the history-第141章

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ntinue　for　thee　and　thy　children。　　　　　Wait　not　the　tramp　of　the　horse；　nor　the　footmen　mightily　moving　　　　　Over　the　land；　but　turn　your　hack　to　the　foe；　and　retire　ye。　　　　　Yet　shall　a　day　arrive　when　ye　shall　meet　him　in　battle。　　　　　Holy　Salamis；　thou　shalt　destroy　the　offspring　of　women；　　　　　When　men　scatter　the　seed；　or　when　they　gather　the　harvest。

　　　　This　answer　seemed；　as　indeed　it　was；　gentler　than　the　former　one；　so　the　envoys　wrote　it　down；　and　went　back　with　it　to　Athens。　When；　however；　upon　their　arrival；　they　produced　it　before　the　people；　and　inquiry　began　to　be　made　into　its　true　meaning；　many　and　various　were　the　interpretations　which　men　put　on　it；　two；　more　especially；　seemed　to　be　directly　opposed　to　one　another。　Certain　of　the　old　men　were　of　opinion　that　the　god　meant　to　tell　them　the　citadel　would　escape；　for　this　was　anciently　defended　by　a　palisade；　and　they　supposed　that　barrier　to　be　the　〃wooden　wall〃　of　the　oracle。　Others　maintained　that　the　fleet　was　what　the　god　pointed　at；　and　their　advice　was　that　nothing　should　be　thought　of　except　the　ships；　which　had　best　be　at　once　got　ready。　Still　such　as　said　the　〃wooden　wall〃　meant　the　fleet；　were　perplexed　by　the　last　two　lines　of　the　oracle…

　　　　Holy　Salamis；　thou　shall　destroy　the　offspring　of　women；　　　　　When　men　scatter　the　seed；　or　when　they　gather　the　harvest。

