the history-第141节

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　a　brave　man；　all　will　be　well…　if　not；　thou　wilt　bring　Greece　to　ruin。　For　the　whole　fortune　of　the　war　depends　on　our　ships。　Be　thou　persuaded　by　my　words。　If　not；　we　will　take　our　families　on　board；　and　go；　just　as　we　are；　to　Siris；　in　Italy；　which　is　ours　from　of　old；　and　which　the　prophecies　declare　we　are　to　colonise　some　day　or　other。　You　then；　when　you　have　lost　allies　like　us；　will　hereafter　call　to　mind　what　I　have　now　said。〃　　　　　At　these　words　of　Themistocles；　Eurybiades　changed　his　determination；　principally；　as　I　believe；　because　he　feared　that　if　he　withdrew　the　fleet　to　the　Isthmus；　the　Athenians　would　sail　away；　and　knew　that　without　the　Athenians；　the　rest　of　their　ships　could　be　no　match　for　the　fleet　of　the　enemy。　He　therefore　decided　to　remain；　and　give　battle　at　Salamis。　　　　　And　now；　the　different　chiefs；　notwithstanding　their　skirmish　of　words；　on　learning　the　decision　of　Eurybiades；　at　once　made　ready　for　the　fight。　Morning　broke；　and；　just　as　the　sun　rose；　the　shock　of　an　earthquake　was　felt　both　on　shore　and　at　sea：　whereupon　the　Greeks　resolved　to　approach　the　gods　with　prayer；　and　likewise　to　send　and　invite　the　Aeacids　to　their　aid。　And　this　they　did；　with　as　much　speed　as　they　had　resolved　on　it。　Prayers　were　offered　to　all　the　gods；　and　Telamon　and　Ajax　were　invoked　at　once　from　Salamis；　while　a　ship　was　sent　to　Egina　to　fetch　Aeacus　himself；　and　the　other　Aeacids。　　　　　The　following　is　a　tale　which　was　told　by　Dicaeus；　the　son　of　Theocydes；　an　Athenian；　who　was　at　this　time　an　exile；　and　had　gained　a　good　report　among　the　Medes。　He　declared　that　after　the　army　of　Xerxes　had；　in　the　absence　of　the　Athenians；　wasted　Attica；　he　chanced　to　be　with　Demaratus　the　Lacedaemonian　in　the　Thriasian　plain；　and　that　while　there；　he　saw　a　cloud　of　dust　advancing　from　Eleusis；　such　as　a　host　of　thirty　thousand　men　might　raise。　As　he　and　his　companion　were　wondering　who　the　men；　from　whom　the　dust　arose；　could　possibly　be；　a　sound　of　voices　reached　his　ear；　and　he　thought　that　he　recognised　the　mystic　hymn　to　Bacchus。　Now　Demaratus　was　unacquainted　with　the　rites　of　Eleusis；　and　so　he　inquired　of　Dicaeus　what　the　voices　were　saying。　Dicaeus　made　answer…　〃O　Demaratus！　beyond　a　doubt　some　mighty　calamity　is　about　to　befall　the　king's　army！　For　it　is　manifest；　inasmuch　as　Attica　is　deserted　by　its　inhabitants；　that　the　sound　which　we　have　heard　is　an　unearthly　one；　and　is　now　upon　its　way　from　Eleusis　to　aid　the　Athenians　and　their　confederates。　If　it　descends　upon　the　Peloponnese；　danger　will　threaten　the　king　himself　and　his　land　army…　if　it　moves　towards　the　ships　at　Salamis；　'twill　go　hard　but　the　king's　fleet　there　suffers　destruction。　Every　year　the　Athenians　celebrate　this　feast　to　the　Mother　and　the　Daughter；　and　all　who　wish；　whether　they　be　Athenians　or　any　other　Greeks；　are　initiated。　The　sound　thou　hearest　is　the　Bacchic　song；　which　is　wont　to　be　sung　at　that　festival。〃　〃Hush　now；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃and　see　thou　tell　no　man　of　this　matter。　