the history-第120章

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eet　when　it　was　in　some　disorder　and　beat　it；　capturing　four　ships　with　their　crews。　　　　　Thus　did　war　rage　between　the　Eginetans　and　Athenians。　Meantime　the　Persian　pursued　his　own　design；　from　day　to　day　exhorted　by　his　servant　to　〃remember　the　Athenians；〃　and　likewise　urged　continually　by　the　Pisistratidae；　who　were　ever　accusing　their　countrymen。　Moreover　it　pleased　him　well　to　have　a　pretext　for　carrying　war　into　Greece；　that　so　he　might　reduce　all　those　who　had　refused　to　give　him　earth　and　water。　As　for　Mardonius；　since　his　expedition　had　succeeded　so　ill；　Darius　took　the　command　of　the　troops　from　him；　and　appointed　other　generals　in　his　stead；　who　were　to　lead　the　host　against　Eretria　and　Athens；　to　wit；　Datis；　who　was　by　descent　a　Mede；　and　Artaphernes；　the　son　of　Artaphernes；　his　own　nephew。　These　men　received　orders　to　carry　Athens　and　Eretria　away　captive；　and　to　bring　the　prisoners　into　his　presence。　　　　　So　the　new　commanders　took　their　departure　from　the　court　and　went　down　to　Cilicia；　to　the　Aleian　plain；　having　with　them　a　numerous　and　wellappointed　land　army。　Encamping　here；　they　were　joined　by　the　sea　force　which　had　been　required　of　the　several　states；　and　at　the　same　time　by　the　horsetransports　which　Darius　had；　the　year　before；　commanded　his　tributaries　to　make　ready。　Aboard　these　the　horses　were　embarked；　and　the　troops　were　received　by　the　ships　of　war；　after　which　the　whole　fleet；　amounting　in　all　to　six　hundred　triremes；　made　sail　for　Ionia。　Thence；　instead　of　proceeding　with　a　straight　course　along　the　shore　to　the　Hellespont　and　to　Thrace；　they　loosed　from　Samos　and　voyaged　across　the　Icarian　sea　through　the　midst　of　the　islands；　mainly；　as　I　believe；　because　they　feared　the　danger　of　doubling　Mount　Athos；　where　the　year　before　they　had　suffered　so　grievously　on　their　passage；　but　a　constraining　cause　also　was　their　former　failure　to　take　Naxos。　　　　　When　the　Persians；　therefore；　approaching　from　the　Icarian　Sea；　cast　anchor　at　Naxos；　which；　recollecting　what　there　befell　them　formerly；　they　had　determined　to　attack　before　any　other　state；　the　Naxians；　instead　of　encountering　them；　took　to　flight；　and　hurried　off　to　the　hills。　The　Persians　however　succeeded　in　laying　hands　on　some；　and　them　they　carried　away　captive；　while　at　the　same　time　they　burnt　all　the　temples　together　with　the　town。　This　done；　they　left　Naxos；　and　sailed　away　to　the　other　islands。　　　　　While　the　Persians　were　thus　employed；　the　Delians　likewise　quitted　Delos；　and　took　refuge　in　Tenos。　And　now　the　expedition　drew　near；　when　Datis　sailed　forward　in　advance　of　the　other　ships；　commanding　them；　instead　of　anchoring　at　Delos；　to　rendezvous　at　Rhenea；　over　against　Delos；　while　he　himself　proceeded　to　discover　whither　the　Delians　had　fled；　after　which　he　sent　a　herald　to　them　with　this　message：　　　　　〃Why　are　ye　fled；　O　holy　men？　Why　have　ye　judged　me　so　harshly　and　so　wrongfully？　I　have　surely　sense　enough；　even　had　not　the　king　so　ordered；　to　spare　the　country　which　gave　birth　to　the　two　gods…　to　spare；　I　say；　both　the　country　and　its　inhabitants。　Come　back　therefore　to　your　dwellings；　and　once　more　inhabit　your　island。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　message　which　Datis　sent　by　his　herald　to　the　Delians。　He　likewise　placed　upon　the　altar　three　hundred　talents'　weight　of　frankincense；　and　offered　it。　　　　　After　this　he　sailed　with　his　whole　host　against　Eretria；　taking　with　him　both　Ionians　and　Aeolians。　When　he　was　departed；　Delos　（as　the　Delians　told　me）　was　shaken　by　an　earthquake；　the　first　and　last　shock　that　has　been　felt　to　this　day。　And　truly　this　was　a　prodigy　whereby　the　god　warned　men　of　the　evils　that　were　coming　upon　them。　For　in　the　three　following　generations　of　Darius　the　son　of　Hystaspes；　Xerxes　the　son　of　Darius；　and　Artaxerxes　the　son　of　Xerxes；　more　woes　befell　Greece　than　in　the　twenty　generations　preceding　Darius…　woes　caused　in　part　by　the　Persians；　but　in　part　arising　from　the　contentions　among　their　own　chief　men　respecting　the　supreme　power。　Wherefore　it　is　not　surprising　that　Delos；　though　it　had　never　before　been　shaken；　should　at　that　time　have　felt　the　shock　of　an　earthquake。　And　indeed　there　was　an　oracle；　which　said　of　Delos…

