the history-第182章

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ch　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　unprotected。　　　　　The　same　night　the　land　army　of　the　barbarians　began　its　march　towards　the　Peloponnese；　where；　however；　all　that　was　possible　had　been　done　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　forcing　an　entrance　by　land。　As　soon　as　ever　news　reached　the　Peloponnese　of　the　death　of　Leonidas　and　his　companions　at　Thermopylae；　the　inhabitants　flocked　together　from　the　various　cities；　and　encamped　at　the　Isthmus；　under　the　command　of　Cleombrotus；　son　of　Anaxandridas；　and　brother　of　Leonidas。　Here　their　first　care　was　to　block　up　the　Scironian　Way；　after　which　it　was　determined　in　council　to　build　a　wall　across　the　Isthmus。　As　the　number　assembled　amounted　to　many　tens　of　thousands；　and　there　was　not　one　who　did　not　give　himself　to　the　work；　it　was　soon　finished。　Stones；　bricks；　timber；　baskets　filled　full　of　sand；　were　used　in　the　building；　and　not　a　moment　was　lost　by　those　who　gave　their　aid；　for　they　laboured　without　ceasing　either　by　night　or　day。　　　　　Now　the　nations　who　gave　their　aid；　and　who　had　flocked　in　full　force　to　the　Isthmus；　were　the　following：　the　Lacedaemonians；　all　the　tribes　of　the　Arcadians；　the　Eleans；　the　Corinthians；　the　Sicyonians；　the　Epidaurians；　the　Phliasians；　the　Troezenians；　and　the　Hermionians。　These　all　gave　their　aid；　being　greatly　alarmed　at　the　danger　which　threatened　Greece。　But　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　Peloponnese　took　no　part　in　the　matter；　though　the　Olympic　and　Carneian　festivals　were　now　over。　　　　　Seven　nations　inhabit　the　Peloponnese。　Two　of　them　are　aboriginal；　and　still　continue　in　the　regions　where　they　dwelt　at　the　first…　to　wit；　the　Arcadians　and　the　Cynurians。　A　third；　that　of　the　Achaeans；　has　never　left　the　Peloponnese；　but　has　been　dislodged　from　its　own　proper　country；　and　inhabits　a　district　which　once　belonged　to　others。　The　remaining　nations；　four　out　of　the　seven；　are　all　immigrants…　namely；　the　Dorians；　the　Aetolians；　the　Dryopians；　and　the　Lemnians。　To　the　Dorians　belong　several　very　famous　cities；　to　the　Aetolians　one　only；　that　is；　Elis；　to　the　Dryopians；　Hermione　and　that　Asine　which　lies　over　against　Cardamyle　in　Laconia；　to　the　Lemnians；　all　the　towns　of　the　Paroreats。　The　aboriginal　Cynurians　alone　seem　to　be　Ionians；　even　they；　however；　have；　in　course　of　time；　grown　to　be　Dorians；　under　the　government　of　the　Argives；　whose　Orneats　and　vassals　they　were。　All　the　cities　of　these　seven　nations；　except　those　mentioned　above；　stood　aloof　from　the　war；　and　by　so　doing；　if　I　may　speak　freely；　they　in　fact　took　part　with　the　Medes。　　　　　So　the　Greeks　at　the　Isthmus　toiled　unceasingly；　as　though　in　the　greatest　peril；　since　they　never　imagined　that　any　great　success　would　be　gained　by　the　fleet。　The　Greeks　at　Salamis；　on　the　other　hand；　when　they　heard　what　the　rest　were　about；　felt　greatly　alarmed；　but　their　fear　was　not　so　much　for　themselves　as　for　the　Peloponnese。　At　first　they　conversed　together　in　low　tones；　each　man　with　his　fellow；　secretly；　and　marvelled　at　the　folly　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　fo