The Good Book (62 page)

19. Pressed by the Athenian pursuer, she bore straight against one of the ships of her own party, a Calyndian, which had Damasithymus, the Calyndian king, himself on board, and sank it.

20. The commander of the Athenian trireme, when he saw her bear down on one of the enemy's fleet, thought immediately that her vessel was Greek,

21. Or else had deserted from the Persians, and was now fighting on the Greek side; he therefore gave up the chase, and turned away to attack others.

22. Thus she saved her life, and Xerxes observed, ‘My men have behaved like women, my women like men!'

23. There fell in the battle Ariabignes, one of the chief commanders of the Persian fleet, who was son of Darius and brother of Xerxes;

24. And with him perished a vast number of men of high repute, Persians, Medes and allies.

25. Among the Greeks only a few died; for, as they were able to swim, all those that were not slain by the enemy escaped from the sinking vessels and swam to Salamis.

26. On the barbarian side more perished by drowning than in any other way, because they did not know how to swim.

27. The greatest destruction took place when the ships which had been first engaged began to retreat;

28. For those stationed in the rear, anxious to display their valour before the eyes of the king, made every effort to force their way to the front, and so became entangled with their own retreating forces.

29. In this confusion certain Phoenicians, belonging to ships which had been sunk,

30. Came before the king and laid the blame of their defeat on the Ionians, saying that they were traitors, and had wilfully destroyed the vessels.

31. But the consequence of their complaint was that Xerxes condemned them instead of the Ionians.

32. For exactly as they spoke, a Samothracian vessel bore down on an Athenian and sank it, but was attacked and crippled immediately by one of the Eginetan squadron.

33. Now the Samothracians were expert with the javelin, and aimed their weapons so well,

34. That they cleared the deck of the vessel that had disabled their own, after which they sprang on board, and took it.

35. Xerxes, when he saw the exploit, turned fiercely on the Phoenicians – ready, in his extreme vexation, to find fault with anyone – and ordered their heads to be cut off,

36. To prevent them, he said, from casting the blame of their own misconduct upon braver men.

 

Chapter 83

  1. During the whole battle Xerxes sat at the base of the hill called Aegaleos, near Salamis;

  2. And whenever he saw any of his own captains perform a worthy exploit he enquired about him, and the man's name was taken down by his scribes, together with the names of his father and his city.

  3. The Greeks who gained the greatest glory in the battle of Salamis were the Eginetans, and after them the Athenians.

  4. The individuals of most distinction were Polycritus the Eginetan, and two Athenians, Eumenes of Anagyrus and Ameinias of Palline; the latter of whom had pressed Artemisia so hard.

  5. If he had known that the vessel carried Artemisia, he would never have given up the chase until he had either taken her, or else been taken himself.

  6. For a reward of ten thousand drachmas had been offered to anyone who should make her prisoner.

  7. The Athenians say that Adeimantus, the Corinthian commander, at the moment when the two fleets joined battle, was seized with fear,

  8. And spread his sails, and hastened to escape; on which the other Corinthians, seeing their leader's ship in flight, followed it.

  9. They had not gone far when a bark drew near to their ships and its occupants called out, saying,

10. ‘Adeimantus, while you play a traitor's part, by withdrawing all these ships, and flying away from the fight,

11. ‘The Greeks you have deserted are defeating their foes as completely as they ever wished.'

12. Adeimantus would not believe what the men said; whereupon they told him he might take them with him as hostages, and put them to death if he did not find the Greeks winning.

13. Then Adeimantus put about, both he and those who were with him; and they rejoined the fleet when the victory was already gained.

14. Such is the tale that the Athenians tell concerning Corinthians; these latter however do not allow its truth.

15. On the contrary, they declare that they were among those who distinguished themselves most in the fighting. And the rest of Greece bears witness in their favour.

16. But these disputes in after-time arose because Salamis was a famous victory, which saved Greece, and thereby Europe and the future of its civilisation.

 

Chapter 84

  1. Xerxes, when he saw the extent of his defeat, began to be afraid lest the Greeks might sail straight to the Hellespont,

  2. And break down the bridges there, in which case he would be trapped in Europe, at great risk of perishing.

  3. He therefore decided to fly; but, as he wished to hide his purpose alike from the Greeks and his own people,

  4. He set to work to carry a mound across the channel to Salamis, and at the same time began fastening a number of Phoenician merchant ships together, to serve as both a bridge and a wall.

  5. He made many other warlike preparations, as if he were about to engage the Greeks again at sea.

  6. Now, when these things were seen, all grew fully persuaded that the king was bent on remaining, and intended to push the war in good earnest.

  7. Mardonius, however, was not deceived; for long acquaintance enabled him to read all the king's thoughts.

  8. Meanwhile, Xerxes, though engaged in this way, sent off a messenger to carry intelligence of his misfortune to Persia.

  9. Persian messengers travelled very fast. The entire plan is a Persian invention; and this is the method of it:

10. Along the whole line of road there are men stationed with horses, equal in number to the number of days that the journey takes, allowing one man and horse to each day.

11. These men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance they have to go, either by snow, rain or heat, or by the darkness of night.

12. The first rider delivers his dispatch to the second and the second to the third;

13. And so it is borne from hand to hand along the whole line, like the light in the torch-race. The Persians give this riding the name of ‘Angarum'.