For　if　thy　words　be　brought　to　the　king's　ear；　thou　wilt　assuredly　lose　thy　head　because　of　them；　neither　I　nor　any　man　living　can　then　save　thee。　Hold　thy　peace　therefore。　The　gods　will　see　to　the　king's　army。〃　Thus　Demaratus　counselled　him；　and　they　looked；　and　saw　the　dust；　from　which　the　sound　arose；　become　a　cloud；　and　the　cloud　rise　up　into　the　air　and　sail　away　to　Salamis；　making　for　the　station　of　the　Grecian　fleet。　Then　they　knew　that　it　was　the　fleet　of　Xerxes　which　would　suffer　destruction。　Such　was　the　tale　told　by　Dicaeus　the　son　of　Theocydes；　and　he　appealed　for　its　truth　to　Demaratus　and　other　eye…witnesses。　　　　　The　men　belonging　to　the　fleet　of　Xerxes；　after　they　had　seen　the　Spartan　dead　at　Thermopylae；　and　crossed　the　channel　from　Trachis　to　Histiaea；　waited　there　by　the　space　of　three　days；　and　then　sailing　down　through　the　Euripus；　in　three　more　came　to　Phalerum。　In　my　judgment；　the　Persian　forces　both　by　land　and　sea　when　they　invaded　Attica　were　not　less　numerous　than　they　had　been　on　their　arrival　at　Sepias　and　Thermopylae。　For　against　the　Persian　loss　in　the　storm　and　at　Thermopylae；　and　again　in　the　sea…fights　off　Artemisium；　I　set　the　various　nations　which　had　since　joined　the　king…　as　the　Malians；　the　Dorians；　the　Locrians；　and　the　Boeotians…　each　serving　in　full　force　in　his　army　except　the　last；　who　did　not　number　in　their　ranks　either　the　Thespians　or　the　Plataeans；　and　together　with　these；　the　Carystians；　the　Andrians；　the　Tenians；　and　the　other　people　of　the　islands；　who　all　fought　on　this　side　except　the　five　states　already　mentioned。　For　as　the　Persians　penetrated　further　into　Greece；　they　were　joined　continually　by　fresh　nations。　　　　　Reinforced　by　the　contingents　of　all　these　various　states；　except　Paros；　the　barbarians　reached　Athens。　As　for　the　Parians；　they　tarried　at　Cythnus；　waiting　to　see　how　the　war　would　go。　The　rest　of　the　sea　forces　came　safe　to　Phalerum；　where　they　were　visited　by　Xerxes；　who　had　conceived　a　desire　to　go　aboard　and　learn　the　wishes　of　the　fleet。　So　he　came　and　sate　in　a　seat　of　honour；　and　the　sovereigns　of　the　nations；　and　the　captains　of　the　ships；　were　sent　for；　to　appear　before　him；　and　as　they　arrived　took　their　seats　according　to　the　rank　assigned　them　by　the　king。　In　the　first　seat　sate　the　king　of　Sidon；　after　him；　the　king　of　Tyre；　then　the　rest　in　their　order。　When　the　whole　had　taken　their　places；　one　after　another；　and　were　set　down　in　orderly　array；　Xerxes；　to　try　them；　sent　Mardonius　and　questioned　each；　whether　a　sea…fight　should　be　risked　or　no。　　　　　Mardonius　accordingly　went　round　the　entire　assemblage；　beginning　with　the　Sidonian　monarch；　and　asked　this　question；　to　which　all　gave　the　same　answer；　advising　to　engage　the　Greeks；　except　only　Artemisia；　who　spake　as　follows　（SS　1。）：…　　　　　〃Say　to　the　king；　Mardonius；　that　these　are　my　words　to　him：　I　was　not　the　least　brave　of　those　who　fought　at　Euboea；　nor　were　my　achievements　there　among　the　meanest；　it　is　my　right；　therefore；　O　my　lord；　to　tell　thee　plainly　what　I　think　to　be　most　for　thy　advantage　now。　This　then　is　my　advice。　