the history-第154章

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e　was　in　the　one　case　to　maintain　the　pass；　so　in　the　other　it　was　to　defend　the　Euripus。　While　the　Greeks；　therefore；　exhorted　one　another　not　to　let　the　barbarians　burst　in　upon　Greece；　these　latter　shouted　to　their　fellows　to　destroy　the　Grecian　fleet；　and　get　possession　of　the　channel。　　　　　And　now　the　fleet　of　Xerxes　advanced　in　good　order　to　the　attack；　while　the　Greeks　on　their　side　remained　quite　motionless　at　Artemisium。　The　Persians　therefore　spread　themselves；　and　came　forward　in　a　half…moon；　seeking　to　encircle　the　Greeks　on　all　sides；　and　thereby　prevent　them　from　escaping。　The　Greeks；　when　they　saw　this；　sailed　out　to　meet　their　assailants；　and　the　battle　forthwith　began。　In　this　engagement　the　two　fleets　contended　with　no　clear　advantage　to　either…　for　the　armament　of　Xerxes　injured　itself　by　its　own　greatness；　the　vessels　falling　into　disorder；　and　oft…times　running　foul　of　one　another；　yet　still　they　did　not　give　way；　but　made　a　stout　fight；　since　the　crews　felt　it　would　indeed　be　a　disgrace　to　turn　and　fly　from　a　fleet　so　inferior　in　number。　The　Greeks　therefore　suffered　much；　both　in　ships　and　men；　but　the　barbarians　experienced　a　far　larger　loss　of　each。　So　the　fleets　separated　after　such　a　combat　as　I　have　described。　　　　　On　the　side　of　Xerxes　the　Egyptians　distinguished　themselves　above　all　the　combatants；　for　besides　performing　many　other　noble　deeds；　they　took　five　vessels　from　the　Greeks　with　their　crews　on　board。　On　the　side　of　the　Greeks　the　Athenians　bore　off　the　meed　of　valour；　and　among　them　the　most　distinguished　was　Clinias；　the　son　of　Alcibiades；　who　served　at　his　own　charge　with　two　hundred　men；　on　board　a　vessel　which　he　had　himself　furnished。　　　　　The　two　fleets；　on　separating；　hastened　very　gladly　to　their　anchorage…grounds。　The　Greeks；　indeed；　when　the　battle　was　over；　became　masters　of　the　bodies　of　the　slain　and　the　wrecks　of　the　vessels；　but　they　had　been　so　roughly　handled；　especially　the　Athenians；　one…half　of　whose　vessels　had　suffered　damage；　that　they　determined　to　break　up　from　their　station；　and　withdraw　to　the　inner　parts　of　their　country。　　　　　Then　Themistocles；　who　thought　that　if　the　Ionian　and　Carian　ships　could　be　detached　from　the　barbarian　fleet；　the　Greeks　might　be　well　able　to　defeat　the　rest；　called　the　captains　together。　They　met　upon　the　seashore；　where　the　Euboeans　were　now　assembling　their　flocks　and　herds；　and　here　Themistocles　told　them　he　thought　that　he　knew　of　a　plan　whereby　he　could　detach　from　the　king　those　who　were　of　most　worth　among　his　allies。　This　was　all　that　he　disclosed　to　them　of　his　plan　at　that　time。　Meanwhile；　looking　to　the　circumstances　in　which　they　were；　he　advised　them　to　slaughter　as　many　of　the　Euboean　cattle…　they　liked…　for　it　was　better　（he　said）　that　their　own　troops　should　enjoy　them　than　the　enemy…　and　to　give　orders　to　their　men　to　kindle　the　fires　as　usual。　With　regard　to　the　retreat；　he　said　that　he　would　take　upon　himself　to　watch　the　proper　moment；　and　would　manage　matters　so　that　they　should　return　to　Greece　without　loss。　These　words　pleased　the　captains；　so　they　had　the　fires　lighted；　and　began　the　slaughter　of　the　cattle。　　　　　The　Euboeans；　until　now；　had　made　light　of　the　oracle　of　Bacis；　as　though　it　had　been　void　of　all　significancy；　and　had　neither　removed　their　goods　from　the　island；　nor　yet　taken　them　into　their　strong　places；　as　they　would　most　certainly　have　done　if　they　had　believed　that　war　was　approaching。　By　this　neglect　they　had　brought　their　affairs　into　the　very　greatest　danger。　Now　the　oracle　of　which　I　speak　ran　as　follows：…

　　　　When　o'er　the　main　shall　be　thrown　a　byblus　yoke　by　a　stranger；　　　　　Be　thou　ware；　and　drive　from　Euboea　the　goats'　loud…bleating。

