the history-第116章

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ns　of　the　nations；　and　the　captains　of　the　ships；　were　sent　for；　to　appear　before　him；　and　as　they　arrived　took　their　seats　according　to　the　rank　assigned　them　by　the　king。　In　the　first　seat　sate　the　king　of　Sidon；　after　him；　the　king　of　Tyre；　then　the　rest　in　their　order。　When　the　whole　had　taken　their　places；　one　after　another；　and　were　set　down　in　orderly　array；　Xerxes；　to　try　them；　sent　Mardonius　and　questioned　each；　whether　a　sea…fight　should　be　risked　or　no。　　　　　Mardonius　accordingly　went　round　the　entire　assemblage；　beginning　with　the　Sidonian　monarch；　and　asked　this　question；　to　which　all　gave　the　same　answer；　advising　to　engage　the　Greeks；　except　only　Artemisia；　who　spake　as　follows　（SS　1。）：…　　　　　〃Say　to　the　king；　Mardonius；　that　these　are　my　words　to　him：　I　was　not　the　least　brave　of　those　who　fought　at　Euboea；　nor　were　my　achievements　there　among　the　meanest；　it　is　my　right；　therefore；　O　my　lord；　to　tell　thee　plainly　what　I　think　to　be　most　for　thy　advantage　now。　This　then　is　my　advice。　Spare　thy　ships；　and　do　not　risk　a　battle；　for　these　people　are　as　much　superior　to　thy　people　in　seamanship；　as　men　to　women。　What　so　great　need　is　there　for　thee　to　incur　hazard　at　sea？　Art　thou　not　master　of　Athens；　for　which　thou　didst　undertake　thy　expedition？　Is　not　Greece　subject　to　thee？　Not　a　soul　now　resists　thy　advance。　They　who　once　resisted；　were　handled　even　as　they　deserved。　（SS　2。）　Now　learn　how　I　expect　that　affairs　will　go　with　thy　adversaries。　If　thou　art　not　over…hasty　to　engage　with　them　by　sea；　but　wilt　keep　thy　fleet　near　the　land；　then　whether　thou　abidest　as　thou　art；　or　marchest　forward　towards　the　Peloponnese；　thou　wilt　easily　accomplish　all　for　which　thou　art　come　hither。　The　Greeks　cannot　hold　out　against　thee　very　long；　thou　wilt　soon　part　them　asunder；　and　scatter　them　to　their　several　homes。　In　the　island　where　they　lie；　I　hear　they　have　no　food　in　store；　nor　is　it　likely；　if　thy　land　force　begins　its　march　towards　the　Peloponnese；　that　they　will　remain　quietly　where　they　are…　at　least　such　as　come　from　that　region。　Of　a　surety　they　will　not　greatly　trouble　themselves　to　give　battle　on　behalf　of　the　Athenians。　（SS　3。）　On　the　other　hand；　if　thou　art　hasty　to　fight；　I　tremble　lest　the　defeat　of　thy　sea　force　bring　harm　likewise　to　thy　land　army。　This；　too；　thou　shouldst　remember；　O　king；　good　masters　are　apt　to　have　bad　servants；　and　bad　masters　good　ones。　Now；　as　thou　art　the　best　of　men；　thy　servants　must　needs　be　a　sorry　set。　These　Egyptians；　Cyprians；　Cilicians；　and　Pamphylians；　who　are　counted　in　the　number　of　thy　subject…allies；　of　how　little　service　are　they　to　thee！〃　　　　　As　Artemisia　spake；　they　who　wished　her　well　were　greatly　troubled　concerning　her　words；　thinking　that　she　would　suffer　some　hurt　at　the　king's　hands；　because　she　exhorted　him　not　to　risk　a　battle；　they；　on　the　other　hand；　who　disliked　and　envied　her；　favoured　as　she　was　by　the　king　above　all　the　rest　of　the　allies；　rejoiced　at　her　declaration；　expecting　that　her　life　would　be　the　forfeit。　But　Xerxes；　when　the　words　of　the　several　speakers　were　reported　to　him；　was　pleased　beyond　all　others　with　the　reply　of　Artemisia；　and　whereas；　even　before　this；　he　had　always　esteemed　her　much；　he　now　praised　her　more　than　ever。　Nevertheless；　he　gave　orders　that　the　advice　of　the　greater　number　should　be　followed；　for　he　thought　that　at　Euboea　the　fleet　had　not　done　its　best；　because　he　himself　was　not　there　to　see…　whereas　this　time　he　resolved　that　he　would　be　an　eye…witness　of　the　combat。　　　　　Orders　were　now　given　to　stand　out　to　sea；　and　the　ships　proceeded　towards　Salamis；　and　took　up　the　stations　to　which　they　were　directed；　without　let　or　hindrance　from　the　enemy。　