Spare　thy　ships；　and　do　not　risk　a　battle；　for　these　people　are　as　much　superior　to　thy　people　in　seamanship；　as　men　to　women。　What　so　great　need　is　there　for　thee　to　incur　hazard　at　sea？　Art　thou　not　master　of　Athens；　for　which　thou　didst　undertake　thy　expedition？　Is　not　Greece　subject　to　thee？　Not　a　soul　now　resists　thy　advance。　They　who　once　resisted；　were　handled　even　as　they　deserved。　（SS　2。）　Now　learn　how　I　expect　that　affairs　will　go　with　thy　adversaries。　If　thou　art　not　over…hasty　to　engage　with　them　by　sea；　but　wilt　keep　thy　fleet　near　the　land；　then　whether　thou　abidest　as　thou　art；　or　marchest　forward　towards　the　Peloponnese；　thou　wilt　easily　accomplish　all　for　which　thou　art　come　hither。　The　Greeks　cannot　hold　out　against　thee　very　long；　thou　wilt　soon　part　them　asunder；　and　scatter　them　to　their　several　homes。　In　the　island　where　they　lie；　I　hear　they　have　no　food　in　store；　nor　is　it　likely；　if　thy　land　force　begins　its　march　towards　the　Peloponnese；　that　they　will　remain　quietly　where　they　are…　at　least　such　as　come　from　that　region。　Of　a　surety　they　will　not　greatly　trouble　themselves　to　give　battle　on　behalf　of　the　Athenians。　（SS　3。）　On　the　other　hand；　if　thou　art　hasty　to　fight；　I　tremble　lest　the　defeat　of　thy　sea　force　bring　harm　likewise　to　thy　land　army。　This；　too；　thou　shouldst　remember；　O　king；　good　masters　are　apt　to　have　bad　servants；　and　bad　masters　good　ones。　Now；　as　thou　art　the　best　of　men；　thy　servants　must　needs　be　a　sorry　set。　These　Egyptians；　Cyprians；　Cilicians；　and　Pamphylians；　who　are　counted　in　the　number　of　thy　subject…allies；　of　how　little　service　are　they　to　thee！〃　　　　　As　Artemisia　spake；　they　who　wished　her　well　were　greatly　troubled　concerning　her　words；　thinking　that　she　would　suffer　some　hurt　at　the　king's　hands；　because　she　exhorted　him　not　to　risk　a　battle；　they；　on　the　other　hand；　who　disliked　and　envied　her；　favoured　as　she　was　by　the　king　above　all　the　rest　of　the　allies；　rejoiced　at　her　declaration；　expecting　that　her　life　would　be　the　forfeit。　But　Xerxes；　when　the　words　of　the　several　speakers　were　reported　to　him；　was　pleased　beyond　all　others　with　the　reply　of　Artemisia；　and　whereas；　even　before　this；　he　had　always　esteemed　her　much；　he　now　praised　her　more　than　ever。　Nevertheless；　he　gave　orders　that　the　advice　of　the　greater　number　should　be　followed；　for　he　thought　that　at　Euboea　the　fleet　had　not　done　its　best；　because　he　himself　was　not　there　to　see…　whereas　this　time　he　resolved　that　he　would　be　an　eye…witness　of　the　combat。　　　　　Orders　were　now　given　to　stand　out　to　sea；　and　the　ships　proceeded　towards　Salamis；　and　took　up　the　stations　to　which　they　were　directed；　without　let　or　hindrance　from　the　enemy。　The　day；　however；　was　too　far　spent　for　them　to　begin　the　battle；　since　night　already　approached：　so　they　prepared　to　engage　upon　the　morrow。　The　Greeks；　meanwhile；　were　in　great　distress　and　alarm；　more　especially　those　of　the　Peloponnese；　who　were　troubled　that　they　had　been　kept　at　Salamis　to　fight　on　behalf　of　the　Athenian　territory；　and　feared　that；　if　they　should　suffer　defeat；　they　would　be　pent　up　and　besieged　in　an　island；　while　their　own　country　was　left　unp