the history-第160章

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　shown　by　Eurybiades；　but　presently　the　smothered　feeling　broke　out；　and　another　assembly　was　held；　whereat　the　old　subjects　provoked　much　talk　from　the　speakers；　one　side　maintaining　that　it　was　best　to　sail　to　the　Peloponnese　and　risk　battle　for　that；　instead　of　abiding　at　Salamis　and　fighting　for　a　land　already　taken　by　the　enemy；　while　the　other；　which　consisted　of　the　Athenians；　Eginetans；　and　Megarians；　was　urgent　to　remain　and　have　the　battle　fought　where　they　were。　　　　　Then　Themistocles；　when　he　saw　that　the　Peloponnesians　would　carry　the　vote　against　him；　went　out　secretly　from　the　council；　and；　instructing　a　certain　man　what　he　should　say；　sent　him　on　board　a　merchant　ship　to　the　fleet　of　the　Medes。　The　man's　name　was　Sicinnus；　he　was　one　of　Themistocles'　household　slaves；　and　acted　as　tutor　to　his　sons；　in　after　times；　when　the　Thespians　were　admitting　persons　to　citizenship；　Themistocles　made　him　a　Thespian；　and　a　rich　man　to　boot。　The　ship　brought　Sicinnus　to　the　Persian　fleet；　and　there　he　delivered　his　message　to　the　leaders　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃The　Athenian　commander　has　sent　me　to　you　privily；　without　the　knowledge　of　the　other　Greeks。　He　is　a　well…wisher　to　the　king's　cause；　and　would　rather　success　should　attend　on　you　than　on　his　countrymen；　wherefore　he　bids　me　tell　you　that　fear　has　seized　the　Greeks　and　they　are　meditating　a　hasty　flight。　Now　then　it　is　open　to　you　to　achieve　the　best　work　that　ever　ye　wrought；　if　only　ye　will　hinder　their　escaping。　They　no　longer　agree　among　themselves；　so　that　they　will　not　now　make　any　resistance…　nay；　'tis　likely　ye　may　see　a　fight　already　begun　between　such　as　favour　and　such　as　oppose　your　cause。〃　The　messenger；　when　he　had　thus　expressed　himself；　departed　and　was　seen　no　more。　　　　　Then　the　captains；　believing　all　that　the　messenger　had　said；　proceeded　to　land　a　large　body　of　Persian　troops　on　the　islet　of　Psyttaleia；　which　lies　between　Salamis　and　the　mainland；　after　which；　about　the　hour　of　midnight；　they　advanced　their　western　wing　towards　Salamis；　so　as　to　inclose　the　Greeks。　At　the　same　time　the　force　stationed　about　Ceos　and　Cynosura　moved　forward；　and　filled　the　whole　strait　as　far　as　Munychia　with　their　ships。　This　advance　was　made　to　prevent　the　Greeks　from　escaping　by　flight；　and　to　block　them　up　in　Salamis；　where　it　was　thought　that　vengeance　might　be　taken　upon　them　for　the　battles　fought　near　Artemisium。　The　Persian　troops　were　landed　on　the　islet　of　Psyttaleia；　because；　as　soon　as　the　battle　began；　the　men　and　wrecks　were　likely　to　be　drifted　thither；　as　the　isle　lay　in　the　very　path　of　the　coming　fight…　and　they　would　thus　be　able　to　save　their　own　men　and　destroy　those　of　the　enemy。　All　these　movements　were　made　in　silence；　that　the　Greeks　might　have　no　knowledge　of　them；　and　they　occupied　the　whole　night；　so　that　the　men　had　no　time　to　get　their　sleep。　　　　　I　cannot　say　that　there　is　no　truth　in　prophecies；　or　feel　inclined　to　call　in　question　those　which　speak　with　clearness；　when　I　think　of　the　following：…

　　　　When　they　shall　bridge　with　their　ships　to　the　sacred　strand　of　　　　　　　Diana　　　　　Girt　with　the　golden　falchion；　and　eke　to　marine　Cynosura；　　　　　Mad　hope　swelling　their　hearts　at　the　downfall　of　beautiful　　　　　　　Athens　　　　　Then　shall　godlike　Right　extinguish　haughty　Presumption；　　　　　Insult's　furious　offspring；　who　thinketh　to　overthrow　all　things。　　　　　Brass　with　brass　shall　mingle；　and　Mars　with　blood　shall　empurple　　　　　Ocean's　waves。　Then…　then　shall　the　day　of　Grecia's　freedom　　　　　Come　from　Victory　fair；　and　Saturn's　son　all…seeing。

