Ceos　gave　its　old　number…　the　Ceans　are　Ionians　from　Attica。　Naxos　furnished　four：　this　detachment；　like　those　from　the　other　islands；　had　been　sent　by　the　citizens　at　home　to　join　the　Medes；　but　they　made　light　of　the　orders　given　them；　and　joined　the　Greeks；　at　the　instigation　of　Democritus；　a　citizen　of　good　report；　who　was　at　that　time　captain　of　a　trireme。　The　Naxians　are　Ionians；　of　the　Athenian　stock。　The　Styreans　served　with　the　same　ships　as　before；　the　Cythnians　contributed　one；　and　likewise　a　penteconter…　these　two　nations　are　Dryopians：　the　Seriphians；　Siphnians；　and　Melians；　also　served；　they　were　the　only　islanders　who　had　not　given　earth　and　water　to　the　barbarian。　　　　　All　these　nations　dwelt　inside　the　river　Acheron　and　the　country　inhabited　by　the　Thesprotians；　for　that　people　borders　on　the　Ambraciots　and　Leucadians；　who　are　the　most　remote　of　all　those　by　whom　the　fleet　was　furnished。　From　the　countries　beyond；　there　was　only　one　people　which　gave　help　to　the　Greeks　in　their　danger。　This　was　the　people　of　Crotona；　who　contributed　a　single　ship；　under　the　command　of　Phayllus；　a　man　who　had　thrice　carried　off　the　prize　at　the　Pythian　Games。　The　Crotoniats　are；　by　descent；　Achaeans。　　　　　Most　of　the　allies　came　with　triremes；　but　the　Melians；　Siphnians；　and　Seriphians；　brought　penteconters。　The　Melians；　who　draw　their　race　from　Lacedaemon；　furnished　two；　the　Siphnians　and　Seriphians；　who　are　Ionians　of　the　Athenian　stock；　one　each。　The　whole　number　of　the　ships；　without　counting　the　penteconters；　was　three　hundred　and　seventy…eight。　　　　　When　the　captains　from　these　various　nations　were　come　together　at　Salamis；　a　council　of　war　was　summoned；　and　Eurybiades　proposed　that　any　one　who　liked　to　advise；　should　say　which　place　seemed　to　him　the　fittest；　among　those　still　in　the　possession　of　the　Greeks；　to　be　the　scene　of　a　naval　combat。　Attica；　he　said；　was　not　to　be　thought　of　now；　but　he　desired　their　counsel　as　to　the　remainder。　The　speakers　mostly　advised　that　the　fleet　should　sail　away　to　the　Isthmus；　and　there　give　battle　in　defence　of　the　Peloponnese；　and　they　urged　as　a　reason　for　this；　that　if　they　were　worsted　in　a　sea…fight　at　Salamis；　they　would　be　shut　up　in　an　island　where　they　could　get　no　help；　but　if　they　were　beaten　near　the　Isthmus；　they　could　escape　to　their　homes。　　　　　As　the　captains　from　the　Peloponnese　were　thus　advising；　there　came　an　Athenian　to　the　camp；　who　brought　word　that　the　barbarians　had　entered　Attica；　and　were　ravaging　and　burning　everything。　For　the　division　of　the　army　under　Xerxes　was　just　arrived　at　Athens　from　its　march　through　Boeotia；　where　it　had　burnt　Thespiae　and　Plataea…　both　which　cities　were　forsaken　by　their　inhabitants；　who　had　fled　to　the　Peloponnese…　and　now　it　was　laying　waste　all　the　possessions　of　the　Athenians。　Thespiae　and　Plataea　had　been　burnt　by　the　Persians；　because　they　knew　from　the　Thebans　that　neither　of　those　cities　had　espoused　their　side。　　　　　Since　the　passage　of　the　Hellespont　and　the　commencement　of　the　march　upon　Greece；　a　space　of　four　months　had　gone　by；　one；　while　the　army　made　the　crossing；　and　delayed　about　the　region　of　the　Hellespont；　and　three　while　they　proceeded　thence　to　Attica；　which　they　entered　in　the　archonship　of　Calliades。　