the history-第173章

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en　the　king's　army。〃　These　words；　the　truth　of　which　was　attested　by　the　Thessalians；　sufficed　to　obtain　the　Thebans　the　grant　of　their　lives。　However；　their　good　fortune　was　not　without　some　drawback；　for　several　of　them　were　slain　by　the　barbarians　on　their　first　approach；　and　the　rest；　who　were　the　greater　number；　had　the　royal　mark　branded　upon　their　bodies　by　the　command　of　Xerxes…　Leontiades；　their　captain；　being　the　first　to　suffer。　（This　man's　son；　Eurymachus；　was　afterwards　slain　by　the　Plataeans；　when　he　came　with　a　band　Of　400　Thebans；　and　seized　their　city。）　　　　　Thus　fought　the　Greeks　at　Thermopylae。　And　Xerxes；　after　the　fight　was　over；　called　for　Demaratus　to　question　him；　and　began　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Demaratus；　thou　art　a　worthy　man；　thy　true…speaking　proves　it。　All　has　happened　as　thou　didst　forewarn。　Now　then；　tell　me；　how　many　Lacedaemonians　are　there　left；　and　of　those　left　how　many　are　such　brave　warriors　as　these？　Or　are　they　all　alike？〃　　　　　〃O　king！〃　replied　the　other；　〃the　whole　number　of　the　Lacedaemonians　is　very　great；　and　many　are　the　cities　which　they　inhabit。　But　I　will　tell　thee　what　thou　really　wishest　to　learn。　There　is　a　town　of　Lacedaemon　called　Sparta；　which　contains　within　it　about　eight　thousand　full…grown　men。　They　are；　one　and　all；　equal　to　those　who　have　fought　here。　The　other　Lacedaemonians　are　brave　men；　but　not　such　warriors　as　these。〃　　　　　〃Tell　me　now；　Demaratus；〃　rejoined　Xerxes；　〃how　we　may　with　least　trouble　subdue　these　men。　Thou　must　know　all　the　paths　of　their　counsels；　as　thou　wert　once　their　king。〃　　　　　Then　Demaratus　answered…　〃O　king！　since　thou　askest　my　advice　so　earnestly；　it　is　fitting　that　I　should　inform　thee　what　I　consider　to　be　the　best　course。　Detach　three　hundred　vessels　from　the　body　of　thy　fleet；　and　send　them　to　attack　the　shores　of　Laconia。　There　is　an　island　called　Cythera　in　those　parts；　not　far　from　the　coast；　concerning　which　Chilon；　one　of　our　wisest　men；　made　the　remark　that　Sparta　would　gain　if　it　were　sunk　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea…　so　constantly　did　he　expect　that　it　would　give　occasion　to　some　project　like　that　which　I　now　recommend　to　thee。　I　mean　not　to　say　that　he　had　a　foreknowledge　of　thy　attack　upon　Greece；　but　in　truth　he　feared　all　armaments。　Send　thy　ships　then　to　this　island；　and　thence　affright　the　Spartans。　If　once　they　have　a　war　of　their　own　close　to　their　doors；　fear　not　their　giving　any　help　to　the　rest　of　the　Greeks　while　thy　land　force　is　engaged　in　conquering　them。　In　this　way　may　all　Greece　be　subdued；　and　then　Sparta；　left　to　herself；　will　be　powerless。　But　if　thou　wilt　not　take　this　advice；　I　will　tell　thee　what　thou　mayest　look　to　see。　When　thou　comest　to　the　Peloponnese；　thou　wilt　find　a　narrow　neck　of　land；　where　all　the　Peloponnesians　who　are　leagued　against　thee　will　be　gathered　together；　and　there　thou　wilt　have　to　fight　bloodier　battles　than　any　which　thou　hast　yet　witnessed。　If；　however；　thou　wilt　follow　my　plan；　the　Isthmus　and　the　cities　of　Peloponnese　will　yield　to　thee　without　a　battle。〃　　　　　Achaeamenes；　who　was　present；　now　took　the　word；　and　spoke…　he　was　brother　to　Xerxes；　and；　having　the　command　of　the　fleet；　feared　lest　Xerxes　might　be　prevailed　upon　to　do　as　Demaratus　advised　〃I　perceive；　O　king〃　（he　said）；　〃that　thou　art　listening　to　the　words　of　a　man　who　is　envious　of　thy　good　fortune；　and　seeks　to　betray　thy　cause。　This　is　indeed　the　common　temper　of　the　Grecian　people…　they　envy　good　fortune；　and　hate　power　greater　than　their　own。　