　　　　Delo's　self　will　I　shake；　which　never　yet　has　been　　　　　　　shaken

Of　the　above　names　Darius　may　be　rendered　〃Worker；〃　Xerxes　〃Warrior；〃　and　Artaxerxes　〃Great　Warrior。〃　And　so　might　we　call　these　kings　in　our　own　language　with　propriety。　　　　　The　barbarians；　after　loosing　from　Delos；　proceeded　to　touch　at　the　other　islands；　and　took　troops　from　each；　and　likewise　carried　off　a　number　of　the　children　as　hostages。　Going　thus　from　one　to　another；　they　came　at　last　to　Carystus；　but　here　the　hostages　were　refused　by　the　Carystians；　who　said　they　would　neither　give　any；　nor　consent　to　bear　arms　against　the　cities　of　their　neighbours；　meaning　Athens　and　Eretria。　Hereupon　the　Persians　laid　siege　to　Carystus；　and　wasted　the　country　round；　until　at　length　the　inhabitants　were　brought　over　and　agreed　to　do　what　was　required　of　them。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Eretrians；　understanding　that　the　Persian　armament　was　coming　against　them；　besought　the　Athenians　for　assistance。　Nor　did　the　Athenians　refuse　their　aid；　but　assigned　to　them　as　auxiliaries　the　four　thousand　landholders　to　whom　they　had　allotted　the　estates　of　the　Chalcidean　Hippobatae。　At　Eretria；　however；　things　were　in　no　healthy　state；　for　though　they　had　called　in　the　aid　of　the　Athenians；　yet　they　were　not　agreed　among　themselves　how　they　should　act；　some　of　them　were　minded　to　leave　the　city　and　to　take　refuge　in　the　heights　of　Euboea；　while　others；　who　looked　to　receiving　a　reward　from　the　Persians；　were　making　ready　to　betray　their　country。　So　when　these　things　came　to　the　ears　of　Aeschines；　the　son　of　Nothon；　one　of　the　first　men　in　Eretria；　he　made　known　the　whole　state　of　affairs　to　the　Athenians　who　were　already　arrived；　and　besought　them　to　return　home　to　their　own　land；　and　not　perish　with　his　countrymen。　And　the　Athenians　hearkened　to　his　counsel；　and；　crossing　over　to　Oropus；　in　this　way　escaped　the　danger。　　　　　The　Persian　fleet　now　drew　near　and　anchored　at　Tamynae；　Choereae；　and　Aegilia；　three　places　in　the　territory　of　Eretria。　Once　masters　of　these　posts；　they　proceeded　forthwith　to　disembark　their　horses；　and　made　ready　to　attack　the　enemy。　But　the　Eretrians　were　not　minded　to　sally　forth　and　offer　battle；　their　only　care；　after　it　had　been　resolved　not　to　quit　the　city；　was；　if　possible；　to　defend　their　walls。　And　now　the　fortress　was　assaulted　in　good　earnest；　and　for　six　days　there　fell　on　both　sides　vast　numbers；　but　on　the　seventh　day　Euphorbus；　the　son　of　Alcimachus；　and　Philagrus；　the　son　of　Cyneas；　who　were　both　citizens　of　good　repute；　betrayed　the　place　to　the　Persians。　These　were　no　sooner　entered　within　the　walls　than　they　plundered　and　burnt　all　the　temples　that　there　were　in　the　town；　in　revenge　for　the　burning　of　their　own　temples　at　Sardis；　moreover；　they　did　according　to　the　orders　of　Darius；　and　carried　away　captive　all　the　inhabitants。　　　　　The　Persians；　having　thus　brought　Eretria　into　subjection　after　waiting　a　few　days；　made　sail　for　Attica；　greatly　straitening　the　Athenians　as　they　approached；　and　thinking　to　deal　with　them　as　they　had　dealt　with　the　people　of　Eretria。　And；　because　there　was　no　Place　in　all　Attica　so　convenient　for　their　horse　as　Marathon；　and　it　lay　moreover　quite　close　to　Eretria；　therefore　Hippias；　the　son　of　Pisistratus；　conducted　them　thither。　　　　　When　intelligence　of　this　reached　the　Athenians；　they　likewise　marched　their　troops　to　Marathon；　and　there　stood　on　the　defensive；　having　at　their　head　ten　generals；　of　whom　one　was　Miltiades。　　　　　Now　this　man's　father；　Cimon；　the　son　of　Stesagoras；　was　banished　from　Athens　by　Pisistratus；　the　son　of　Hippocrates。　In　his　banishment　it　was　his　fortune　to　win　the　four…horse　chariot…race　at　Olympia；　whereby　he　gained　the　very　same　honour　which　had　before　been　carried　off　by　Miltiades；　his　half…brother　on　the　mother's　side。　At　the　next　Olympiad　he　won　the　prize　again　with　the　same　mares；　upon　which　he　caused　Pisistratus　to　be　proclaimed　the　winner；　having　made　an　agreement　with　him　that　on　yielding　him　this　honour　he　should　be　allowed　to　come　back　to　his　count