The　day；　however；　was　too　far　spent　for　them　to　begin　the　battle；　since　night　already　approached：　so　they　prepared　to　engage　upon　the　morrow。　The　Greeks；　meanwhile；　were　in　great　distress　and　alarm；　more　especially　those　of　the　Peloponnese；　who　were　troubled　that　they　had　been　kept　at　Salamis　to　fight　on　behalf　of　the　Athenian　territory；　and　feared　that；　if　they　should　suffer　defeat；　they　would　be　pent　up　and　besieged　in　an　island；　while　their　own　country　was　left　unprotected。　　　　　The　same　night　the　land　army　of　the　barbarians　began　its　march　towards　the　Peloponnese；　where；　however；　all　that　was　possible　had　been　done　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　forcing　an　entrance　by　land。　As　soon　as　ever　news　reached　the　Peloponnese　of　the　death　of　Leonidas　and　his　companions　at　Thermopylae；　the　inhabitants　flocked　together　from　the　various　cities；　and　encamped　at　the　Isthmus；　under　the　command　of　Cleombrotus；　son　of　Anaxandridas；　and　brother　of　Leonidas。　Here　their　first　care　was　to　block　up　the　Scironian　Way；　after　which　it　was　determined　in　council　to　build　a　wall　across　the　Isthmus。　As　the　number　assembled　amounted　to　many　tens　of　thousands；　and　there　was　not　one　who　did　not　give　himself　to　the　work；　it　was　soon　finished。　Stones；　bricks；　timber；　baskets　filled　full　of　sand；　were　used　in　the　building；　and　not　a　moment　was　lost　by　those　who　gave　their　aid；　for　they　laboured　without　ceasing　either　by　night　or　day。　　　　　Now　the　nations　who　gave　their　aid；　and　who　had　flocked　in　full　force　to　the　Isthmus；　were　the　following：　the　Lacedaemonians；　all　the　tribes　of　the　Arcadians；　the　Eleans；　the　Corinthians；　the　Sicyonians；　the　Epidaurians；　the　Phliasians；　the　Troezenians；　and　the　Hermionians。　These　all　gave　their　aid；　being　greatly　alarmed　at　the　danger　which　threatened　Greece。　But　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　Peloponnese　took　no　part　in　the　matter；　though　the　Olympic　and　Carneian　festivals　were　now　over。　　　　　Seven　nations　inhabit　the　Peloponnese。　Two　of　them　are　aboriginal；　and　still　continue　in　the　regions　where　they　dwelt　at　the　first…　to　wit；　the　Arcadians　and　the　Cynurians。　A　third；　that　of　the　Achaeans；　has　never　left　the　Peloponnese；　but　has　been　dislodged　from　its　own　proper　country；　and　inhabits　a　district　which　once　belonged　to　others。　The　remaining　nations；　four　out　of　the　seven；　are　all　immigrants…　namely；　the　Dorians；　the　Aetolians；　the　Dryopians；　and　the　Lemnians。　To　the　Dorians　belong　several　very　famous　cities；　to　the　Aetolians　one　only；　that　is；　Elis；　to　the　Dryopians；　Hermione　and　that　Asine　which　lies　over　against　Cardamyle　in　Laconia；　to　the　Lemnians；　all　the　towns　of　the　Paroreats。　The　aboriginal　Cynurians　alone　seem　to　be　Ionians；　even　they；　however；　have；　in　course　of　time；　grown　to　be　Dorians；　under　the　government　of　the　Argives；　whose　Orneats　and　vassals　they　were。　All　the　cities　of　these　seven　nations；　except　those　mentioned　above；　stood　aloof　from　the　war；　and　by　so　doing；　if　I　may　speak　freely；　they　in　fact　took　part　with　the　Medes。　　　　　So　the　Greeks　at　the　Isthmus　toiled　unceasingly；　as　though　in　the　greatest　peril；　since　they　never　imagined　that　any　great　success　would　be　gained　by　the　fleet。　The　Greeks　at　Salamis；　on　the　other　hand；　when　they　heard　what　the　rest　were　about；　felt　greatly　alarmed；　but　their　fear　was　not　so　much　for　themselves　as　for　the　Peloponnese。　At　first　they　conversed　together　in　low　tones；　each　man　with　his　fellow；　secretly；　and　marvelled　at　the　folly　shown　by　Eurybiades；　but　presently　the　smothered　feeling　broke　out；　and　another　assembly　was　held；　whereat　the　old　subjects　provoked　much　talk　from　the　speakers；　one　side　maintaining　that　it　was　best　to　sail　to　the　Peloponnese　and　risk　battle　for　that；　instead　of　abiding　at　Salamis　and　fighting　for　a　land　already　taken　by　the　enemy；　while　the　other；　which　consisted　of　the　Athenians；　Eginetans；　and　Megarians；　was　urgent　to　remain　and　have　the　battle　fought　where　they　were。　　　　　