If　in　this　posture　of　our　affairs；　after　we　have　lost　four　hundred　vessels　by　shipwreck；　three　hundred　more　be　sent　away　to　make　a　voyage　round　the　Peloponnese；　our　enemies　will　be；　come　a　match　for　us。　But　let　us　keep　our　whole　fleet　in　one　body；　and　it　will　be　dangerous　for　them　to　venture　on　an　attack；　as　they　will　certainly　be　no　match　for　us　then。　Besides；　while　our　sea　and　land　forces　advance　together；　the　fleet　and　army　can　each　help　the　other；　but　if　they　be　parted；　no　aid　will　come　either　from　thee　to　the　fleet；　or　from　the　fleet　to　thee。　Only　order　thy　own　matters　well；　and　trouble　not　thyself　to　inquire　concerning　the　enemy…　where　they　will　fight；　or　what　they　will　do；　or　how　many　they　are。　Surely　they　can　manage　their　own　concerns　without　us；　as　we　can　ours　without　them。　If　the　Lacedaemonians　come　out　against　the　Persians　to　battle；　they　will　scarce　repair　the　disaster　which　has　befallen　them　now。〃　　　　　Xerxes　replied…　〃Achaeamenes；　thy　counsel　pleases　me　well；　and　I　will　do　as　thou　sayest。　But　Demaratus　advised　what　he　thought　best…　only　his　judgment　was　not　so　good　as　thine。　Never　will　I　believe　that　he　does　not　wish　well　to　my　cause；　for　that　is　disproved　both　by　his　former　counsels；　and　also　by　the　circumstances　of　the　case。　A　citizen　does　indeed　envy　any　fellow…citizen　who　is　more　lucky　than　himself；　and　often　hates　him　secretly；　if　such　a　man　be　called　on　for　counsel；　he　will　not　give　his　best　thoughts；　unless　indeed　he　be　a　man　of　very　exalted　virtue；　and　such　are　but　rarely　found。　But　a　friend　of　another　country　delights　in　the　good　fortune　of　his　foreign　bond…friend；　and　will　give　him；　when　asked；　the　best　advice　in　his　power。　Therefore　I　warn　all　men　to　abstain　henceforth　from　speaking　ill　of　Demaratus；　who　is　my　bond…friend。〃　　　　　When　Xerxes　had　thus　spoken；　he　proceeded　to　pass　through　the　slain；　and　finding　the　body　of　Leonidas；　whom　he　knew　to　have　been　the　Lacedaemonian　king　and　captain；　he　ordered　that　the　head　should　be　struck　off；　and　the　trunk　fastened　to　a　cross。　This　proves　to　me　most　clearly；　what　is　plain　also　in　many　other　ways…　namely；　that　King　Xerxes　was　more　angry　with　Leonidas；　while　he　was　still　in　life；　than　with　any　other　mortal。　Certes；　he　would　not　else　have　used　his　body　so　shamefully。　For　the　Persians　are　wont　to　honour　those　who　show　themselves　valiant　in　fight　more　highly　than　any　nation　that　I　know。　They；　however；　to　whom　the　orders　were　given；　did　according　to　the　commands　of　the　king。　　　　　I　return　now　to　a　point　in　my　History；　which　at　the　time　I　left　incomplete。　The　Lacedaemonians　were　the　first　of　the　Greeks　to　hear　of　the　king's　design　against　their　country；　and　it　was　at　this　time　that　they　sent　to　consult　the　Delphic　oracle；　and　received　the　answer　of　which　I　spoke　a　while　ago。　The　discovery　was　made　to　them　in　a　very　strange　way。　Demaratus；　the　son　of　Ariston；　after　he　took　refuge　with　the　Medes；　was　not；　in　my　judgment；　which　is　supported　by　probability；　a　well…wisher　to　the　Lacedaemonians。　It　may　be　questioned；　therefore；　whether　he　did　what　I　am　about　to　mention　from　good…will　or　from　insolent　triumph。　It　happened　that　he　was　at　Susa　at　the　time　when　Xerxes　determined　to　lead　his　army　into　Greece；　and　in　this　way　becoming　acquainted　with　his　design；　he　resolved　to　send　tidings　of　it　to　Sparta。　So　as　there　was　no　other　way　of　effecting　his　purpose；　since　the　danger　of　being　discovered　was　great；　Demaratus　framed　the　following　contrivance。　He　took　a　pair　of　tablets；　and；　clearing　the　wax　away　from　them；　wrote　what　the　king　was　purposing　to　do　upon　the　wood　whereof　the　tablets　were　made；　having　done　this；　he　spread　the　wax　once　more　over　the　writing；　and　so　sent　it。　By　these　means；　the　guards　placed　to　watch　the　roads；　observing