the story of mankind-第14章

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was　near　Mount　Athos；　the　Storm…God　blew　his　cheeks　until

he　almost　burst　the　veins　of　his　brow；　and　the　fleet　was　destroyed

by　a　terrible　hurricane　and　the　Persians　were　all

drowned。



Two　years　later　they　returned。　This　time　they　sailed

straight　across　the　AEgean　Sea　and　landed　near　the　village　of

Marathon。　As　soon　as　the　Athenians　heard　this　they　sent

their　army　of　ten　thousand　men　to　guard　the　hills　that

surrounded　the　Marathonian　plain。　At　the　same　time　they

despatched　a　fast　runner　to　Sparta　to　ask　for　help。　But　Sparta

was　envious　of　the　fame　of　Athens　and　refused　to　come　to　her

assistance。　The　other　Greek　cities　followed　her　example　with

the　exception　of　tiny　Plataea　which　sent　a　thousand　men。　On

the　twelfth　of　September　of　the　year　490；　Miltiades；　the　Athenian

commander；　threw　this　little　army　against　the　hordes　of　the

Persians。　The　Greeks　broke　through　the　Persian　barrage　of

arrows　and　their　spears　caused　terrible　havoc　among　the　disorganised

Asiatic　troops　who　had　never　been　called　upon　to　resist

such　an　enemy。



That　night　the　people　of　Athens　watched　the　sky　grow

red　with　the　flames　of　burning　ships。　Anxiously　they　waited

for　news。　At　last　a　little　cloud　of　dust　appeared　upon　the

road　that　led　to　the　North。　It　was　Pheidippides；　the　runner。

He　stumbled　and　gasped　for　his　end　was　near。　Only　a　few

days　before　had　he　returned　from　his　errand　to　Sparta。　He

had　hastened　to　join　Miltiades。　That　morning　he　had　taken

part　in　the　attack　and　later　he　had　volunteered　to　carry　the

news　of　victory　to　his　beloved　city。　The　people　saw　him　fall

and　they　rushed　forward　to　support　him。　‘‘We　have　won；''

he　whispered　and　then　he　died；　a　glorious　death　which　made　him

envied　of　all　men。



As　for　the　Persians；　they　tried；　after　this　defeat；　to　land

near　Athens　but　they　found　the　coast　guarded　and　disappeared；

and　once　more　the　land　of　Hellas　was　at　peace。



Eight　years　they　waited　and　during　this　time　the　Greeks

were　not　idle。　They　knew　that　a　final　attack　was　to　be　expected

but　they　did　not　agree　upon　the　best　way　to　avert　the　danger。

Some　people　wanted　to　increase　the　army。　Others　said　that

a　strong　fleet　was　necessary　for　success。　The　two　parties　led　by

Aristides　（for　the　army）　and　Themistocles　（the　leader　of　the

bigger…navy　men）　fought　each　other　bitterly　and　nothing　was

done　until　Aristides　was　exiled。　Then　Themistocles　had　his

chance　and　he　built　all　the　ships　he　could　and　turned　the　Piraeus

into　a　strong　naval　base。



In　the　year　481　B。C。　a　tremendous　Persian　army　appeared

in　Thessaly；　a　province　of　northern　Greece。　In　this　hour　of

danger；　Sparta；　the　great　military　city　of　Greece；　was　elected

commander…in…chief。　But　the　Spartans　cared　little　what　happened

to　northern　Greece　provided　their　own　country　was　not

invaded；　They　neglected　to　fortify　the　passes　that　led　into

Greece。



A　small　detachment　of　Spartans　under　Leonidas　had　been

told　to　guard　the　narrow　road　between　the　high　mountains　and

the　sea　which　connected　Thessaly　with　the　southern　provinces。

Leonidas　obeyed　his　orders。　He　fought　and　held　the　pass　with

unequalled　bravery。　But　a　traitor　by　the　name　of　Ephialtes

who　knew　the　little　byways　of　Malis　guided　a　regiment　of　Persians

through　the　hills　and　made　it　possible　for　them　to　attack

Leonidas　in　the　rear。　Near　the　Warm　Wellsthe　Thermopylae

a　terrible　battle　was　fought。



When　night　came　Leonidas　and　his　faithful　soldiers　lay　dead

under　the　corpses　of　their　enemies。



But　the　pass　had　been　lost　and　the　greater　part　of　Greece

fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Persians。　They　marched　upon

