the history-第125节

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I　know；　will　mis…like；　but　which；　as　it　seems　to　me　to　be　true；　I　am　determined　not　to　withhold。　Had　the　Athenians；　from　fear　of　the　approaching　danger；　quitted　their　country；　or　had　they　without　quitting　it　submitted　to　the　power　of　Xerxes；　there　would　certainly　have　been　no　attempt　to　resist　the　Persians　by　sea；　in　which　case　the　course　of　events　by　land　would　have　been　the　following。　Though　the　Peloponnesians　might　have　carried　ever　so　many　breastworks　across　the　Isthmus；　yet　their　allies　would　have　fallen　off　from　the　Lacedaemonians；　not　by　voluntary　desertion；　but　because　town　after　town　must　have　been　taken　by　the　fleet　of　the　barbarians；　and　so　the　Lacedaemonians　would　at　last　have　stood　alone；　and；　standing　alone；　would　have　displayed　prodigies　of　valour　and　died　nobly。　Either　they　would　have　done　thus；　or　else；　before　it　came　to　that　extremity；　seeing　one　Greek　state　after　another　embrace　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　they　would　have　come　to　terms　with　King　Xerxes…　and　thus；　either　way　Greece　would　have　been　brought　under　Persia。　For　I　cannot　understand　of　what　possible　use　the　walls　across　the　Isthmus　could　have　been；　if　the　king　had　had　the　mastery　of　the　sea。　If　then　a　man　should　now　say　that　the　Athenians　were　the　saviours　of　Greece；　he　would　not　exceed　the　truth。　For　they　truly　held　the　scales；　and　whichever　side　they　espoused　must　have　carried　the　day。　They　too　it　was　who；　when　they　had　determined　to　maintain　the　freedom　of　Greece；　roused　up　that　portion　of　the　Greek　nation　which　had　not　gone　over　to　the　Medes；　and　so；　next　to　the　gods；　they　repulsed　the　invader。　Even　the　terrible　oracles　which　reached　them　from　Delphi；　and　struck　fear　into　their　hearts；　failed　to　persuade　them　to　fly　from　Greece。　They　had　the　courage　to　remain　faithful　to　their　land；　and　await　the　coming　of　the　foe。　　　　　When　the　Athenians；　anxious　to　consult　the　oracle；　sent　their　messengers　to　Delphi；　hardly　had　the　envoys　completed　the　customary　rites　about　the　sacred　precinct；　and　taken　their　seats　inside　the　sanctuary　of　the　god；　when　the　Pythoness；　Aristonice　by　name；　thus　prophesied…

　　　　Wretches；　why　sit　ye　here？　Fly；　fly　to　the　ends　of　creation；　　　　　Quitting　your　homes；　and　the　crags　which　your　city　crowns　with　　　　　　　her　circlet。　　　　　Neither　the　head；　nor　the　body　is　firm　in　its　place；　nor　at　　　　　　　bottom　　　　　Firm　the　feet；　nor　the　hands；　nor　resteth　the　middle　uninjur'd。　　　　　All…　all　ruined　and　lost。　Since　fire；　and　impetuous　Ares；　　　　　Speeding　along　in　a　Syrian　chariot；　hastes　to　destroy　her。　　　　　Not　alone　shalt　thou　suffer；　full　many　the　towers　he　will　level；　　　　　Many　the　shrines　of　the　gods　he　will　give　to　a　fiery　destruction。　　　　　Even　now　they　stand　with　dark　sweat　horribly　dripping；　　　　　Trembling　and　quaking　for　fear；　and　lo！　from　the　high　roofs　　　　　　　trickleth　　　　　Black　blood；　sign　prophetic　of　hard　distresses　impending。　　　　　Get　ye　away　from　the　temple；　and　brood　on　the　ills　that　await　ye！

　　　　When　the　Athenian　messengers　heard　this　reply；　they　were　filled　with　the　deepest　affliction：　whereupon　Timon；　the　son　of　Androbulus；　one　of　the　men　of　most　mark　among　the　Delphians；　seeing　how　utterly　cast　down　they　were　at　the　gloomy　prophecy；　advised　them　to　take　an　olive…branch；　and　entering　the　sanctuary　again；　consult　the　oracle　as　suppliants。　The　Athenians　followed　this　advice；　and　going　in　once　more；　said…　〃O　king！　we　pray　thee　reverence　these　boughs　of　supplication　which　we　bear　in　our　hands；　and　deliver　to　us　something　more　comforting　concerning　our　country。　Else　we　will　not　leave　thy　sanctuary；　but　will　stay　here　till　we　die。〃　Upon　this　the　priestess　gave　them　a　second　answer；　which　was　the　following：…

　　　　Pallas　has　not　been　able　to　soften　the　lord　of　Olympus；　　　　　Though　she　has　often　prayed　him；　and　urged　him　with　excellent　　　　　　　counsel。　　　　　Yet　once　more　I　address　thee　in　words　than　adamant　firmer。　　　　　When　the　foe　shall　have　taken　whatever　the　limit　of　Cecrops　　　　　Holds　within　it；　and　all　which　divine　Cithaeron；　shelters；　　　　　Then　far…seeing　Jove　grants　this　to　the　prayers　of　Athene；　　　　　Safe　shall　the　wooden　wall　continue　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；　fi