When　I　look　to　this；　and　perceive　how　clearly　Bacis　spoke；　neither　venture　myself　to　say　anything　against　prophecies；　nor　do　approve　of　others　impugning　them。　　　　　Meanwhile；　among　the　captains　at　Salamis；　the　strife　of　words　grew　fierce。　As　yet　they　did　not　know　that　they　were　encompassed；　but　imagined　that　the　barbarians　remained　in　the　same　places　where　they　had　seen　them　the　day　before。　　　　　In　the　midst　of　their　contention；　Aristides；　the　son　of　Lysimachus；　who　had　crossed　from　Egina；　arrived　in　Salamis。　He　was　an　Athenian；　and　had　been　ostracised　by　the　commonalty；　yet　I　believe；　from　what　I　have　heard　concerning　his　character；　that　there　was　not　in　all　Athens　a　man　so　worthy　or　so　just　as　he。　He　now　came　to　the　council；　and；　standing　outside；　called　for　Themistocles。　Now　Themistocles　was　not　his　friend；　but　his　most　determined　enemy。　However；　under　the　pressure　of　the　great　dangers　impending；　Aristides　forgot　their　feud；　and　called　Themistocles　out　of　the　council；　since　he　wished　to　confer　with　him。　He　had　heard　before　his　arrival　of　the　impatience　of　the　Peloponnesians　to　withdraw　the　fleet　to　the　Isthmus。　As　soon　therefore　as　Themistocles　came　forth；　Aristides　addressed　him　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃Our　rivalry　at　all　times；　and　especially　at　the　present　season；　ought　to　be　a　struggle；　which　of　us　shall　most　advantage　our　country。　Let　me　then　say　to　thee；　that　so　far　as　regards　the　departure　of　the　Peloponnesians　from　this　place；　much　talk　and　little　will　be　found　precisely　alike。　I　have　seen　with　my　own　eyes　that　which　I　now　report：　that；　however　much　the　Corinthians　or　Eurybiades　himself　may　wish　it；　they　cannot　now　retreat；　for　we　are　enclosed　on　every　side　by　the　enemy。　Go　in　to　them；　and　make　this　known。〃　　　　　〃Thy　advice　is　excellent；〃　answered　the　other；　〃and　thy　tidings　are　also　good。　That　which　I　earnestly　desired　to　happen；　thine　eyes　have　beheld　accomplished。　Know　that　what　the　Medes　have　now　done　was　at　my　instance；　for　it　was　necessary；　as　our　men　would　not　fight　here　of　their　own　free　will；　to　make　them　fight　whether　they　would　or　no。　But　come　now；　as　thou　hast　brought　the　good　news；　go　in　and　tell　it。　For　if　I　speak　to　them；　they　will　think　it　a　feigned　tale；　and　will　not　believe　that　the　barbarians　have　inclosed　us　around。　Therefore　do　thou　go　to　them；　and　inform　them　how　matters　stand。　If　they　believe　thee；　'twill　be　for　the　best；　but　if　otherwise；　it　will　not　harm。　For　it　is　impossible　that　they　should　now　flee　away；　if　we　are　indeed　shut　in　on　all　sides；　as　thou　sayest。〃　　　　　Then　Aristides　entered　the　assembly；　and　spoke　to　the　captains：　he　had　come；　he　told　them；　from　Egina；　and　had　but　barely　escaped　the　blockading　vessels…　the　Greek　fleet　was　entirely　inclosed　by　the　ships　of　Xerxes…　and　he　advised　them　to　get　themselves　in　readiness　to　resist　the　foe。　Having　said　so　much；　he　withdrew。　And　now　another　contest　arose；　for　the　greater　part　of　the　captains　would　not　believe　the　tidings。　　　　　But　while　they　still　doubted；　a　Tenian　trireme；　commanded　by　Panaetius　the　son　of　Sosimenes；　deserted　from　the　Persians　and　joined　the　Greeks；　bringing　full　intelligence。　For　this　reason　the　Tenians　were　inscribed　upon　the　tripod　at　Delphi　among　those　who　overthrew　the　barbarians。　With　this　ship；　which　deserted　to　their　side　at　Salamis；　and　the　Lemnian　vessel　which　came　over　before　at　Artemisium；　the　Greek　fleet　was　brought　to　the　full　number　of　380　ships；　otherwise　it　fell　short　by　two　of　that　amount。　　　　　The　Greeks　now；　not　doubting　what　the　Tenians　told　them；　made　ready　for　the　coming　fight。　At　the　dawn　of　day；　all　the　men…at…arms　were　assembled　together；　and　speeches　were　made　to　them；　of　which　the　best　was　that　of　Themistocles；　who　throughout　contrasted　what　was　noble　with　what　was　base；　and　bade　them；　in　all　that　came　within　the　range　of　man's　nature　and　constitution；　always　to　make　choice　of　the　nobler　part。　Having　thus　wound　up　his　discourse；　he　told　them　to　go　at　once　on　board　their　ships；　which　they　accordingly　did；　and　about　his　time　the　trireme；　that　had　been　sent　to　Egina　for　the　Aeacidae；　returned；　whereupon　the　Greeks　put　to　sea　with　all　their　fleet。　　　　　The　fleet　had　scarce　left　the　land　when　they　were　attacked　by　the　barbarians。　At　once　most　of　the　Greeks　began　to　back　water；　and　were　about　touching　the　shore；　when　Ameinias　of　Palline；　one　of　the　Athenian　captains；　darted　forth　in　front　of　the　line；　and　charged　a　ship　of　the　enemy。　The　two　vessels　became　entangled；　and　could　not　separate；　whereupon　the　rest　of　the　fleet　came　up　to　help　Ameinias；　and　engaged　with　the　Persians。　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Athenians　give　of　the　way　in　which　the　battle　began；　but　the　Eginetans　maintain　that　the