So；　as　the　Euboeans　had　paid　no　regard　to　this　oracle　when　the　evils　approached　and　impended；　now　that　they　had　arrived；　the　worst　was　likely　to　befall　them。　　　　　While　the　Greeks　were　employed　in　the　way　described　above；　the　scout　who　had　been　on　the　watch　at　Trachis　arrived　at　Artemisium。　For　the　Greeks　had　employed　two　watchers：…　Polyas；　a　native　of　Anticyra；　had　been　stationed　off　Artemisium；　with　a　row…boat　at　his　command　ready　to　sail　at　any　moment；　his　orders　being　that；　if　an　engagement　took　place　by　sea；　he　should　convey　the　news　at　once　to　the　Greeks　at　Thermopylae；　and　in　like　manner　Abronychus　the　son　of　Lysicles；　an　Athenian；　had　been　stationed　with　a　triaconter　near　Leonidas；　to　be　ready；　in　case　of　disaster　befalling　the　land　force；　to　carry　tidings　of　it　to　Artemisium。　It　was　this　Abronychus　who　now　arrived　with　news　of　what　had　befallen　Leonidas　and　those　who　were　with　him。　When　the　Greeks　heard　the　tidings　they　no　longer　delayed　to　retreat；　but　withdrew　in　the　order　wherein　they　had　been　stationed；　the　Corinthians　leading；　and　the　Athenians　sailing　last　of　all。　　　　　And　now　Themistocles　chose　out　the　swiftest　sailers　from　among　the　Athenian　vessels；　and；　proceeding　to　the　various　watering…places　along　the　coast；　cut　inscriptions　on　the　rocks；　which　were　read　by　the　Ionians　the　day　following；　on　their　arrival　at　Artemisium。　The　inscriptions　ran　thus：…　〃Men　of　Ionia；　ye　do　wrong　to　fight　against　your　own　fathers；　and　to　give　your　help　to　enslave　Greece。　We　beseech　you　therefore　to　come　over；　if　possible；　to　our　side：　if　you　cannot　do　this；　then；　we　pray　you；　stand　aloof　from　the　contest　yourselves；　and　persuade　the　Carians　to　do　the　like。　If　neither　of　these　things　be　possible；　and　you　are　hindered；　by　a　force　too　strong　to　resist；　from　venturing　upon　desertion；　at　least　when　we　come　to　blows　fight　backwardly；　remembering　that　you　are　sprung　from　us；　and　that　it　was　through　you　we　first　provoked　the　hatred　of　the　barbarian。〃　Themistocles；　in　putting　up　these　inscriptions；　looked；　I　believe；　to　two　chances…　either　Xerxes　would　not　discover　them；　in　which　case　they　might　bring　over　the　Ionians　to　the　side　of　the　Greeks；　or　they　would　be　reported　to　him　and　made　a　ground　of　accusation　against　the　Ionians；　who　would　thereupon　be　distrusted；　and　would　not　be　allowed　to　take　part　in　the　sea…fights。　　　　　Shortly　after　the　cutting　of　the　inscriptions；　a　man　of　Histiaea　went　in　a　merchantship　to　Aphetae；　and　told　the　Persians　that　the　Greeks　had　fled　from　Artemisium。　Disbelieving　his　report；　the　Persians　kept　the　man　a　prisoner；　while　they　sent　some　of　their　fastest　vessels　to　see　what　had　happened。　These　brought　back　word　how　matters　stood；　whereupon　at　sunrise　the　whole　fleet　advanced　together　in　a　body；　and　sailed　to　Artemisium；　where　they　remained　till　mid…day；　after　which　they　went　on　to　Histiaea。　That　city　fell　into　their　hands　immediately；　and　they　shortly　overran　the　various　villages　upon　the　coast　in　the　district　of　Hellopia；　which　was　part　of　the　Histiaean　territory。　　　　　It　was　while　they　were　at　this　station　that　a　herald　reached　them　from　Xerxes；　whom　he　had　sent　after　making　the　following　dispositions　with　respect　to　the　bodies　of　those　who　fell　at　Thermopylae。　Of　the　twenty　thousand　who　had　been　slain　on　the　Persian　side；　he　left　one　thousand　upon　the　field　while　he　buried　the　rest　in　trenches；　and　these　he　carefully　filled　up　with　earth；　and　hid　with　foliage；　that　the　sailors　might　not　see　any　signs　of　them。　The　herald；　on　reaching　Histiaea；　caused　the　whole　force　to　be　collected　together；　and　spake　thus　to　them：　　　　　〃Comrades；　King　Xerxes　gives　permission　to　all　who　please；　to　quit　their　posts；　and　see　how　he　fights　with　the　senseless　men　who　think　to　overthrow　his　armies。〃　　　　　No　sooner　had　these　words　been　uttered；　than　it　became　difficult　to　get　a　boat；　so　great　was　the　number　of　those　who　desired　to　see　the　sight。　Such　as　went　crossed　the　strait；　and　passing　among　the　heaps　of　dead；　in　this　way　viewed　the　spectacle。　Many　helots　were　included　in　the　slain；　but　every　one　imagined　that　the　bodies　were　all　either　Lacedaemonians　or　Thespians。　However；　no　one　was　deceived　by　what　Xerxes　had　done　with　his　own　dead。　It　was　indeed　most　truly　a　laughable　device…　on　the　one　side　a　thousand　men　were　seen　lying　about　the　field；　on　the　other　four　thousand　crowded　together　into　one　spot。　This　day　then　was　given　up　to　sight…seeing；　on　the　next　the　seamen　embarked　on　board　their　ships　and　sailed　back　to　Histiaea；　while　Xerxes　and　his　army　proceeded　upon　th