the history-第156章

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y　were　in；　great　fear　fell　on　them。　In　their　terror　they　consulted　the　oracle　concerning　the　holy　treasures；　and　inquired　if　they　should　bury　them　in　the　ground；　or　carry　them　away　to　some　other　country。　The　god；　in　reply；　bade　them　leave　the　treasures　untouched…　〃He　was　able；〃　he　said；　〃without　help　to　protect　his　own。〃　So　the　Delphians；　when　they　received　this　answer；　began　to　think　about　saving　themselves。　And　first　of　all　they　sent　their　women　and　children　across　the　gulf　into　Achaea；　after　which　the　greater　number　of　them　climbed　up　into　the　tops　of　Parnassus；　and　placed　their　goods　for　safety　in　the　Corycian　cave；　while　some　effected　their　escape　to　Amphissa　in　Locris。　In　this　way　all　the　Delphians　quitted　the　city；　except　sixty　men；　and　the　Prophet。　　　　　When　the　barbarian　assailants　drew　near　and　were　in　sight　of　the　place；　the　Prophet；　who　was　named　Aceratus；　beheld；　in　front　of　the　temple；　a　portion　of　the　sacred　armour；　which　it　was　not　lawful　for　any　mortal　hand　to　touch；　lying　upon　the　ground；　removed　from　the　inner　shrine　where　it　was　wont　to　hang。　Then　went　he　and　told　the　prodigy　to　the　Delphians　who　had　remained　behind。　Meanwhile　the　enemy　pressed　forward　briskly；　and　had　reached　the　shrine　of　Minerva　Pronaia；　when　they　were　overtaken　by　other　prodigies　still　more　wonderful　than　the　first。　Truly　it　was　marvel　enough；　when　warlike　harness　was　seen　lying　outside　the　temple；　removed　there　by　no　power　but　its　own；　what　followed；　however；　exceeded　in　strangeness　all　prodigies　that　had　ever　before　been　seen。　The　barbarians　had　just　reached　in　their　advance　the　chapel　of　Minerva　Pronaia；　when　a　storm　of　thunder　burst　suddenly　over　their　heads…　at　the　same　time　two　crags　split　off　from　Mount　Parnassus；　and　rolled　down　upon　them　with　a　loud　noise；　crushing　vast　numbers　beneath　their　weight…　while　from　the　temple　of　Minerva　there　went　up　the　war…cry　and　the　shout　of　victory。　　　　　All　these　things　together　struck　terror　into　the　barbarians；　who　forthwith　turned　and　fled。　The　Delphians；　seeing　this；　came　down　from　their　hiding…places；　and　smote　them　with　a　great　slaughter；　from　which　such　as　escaped　fled　straight　into　Boeotia。　These　men；　on　their　return；　declared　（as　I　am　told）　that　besides　the　marvels　mentioned　above；　they　witnessed　also　other　supernatural　sights。　Two　armed　warriors；　they　said；　of　a　stature　more　than　human；　pursued　after　their　flying　ranks；　pressing　them　close　and　slaying　them。　　　　　These　men；　the　Delphians　maintain；　were　two　Heroes　belonging　to　the　place…　by　name　Phylacus　and　Autonous…　each　of　whom　has　a　sacred　precinct　near　the　temple；　one；　that　of　Phylacus；　hard　by　the　road　which　runs　above　the　temple　of　Pronaia；　the　other；　that　of　Autonous；　near　the　Castalian　spring；　at　the　foot　of　the　peak　called　Hyampeia。　The　blocks　of　stone　which　fell　from　Parnassus　might　still　be　seen　in　my　day；　they　lay　in　the　precinct　of　Pronaia；　where　they　stopped；　after　rolling　through　the　host　of　the　barbarians。　Thus　was　this　body　of　men　forced　to　retire　from　the　temple。　　　　　Meanwhile；　the　Grecian　fleet；　which　had　left　Artemisium；　proceeded　to　Salamis；　at　the　request　of　the　Athenians；　and　there　cast　anchor。　The　Athenians　had　begged　them　to　take　up　this　position；　in　order　that　they　might　convey　their　women　and　children　out　of　Attica；　and　further　might　deliberate　upon　the　course　which　it　now　behoved　them　to　follow。　Disappointed　in　the　hopes　which　they　had　previously　entertained；　they　were　about　to　hold　a　council　concerning　the　present　posture　of　their　affairs。　For　they　had　looked　to　see　the　Peloponnesians　drawn　up　in　full　force　to　resist　the　enemy　in　Boeotia；　but　found　nothing　of　what　they　had　expected；　nay；　they　learnt　that　the　Greeks　of　those　parts；　only　concerning　themselves　about　their　own　safety；　were　building　a　wall　across　the　Isthmus；　and　intended　to　guard　the　Peloponnese；　and　let　the　rest　of　Greece　take　its　chance。　These　tidings　caused　them　to　make　the　request　whereof　I　spoke；　that　the　combined　fleet　should　anchor　at　Salamis。　　　　　So　while　the　rest　of　the　fleet　lay　to　off　this　island；　the　Athenians　cast　anchor　along　their　own　coast。　