Then　Themistocles；　when　he　saw　that　the　Peloponnesians　would　carry　the　vote　against　him；　went　out　secretly　from　the　council；　and；　instructing　a　certain　man　what　he　should　say；　sent　him　on　board　a　merchant　ship　to　the　fleet　of　the　Medes。　The　man's　name　was　Sicinnus；　he　was　one　of　Themistocles'　household　slaves；　and　acted　as　tutor　to　his　sons；　in　after　times；　when　the　Thespians　were　admitting　persons　to　citizenship；　Themistocles　made　him　a　Thespian；　and　a　rich　man　to　boot。　The　ship　brought　Sicinnus　to　the　Persian　fleet；　and　there　he　delivered　his　message　to　the　leaders　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃The　Athenian　commander　has　sent　me　to　you　privily；　without　the　knowledge　of　the　other　Greeks。　He　is　a　well…wisher　to　the　king's　cause；　and　would　rather　success　should　attend　on　you　than　on　his　countrymen；　wherefore　he　bids　me　tell　you　that　fear　has　seized　the　Greeks　and　they　are　meditating　a　hasty　flight。　Now　then　it　is　open　to　you　to　achieve　the　best　work　that　ever　ye　wrought；　if　only　ye　will　hinder　their　escaping。　They　no　longer　agree　among　themselves；　so　that　they　will　not　now　make　any　resistance…　nay；　'tis　likely　ye　may　see　a　fight　already　begun　between　such　as　favour　and　such　as　oppose　your　cause。〃　The　messenger；　when　he　had　thus　expressed　himself；　departed　and　was　seen　no　more。　　　　　Then　the　captains；　believing　all　that　the　messenger　had　said；　proceeded　to　land　a　large　body　of　Persian　troops　on　the　islet　of　Psyttaleia；　which　lies　between　Salamis　and　the　mainland；　after　which；　about　the　hour　of　midnight；　they　advanced　their　western　wing　towards　Salamis；　so　as　to　inclose　the　Greeks。　At　the　same　time　the　force　stationed　about　Ceos　and　Cynosura　moved　forward；　and　filled　the　whole　strait　as　far　as　Munychia　with　their　ships。　This　advance　was　made　to　prevent　the　Greeks　from　escaping　by　flight；　and　to　block　them　up　in　Salamis；　where　it　was　thought　that　vengeance　might　be　taken　upon　them　for　the　battles　fought　near　Artemisium。　The　Persian　troops　were　landed　on　the　islet　of　Psyttaleia；　because；　as　soon　as　the　battle　began；　the　men　and　wrecks　were　likely　to　be　drifted　thither；　as　the　isle　lay　in　the　very　path　of　the　coming　fight…　and　they　would　thus　be　able　to　save　their　own　men　and　destroy　those　of　the　enemy。　All　these　movements　were　made　in　silence；　that　the　Greeks　might　have　no　knowledge　of　them；　and　they　occupied　the　whole　night；　so　that　the　men　had　no　time　to　get　their　sleep。　　　　　I　cannot　say　that　there　is　no　truth　in　prophecies；　or　feel　inclined　to　call　in　question　those　which　speak　with　clearness；　when　I　think　of　the　following：…

　　　　When　they　shall　bridge　with　their　ships　to　the　sacred　strand　of　　　　　　　Diana　　　　　Girt　with　the　golden　falchion；　and　eke　to　marine　Cynosura；　　　　　Mad　hope　swelling　their　hearts　at　the　downfall　of　beautiful　　　　　　　Athens　　　　　Then　shall　godlike　Right　extinguish　haughty　Presumption；　　　　　Insult's　furious　offspring；　who　thinketh　to　overthrow　all　things。　　　　　Brass　with　brass　shall　mingle；　and　Mars　with　blood　shall　empurple　　　　　Ocean's　waves。　Then…　then　shall　the　day　of　Grecia's　freedom　　　　　Come　from　Victory　fair；　and　Saturn's　son　all…seeing。

When　I　look　to　this；　and　perceive　how　clearly　Bacis　spoke；　neither　venture　myself　to　say　anything　against　prophecies；　nor　do　approve　of　others　impugning　them。　　　　　Meanwhile；　among　the　captains　at　Salamis；　the　strife　of　words　grew　fierce。　As　yet　they　did　not　know　that　they　were　encompassed；　but　imagined　that　the　barbarians　remained　in　the　same　places　where　they　had　seen　them　the　day　before。　　　　　In　the　midst　of　their　contention；　Aristides；　the　son　of　Lysimachus；　who　had　crossed　from　Egina；　arrived　in　Salamis。　He　was　an　Athenian；　and　had　been　ostracised　by　the　commonalty；　yet　I　believe；　from　what　I　hav