These　words　caused　great　disturbance　among　those　who　took　the　wooden　wall　to　be　the　ships；　since　the　interpreters　understood　them　to　mean　that；　if　they　made　preparations　for　a　sea…fight；　they　would　suffer　a　defeat　off　Salamis。　　　　　Now　there　was　at　Athens　a　man　who　had　lately　made　his　way　into　the　first　rank　of　citizens：　his　true　name　was　Themistocles；　but　he　was　known　more　generally　as　the　son　of　Neocles。　This　man　came　forward　and　said　that　the　interpreters　had　not　explained　the　oracle　altogether　aright…　〃for　if；〃　he　argued；　〃the　clause　in　question　had　really　respected　the　Athenians；　it　would　not　have　been　expressed　so　mildly；　the　phrase　used　would　have　been　'Luckless　Salamis；'rather　than　'Holy　Salamis；'　had　those　to　whom　the　island　belonged　been　about　to　perish　in　its　neighbourhood。　Rightly　taken；　the　response　of　the　god　threatened　the　enemy；　much　more　than　the　Athenians。〃　He　therefore　counselled　his　countrymen　to　make　ready　to　fight　on　board　their　ships；　since　they　were　the　wooden　wall　in　which　the　god　told　them　to　trust。　When　Themistocles　had　thus　cleared　the　matter；　the　Athenians　embraced　his　view；　preferring　it　to　that　of　the　interpreters。　The　advice　of　these　last　had　been　against　engaging　in　a　sea…fight；　〃all　the　Athenians　could　do；〃　they　said；　〃was；　without　lifting　a　hand　in　their　defence；　to　quit　Attica；　and　make　a　settlement　in　some　other　country。〃　　　　　Themistocles　had　before　this　given　a　counsel　which　prevailed　very　seasonably。　The　Athenians；　having　a　large　sum　of　money　in　their　treasury；　the　produce　of　the　mines　at　Laureium；　were　about　to　share　it　among　the　full…grown　citizens；　who　would　have　received　ten　drachmas　apiece；　when　Themistocles　persuaded　them　to　forbear　the　distribution；　and　build　with　the　money　two　hundred　ships；　to　help　them　in　their　war　against　the　Eginetans。　It　was　the　breaking　out　of　the　Eginetan　war　which　was　at　this　time　the　saving　of　Greece；　for　hereby　were　the　Athenians　forced　to　become　a　maritime　power。　The　new　ships　were　not　used　for　the　purpose　for　which　they　had　been　built；　but　became　a　help　to　Greece　in　her　hour　of　need。　And　the　Athenians　had　not　only　these　vessels　ready　before　the　war；　but　they　likewise　set　to　work　to　build　more；　while　they　determined；　in　a　council　which　was　held　after　the　debate　upon　the　oracle；　that；　according　to　the　advice　of　the　god；　they　would　embark　their　whole　force　aboard　their　ships；　and；　with　such　Greeks　as　chose　to　join　them；　give　battle　to　the　barbarian　invader。　Such；　then；　were　the　oracles　which　had　been　received　by　the　Athenians。　　　　　The　Greeks　who　were　well　affected　to　the　Grecian　cause；　having　assembled　in　one　place；　and　there　consulted　together；　and　interchanged　pledges　with　each　other；　agreed　that；　before　any　other　step　was　taken；　the　feuds　and　enmities　which　existed　between　the　different　nations　should　first　of　all　be　appeased。　Many　such　there　were；　but　one　was　of　more　importance　than　the　rest；　namely；　the　war　which　was　still　going　on　between　the　Athenians　and　the　Eginetans。　When　this　business　was　concluded；　understanding　that　Xerxes　had　reached　Sardis　with　his　army；　they　resolved　to　despatch　spies　into　Asia　to　take　note　of　the　king's　affairs。　At　the　same　time　they　determined　to　send　ambassadors　to　the　Argives；　and　conclude　a　league　with　them　against　the　Persians；　while　they　likewise　despatched　messengers　to　Gelo；　the　son　of　Deinomenes；　in　Sicily；　to　the　people　of　Corcyra；　and　to　those　of　Crete；　exhorting　them　to　send　help　to　Greece。　Their　wish　was　to　unite；　if　possible；　the　entire　Greek　name　in　one；　and　so　to　bring　all　to　join　in　the　same　plan　of　defence；　inasmuch　as　the　approaching　dangers　threatened　all　alike。　Now　the　power　of　Gelo　was　said　to　be　very　great；　far　greater　than　that　of　any　single　Grecian　people。　　　　　So　when　these　resolutions　had　been　agreed　upon；　and　the　quarrels　between　the　states　made　up；　first　of　all　they　sent　into　Asia　three　men　as　spies。　These　men　reached　Sardis；　and　took　note　of　the　king's　forces；　but；　being　discovered；　were　examined　by　order　of　the　generals　who　commanded　the　land　army；　and；　having　been　condemned　to　suffer　death；　were　led　out　to　execution。　Xerxes；　however；　when　the　news　reached　him；　disapproving　the　sentence　of　the　generals；　sent　some　of　his　bodyguard　with　instructions；　if　they　found　the　spies　still　alive；　to　bring　them　into　his　presence。　The　messengers　found　the　spies　alive；　and　brought　them　before　the　king；　who；　when　he　heard　the　purpose　for　which　they　had　come；　gave　orders　to　his　guards　to　take　them　round　the　camp；　and　show　them　all　the　footmen　and　all　the　horse；　letting　them　gaze　at　everything　to　their　hearts'　content；　then；　when　they　were　satisfied；　to　send　them　away　unharmed　to　whatever　country　they　desired。　　　　　For　these　orders　Xerxes　gave　afterwards　the　following　reasons。　〃Had　the　spies　been　put　to　death；〃　he　said；　〃the　Greeks　would　have　continued　ignorant　of　the　vastness　of　his　army；　which　surpassed　the　common　report　of　it；　while　he　would　have　done　them　a　very　small　injury　by　killing　three　of　their　men。　On　the　other　hand；　by　the　return　of　the　spies　to　Greece；　his　power　would　become　known；　and　the　Greeks；〃　he　expected；　〃would　make　surrender　of　their　freedom　before　he　began　his　march；　by　which　means　his　troops　would　be　saved　all　the　trouble　of　an　expedition。〃　This　reasoning　was　like　to　that　which　he　used　upon　another　occasion。　While　he　was　staying　at　Abydos；　he　saw　some　corn…ships；　which　were　passing　through　the　Hellespont　from　the　Euxine；　on　their　way　to　Egina　and　the　Peloponnese。　His　attendants；　hearing　that　they　were　the　enemy's；　were　ready　to　capture　them；　and　looked　to　see　when　Xerxes　would　give　the　signal。　He；　however；　merely　asked　〃whither　the　ships　were　bound？〃　and　when　they　answered；　〃For　thy　foes；　master；　with　corn　on　board；　〃We　too　are　bound　thither；〃　he　rejoined；　〃laden；　among　other　things；　with　corn。　What　harm　is　it；　if　they　carry　our　provisions　for　us？〃　　　　　So　the　spies；　when　they　had　seen　everything；　were　dismissed；　and　came　back　to　Europe。　　　　　The　Greeks　who　had　banded　themselves　together　against　the　Persian　king；　after　despatching　the　spies　into　Asia；　sent　next　ambassadors　to　Argos。　The　account　which　the　Argives　give　of　their　own　proceedings　is　the　following。　They　say　that　they　had　information　from　the　very　first　of　the　preparations　which　the　barbarians　were　making　against　Greece。　So；　as　they　expected　that　the　Greeks　would　come　upon　them　for　aid　against　the　assailant；　they　sent　envoys　to　Delphi　to　inquire　of　the　god　what　it　would　be　best　for　them　to　do　in　the　matter。　They　had　lost；　not　long　before；　six　thousand　citizens；　who　had　been　slain　by　the　Lacedaemonians　under　Cleomenes　the　son　of　Anaxandridas；　which　was　the　reason　why　they　now　sent　to　Delphi。　When　the　Pythoness　heard　their　question；　she　replied…

　　　　Hated　of　all　thy　neighbors；　beloved　of　the　blessed　Immortals；　　　　　Sit　thou　still；　with　thy　lance　drawn　inward；　patiently　watching；　　　　　Warily　guard　thi