Immediately　upon　their　arrival；　proclamation　was　made　that　every　Athenian　should　save　his　children　and　household　as　he　best　could；　whereupon　some　sent　their　families　to　Egina；　some　to　Salamis；　but　the　greater　number　to　Troezen。　This　removal　was　made　with　all　possible　haste；　partly　from　a　desire　to　obey　the　advice　of　the　oracle；　but　still　more　for　another　reason。　The　Athenians　say　that　they　have　in　their　Acropolis　a　huge　serpent；　which　lives　in　the　temple；　and　is　the　guardian　of　the　whole　place。　Nor　do　they　only　say　this；　but；　as　if　the　serpent　really　dwelt　there；　every　month　they　lay　out　its　food；　which　consists　of　a　honey…cake。　Up　to　this　time　the　honey…cake　had　always　been　consumed；　but　now　it　remained　untouched。　So　the　priestess　told　the　people　what　had　happened；　whereupon　they　left　Athens　the　more　readily；　since　they　believed　that　the　goddess　had　already　abandoned　the　citadel。　As　soon　as　all　was　removed；　the　Athenians　sailed　back　to　their　station。　　　　　And　now；　the　remainder　of　the　Grecian　sea…force；　hearing　that　the　fleet　which　had　been　at　Artemisium；　was　come　to　Salamis；　joined　it　at　that　island　from　Troezen…　orders　having　been　issued　previously　that　the　ships　should　muster　at　Pogon；　the　port　of　the　Troezenians。　The　vessels　collected　were　many　more　in　number　than　those　which　had　fought　at　Artemisium；　and　were　furnished　by　more　cities。　The　admiral　was　the　same　who　had　commanded　before；　to　wit；　Eurybiades；　the　son　of　Eurycleides；　who　was　a　Spartan；　but　not　of　the　family　of　the　kings：　the　city；　however；　which　sent　by　far　the　greatest　number　of　ships；　and　the　best　sailers；　was　Athens。　　　　　Now　these　were　the　nations　who　composed　the　Grecian　fleet。　From　the　Peloponnese；　the　following…　the　Lacedaemonians　with　six；　teen　ships；　the　Corinthians　with　the　same　number　as　at　Artemisium；　the　Sicyonians　with　fifteen；　the　Epidaurians　with　ten；　the　Troezenians　with　five；　and　the　Hermionians　with　three。　These　were　Dorians　and　Macedonians　all　of　them　（except　those　from　Hermione）；　and　had　emigrated　last　from　Erineus；　Pindus；　and　Dryopis。　The　Hermionians　were　Dryopians；　of　the　race　which　Hercules　and　the　Malians　drove　out　of　the　land　now　called　Doris。　Such　were　the　Peloponnesian　nations。　　　　　From　the　mainland　of　Greece　beyond　the　Peloponnese；　came　the　Athenians　with　a　hundred　and　eighty　ships；　a　greater　number　than　that　furnished　by　any　other　people；　and　these　were　now　manned　wholly　by　themselves；　for　the　Plataeans　did　not　serve　aboard　the　Athenian　ships　at　Salamis；　owing　to　the　following　reason。　When　the　Greeks；　on　their　withdrawal　from　Artemisium；　arrived　off　Chalcis；　the　Plataeans　disembarked　upon　the　opposite　shore　of　Boeotia；　and　set　to　work　to　remove　their　households；　whereby　it　happened　that　they　were　left　behind。　（The　Athenians；　when　the　region　which　is　now　called　Greece　was　held　by　the　Pelasgi；　were　Pelasgians；　and　bore　the　name　of　Cranaans；　but　under　their　king　Cecrops；　they　were　called　Cecropidae；　when　Erechtheus　got　the　sovereignty；　they　changed　their　name　to　Athenians；　and　when　Ion；　the　son　of　Xuthus；　became　their　general；　they　were　named　after　him　Ionians。）　　　　　The　Megarians　served　with　the　same　number　of　ships　as　at　Artemisium；　the　Ambraciots　came　with　seven；　the　Leucadians　（who　were　Dorians　from　Corinth）　with　three。　　　　　Of　the　islanders；　the　Eginetans　furnished　thirty　ships…　they　had　a　larger　number　equipped；　but　some　were　kept　back　to　guard　their　own　coasts；　and　only　thirty；　which　however　were　their　best　sailers；　took　part　in　the　fight　at　Salamis。　（The　Eginetans　are　Dorians　from　Epidaurus；　their　island　was　called　formerly　Oenone）。　The　Chalcideans　came　next　in　order；　they　furnished　the　twenty　ships　with　which　they　had　served　at　Artemisium。　The　Eretrians　likewise　furnished　their　seven。　These　races　are　Ionian。　Ceos　gave　its　old　number…　the　Ceans　are　Ionians　from　Attica。　Naxos　furnished　four：　this　detachment；　like　those　from　the　other　islands；　had　been　sent　by　the　citizens　at　home　to　join　the　Medes；　but　they　made　light　of　the　orders　given　them；　and　joined　the　Greeks；　at　the　instigation　of　Democritus；　a　citizen　of　good　report；　who　was　at　that　time　captain　of　a　trireme。　The　Naxians　are　Ionians；　of　the　Atheni