They　found　the　city　forsaken；　a　few　people　only　remained　in　the　temple；　either　keepers　of　the　treasures；　or　men　of　the　poorer　sort。　These　persons　having　fortified　the　citadel　with　planks　and　boards；　held　out　against　the　enemy。　It　was　in　some　measure　their　poverty　which　had　prevented　them　from　seeking　shelter　in　Salamis；　but　there　was　likewise　another　reason　which　in　part　induced　them　to　remain。　They　imagined　themselves　to　have　discovered　the　true　meaning　of　the　oracle　uttered　by　the　Pythoness；　which　promised　that　〃the　wooden　wall〃　should　never　be　taken…　the　wooden　wall；　they　thought；　did　not　mean　the　ships；　but　the　place　where　they　had　taken　refuge。　　　　　The　Persians　encamped　upon　the　hill　over　against　the　citadel；　which　is　called　Mars'　hill　by　the　Athenians；　and　began　the　siege　of　the　place；　attacking　the　Greeks　with　arrows　whereto　pieces　of　lighted　tow　were　attached；　which　they　shot　at　the　barricade。　And　now　those　who　were　within　the　citadel　found　themselves　in　a　most　woeful　case；　for　their　wooden　rampart　betrayed　them；　still；　however；　they　continued　to　resist。　It　was　in　vain　that　the　Pisistratidae　came　to　them　and　offered　terms　of　surrender…　they　stoutly　refused　all　parley；　and　among　their　other　modes　of　defence；　rolled　down　huge　masses　of　stone　upon　the　barbarians　as　they　were　mounting　up　to　the　gates：　so　that　Xerxes　was　for　a　long　time　very　greatly　perplexed；　and　could　not　contrive　any　way　to　take　them。　　　　　At　last；　however；　in　the　midst　of　these　many　difficulties；　the　barbarians　made　discovery　of　an　access。　For　verily　the　oracle　had　spoken　truth；　and　it　was　fated　that　the　whole　mainland　of　Attica　should　fall　beneath　the　sway　of　the　Persians。　Right　in　front　of　the　citadel；　but　behind　the　gates　and　the　common　ascent…　where　no　watch　was　kept；　and　no　one　would　have　thought　it　possible　that　any　foot　of　man　could　climb…　a　few　soldiers　mounted　from　the　sanctuary　of　Aglaurus；　Cecrops'　daughter；　notwithstanding　the　steepness　of　the　precipice。　As　soon　as　the　Athenians　saw　them　upon　the　summit；　some　threw　themselves　headlong　from　the　wall；　and　so　perished；　while　others　fled　for　refuge　to　the　inner　part　of　the　temple。　The　Persians　rushed　to　the　gates　and　opened　them；　after　which　they　massacred　the　suppliants；　When　all　were　slain；　they　plundered　the　temple；　and　fired　every　part　of　the　citadel。　　　　　Xerxes；　thus　completely　master　of　Athens；　despatched　a　horseman　to　Susa；　with　a　message　to　Artabanus；　informing　him　of　his　success　hitherto。　The　day　after；　he　collected　together　all　the　Athenian　exiles　who　had　come　into　Greece　in　his　train；　and　bade　them　go　up　into　the　citadel；　and　there　offer　sacrifice　after　their　own　fashion。　I　know　not　whether　he　had　had　a　dream　which　made　him　give　this　order；　or　whether　he　felt　some　remorse　on　account　of　having　set　the　temple　on　fire。　However　this　may　have　been；　the　exiles　were　not　slow　to　obey　the　command　given　them。　　　　　I　will　now　explain　why　I　have　made　mention　of　this　circumstance：　there　is　a　temple　of　Erechtheus　the　Earth…born；　as　he　is　called；　in　this　citadel；　containing　within　it　an　olive…tree　and　a　sea。　The　tale　goes　among　the　Athenians；　that　they　were　placed　there　as　witnesses　by　Neptune　and　Minerva；　when　they　had　their　contention　about　the　country。　Now　this　olive…tree　had　bee