14. At Susa, on the arrival of the first message, which said that Xerxes was master of Athens, such was the delight of the Persians who had remained behind,

15. That they strewed the streets with myrtle boughs, and burnt incense, and fell to feasting and merriment.

16. When the second message reached them concerning Salamis, so great was their dismay that they all rent their garments, and cried aloud, and wept without stint.

17. They laid the blame of the disaster on Mardonius; and their grief on the occasion was less on account of the damage done to their ships, than anxiety about the king's safety.

18. Their fears did not cease until Xerxes himself, by his arrival, put an end to them.

19. Now Mardonius saw that as he had been the one to urge Xerxes to conquer Greece, he would be blamed for the failure of the expedition.

20. So he said to Xerxes, ‘Master, our fate does not hang on a few planks lost at sea, but on our great army of infantry and cavalry.

21. ‘The Greeks will never prevail against them. Let us attack the Peloponnese; or if you are resolved to return to Persia,

22. ‘Let me have 300,000 of the better troops, and I will subdue the Peloponnese in your name,

23. ‘And bring you the heads of the Spartan chiefs and the chiefs of the other nations there, putting them all beneath your sway.'

24. Xerxes was delighted by these words, and called the other chief Persians to consult about Mardonius' proposal.

25. The person he especially asked was Artemisia, who had proved herself a wise counsellor and knew what it was best to do.

26. Artemisia said, ‘As your affairs now stand, it seems to me you would do better to return home.

27. ‘As for Mardonius, if he prefers to remain, and undertakes to do as he has said, give him the troops he desires.

28. ‘If he succeeds, yours is the conquest; for your slaves will have accomplished it.

29. ‘If, on the other hand, he fails, we suffer no great loss, so long as you are safe, and your house in no danger.

30. ‘The Greeks, while you live and your house flourishes, must be prepared to fight many battles for their freedom;

31. ‘Whereas if Mardonius falls, it matters nothing; the Greeks will have gained a poor triumph: merely a victory over one of your slaves!

32. ‘Remember also, you go home having gained the purpose of your expedition; for you have burnt Athens!'

33. This advice of Artemisia pleased Xerxes well; for she had exactly uttered his own thoughts.

 

Chapter 85

  1. As a mark of distinction Xerxes entrusted to Artemisia the conveyance of his natural sons to Ephesus.

  2. He sent with them one of his chief eunuchs, a man named Hermotimus, a Pedasian, whose responsibility it was to tutor these sons.

  3. This Hermotimus took a cruel vengeance on one who had done him an injury.

  4. As a youth he had been made a prisoner of war, and when his captors sold him, he was bought by a certain Panionius, a native of Chios, who made his living by a very nefarious traffic.

  5. Whenever he could get any boys of unusual beauty, Panionius made them eunuchs, and taking them to Sardis or Ephesus sold them for high prices.

  6. For the barbarians value eunuchs more than others, since they regard them as more trustworthy.

  7. Many were the slaves that Panionius, who made his living by this practice, had thus created; and among them was Hermotimus.

  8. However, Hermotimus was not without luck, for after a while he was sent from Sardis, together with other gifts, as a present to the king.

  9. Nor was it long before he came to be esteemed by Xerxes more highly than all his other eunuchs.

10. Now, when the king was on his way to Athens with the Persian army, and paused for a time at Sardis, Hermotimus made a journey on business into Mysia;

11. And there, in a district which is called Atarneus but belongs to Chios, he happened to fall in with Panionius.

12. Recognising him at once, he entered into friendly talk with him, describing the numerous blessings he had enjoyed because Panionius had made him a eunuch,

13. And promised him all manner of favours in return, if he would bring his household to Sardis and live there.

14. Panionius was overjoyed, and, accepting the offer, came and brought his wife and children with him.

15. Then Hermotimus, when he had got Panionius and all his family into his power, addressed him as follows:

16. ‘You, who get a living by viler deeds than anyone else in the world, what wrong did I or any of mine do to you or yours, that you made me the nothing I now am?

17. ‘Ah! surely you thought you would never be punished for your crimes.

18. ‘But justice has delivered you into my hands; and you cannot complain of the vengeance which I am resolved to take on you.'

19. So saying, Hermotimus commanded the four sons of Panionius to be brought, and forced the father to make them eunuchs with his own hand.

20. Unable to resist, he did as Hermotimus required; and then his sons were made to treat him in the same way.

21. Thus did Hermotimus exact requital from Panionius.

 

Chapter 86

  1. Xerxes sent for Mardonius, and told him to choose from all his army such men as he wished, and see that he made his achievements equal his promises.

  2. When night fell he ordered the captains of what remained of his fleet to sail for the Hellespont as fast as possible, to guard the bridges for the king's return.

  3. On their way, as they sailed by Zoster, where certain narrow points of land project into the sea,

  4. They mistook the cliffs for vessels, and fled far away in alarm.

  5. Discovering their mistake, however, after a time, they joined company once more, and proceeded on their voyage.

  6. Next day the Greeks, seeing the land force of the barbarians encamped in the same place,

  7. Thought that their ships must still be lying nearby, and began to prepare for another attack.

  8. Soon however news came that the Persian fleet had gone; whereupon it was instantly resolved to pursue.

  9. The Greeks sailed as far as Andros; but, seeing nothing of the Persians, stopped there, and held a council.

10. Themistocles advised that the Greeks should press the pursuit, and make all haste to the Hellespont, in order to break down the bridges.