Athens；　threw　the　garrison　from　the　rocks　of　the　Acropolis　and

burned　the　city。　The　people　fled　to　the　Island　of　Salamis。　All

seemed　lost。　But　on　the　20th　of　September　of　the　year　480

Themistocles　forced　the　Persian　fleet　to　give　battle　within　the

narrow　straits　which　separated　the　Island　of　Salamis　from　the

mainland　and　within　a　few　hours　he　destroyed　three　quarters

of　the　Persian　ships。



In　this　way　the　victory　of　Thermopylae　came　to　naught。

Xerxes　was　forced　to　retire。　The　next　year；　so　he　decreed；

would　bring　a　final　decision。　He　took　his　troops　to　Thessaly

and　there　he　waited　for　spring。



But　this　time　the　Spartans　understood　the　seriousness　of

the　hour。　They　left　the　safe　shelter　of　the　wall　which　they　had

built　across　the　isthmus　of　Corinth　and　under　the　leadership

of　Pausanias　they　marched　against　Mardonius　the　Persian

general。　The　united　Greeks　（some　one　hundred　thousand　men

from　a　dozen　different　cities）　attacked　the　three　hundred　thou…

sand　men　of　the　enemy　near　Plataea。　Once　more　the　heavy

Greek　infantry　broke　through　the　Persian　barrage　of　arrows。

The　Persians　were　defeated；　as　they　had　been　at　Marathon；　and

this　time　they　left　for　good。　By　a　strange　coincidence；　the

same　day　that　the　Greek　armies　won　their　victory　near　Plataea；

the　Athenian　ships　destroyed　the　enemy's　fleet　near　Cape　Mycale

in　Asia　Minor。



Thus　did　the　first　encounter　between　Asia　and　Europe　end。

Athens　had　covered　herself　with　glory　and　Sparta　had　fought

bravely　and　well。　If　these　two　cities　had　been　able　to　come　to

an　agreement；　if　they　had　been　willing　to　forget　their　little

jealousies；　they　might　have　become　the　leaders　of　a　strong　and

united　Hellas。



But　alas；　they　allowed　the　hour　of　victory　and　enthusiasm

to　slip　by；　and　the　same　opportunity　never　returned。







ATHENS　vs。　SPARTA



HOW　ATHENS　AND　SPARTA　FOUGHT　A　LONG

AND　DISASTROUS　WAR　FOR　THE　LEADERSHIP

OF　GREECE





ATHENS　and　Sparta　were　both　Greek　cities　and　their　people

spoke　a　common　language。　In　every　other　respect　they　were

different。　Athens　rose　high　from　the　plain。　It　was　a　city

exposed　to　the　fresh　breezes　from　the　sea；　willing　to　look　at

the　world　with　the　eyes　of　a　happy　child。　Sparta；　on　the　other

hand；　was　built　at　the　bottom　of　a　deep　valley；　and　used　the

surrounding　mountains　as　a　barrier　against　foreign　thought。

Athens　was　a　city　of　busy　trade。　Sparta　was　an　armed　camp

where　people　were　soldiers　for　the　sake　of　being　soldiers。　The

people　of　Athens　loved　to　sit　in　the　sun　and　discuss　poetry　or

listen　to　the　wise　words　of　a　philosopher。　The　Spartans；　on　the

other　hand；　never　wrote　a　single　line　that　was　considered　literature；

but　they　knew　how　to　fight；　they　liked　to　fight；　and　they

sacrificed　all　human　emotions　to　their　ideal　of　military　preparedness。



No　wonder　that　these　sombre　Spartans　viewed　the　success

of　Athens　with　malicious　hate。　The　energy　which　the　defence　of

the　common　home　had　developed　in　Athens　was　now　used　for

purposes　of　a　more　peaceful　nature。　The　Acropolis　was　rebuilt

and　was　made　into　a　marble　shrine　to　the　Goddess　Athena。

Pericles；　the　leader　of　the　Athenian　democracy；　sent　far　and

wide　to　find　famous　sculptors　and　painters　and　scientists　to

make　the　city　more　beautiful　and　the　young　Athenians　more

worthy　of　their　home。　At　the　same　time　he　kept　a　watchful

eye　on　Sparta　and　built　high　walls　which　connected　Athens

with　the　sea　and　made　her　the　strongest　fortress　of　that　day。



An　insignificant　quarrel　between　two　little　Greek　cities　led

to　the　final　conflict。　For　thirty　years　the　war　between　Athens

and　Sparta　continued。　It　ended　in　a　terrible　disaster　for

Athens。



During　the　third　year　of　the　war　the　plague　had　entered

the　city。　More　than　half　of　the　people　and　Pericles；　the　great

leader；　had　been　killed。　The　plague　was　followed　by　a　period

of　bad　and　untrustworthy　leadership。　A　brilliant　young　fellow

by　the　name　of　Alcibiades　had　gained　the　favor　of　the

popular　assembly。　He　suggested　a　raid　upon　the　Spartan

colony　of　Syracuse　in　Sicily。　An　expedition　was　equipped　and

everything　was　ready。　But　Alcibiades　got　mixed　up　in　a　street

brawl　and　was　forced　to　flee。　The　general　who　succeeded　him

was　a　bungler。　First　he　lost　his　ships　and　then　he　lost　his

army；　and　the　few　surviving　Athenians　were　thrown　into　the

stone…quarries　of　Sy