the history-第146章

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he　allies　were　the　most　nettled　at　the　enemy's　escape；　and　who　eagerly　desired；　if　the　other　Greeks　would　not　stir；　to　sail　on　by　themselves　to　the　Hellespont　and　break　the　bridges；　spake　as　follows：…　　　　　〃I　have　often　myself　witnessed　occasions；　and　I　have　heard　of　many　more　from　others；　where　men　who　had　been　conquered　by　an　enemy；　having　been　driven　quite　to　desperation；　have　renewed　the　fight；　and　retrieved　their　former　disasters。　We　have　now　had　the　great　good　luck　to　save　both　ourselves　and　all　Greece　by　the　repulse　of　this　vast　cloud　of　men；　let　us　then　be　content　and　not　press　them　too　hard；　now　that　they　have　begun　to　fly。　Be　sure　we　have　not　done　this　by　our　own　might。　It　is　the　work　of　gods　and　heroes；　who　were　jealous　that　one　man　should　be　king　at　once　of　Europe　and　of　Asia…　more　especially　a　man　like　this；　unholy　and　presumptuous…　a　man　who　esteems　alike　things　sacred　and　things　profane；　who　has　cast　down　and　burnt　the　very　images　of　the　gods　themselves；　who　even　caused　the　sea　to　be　scourged　with　rods　and　commanded　fetters　to　be　thrown　into　it。　At　present　all　is　well　with　us…　let　us　then　abide　in　Greece；　and　look　to　ourselves　and　to　our　families。　The　barbarian　is　clean　gone…　we　have　driven　him　off…　let　each　now　repair　his　own　house；　and　sow　his　land　diligently。　In　the　spring　we　will　take　ship　and　sail　to　the　Hellespont　and　to　Ionia！〃　All　this　Themistocles　said　in　the　hope　of　establishing　a　claim　upon　the　king；　for　he　wanted　to　have　a　safe　retreat　in　case　any　mischance　should　befall　him　at　Athens…　which　indeed　came　to　pass　afterwards。　　　　　At　present；　however；　he　dissembled；　and　the　Athenians　were　persuaded　by　his　words。　For　they　were　ready　now　to　do　whatever　he　advised；　since　they　had　always　esteemed　him　a　wise　man；　and　he　had　lately　proved　himself　most　truly　wise　and　well…judging。　Accordingly；　they　came　in　to　his　views；　whereupon　he　lost　no　time　in　sending　messengers；　on　board　a　light　bark；　to　the　king；　choosing　for　this　purpose　men　whom　he　could　trust　to　keep　his　instructions　secret；　even　although　they　should　be　put　to　every　kind　of　torture。　Among　them　was　the　house…slave　Sicinnus；　the　same　whom　he　had　made　use　of　previously。　When　the　men　reached　Attica；　all　the　others　stayed　with　the　boat；　but　Sicinnus　went　up　to　the　king；　and　spake　to　him　as　follows：…　　　　　〃I　am　sent　to　thee　by　Themistocles；　the　son　of　Neocles；　who　is　the　leader　of　the　Athenians；　and　the　wisest　and　bravest　man　of　all　the　allies；　to　bear　thee　this　message：　'Themistocles　the　Athenian；　anxious　to　render　thee　a　service；　has　restrained　the　Greeks；　who　were　impatient　to　pursue　thy　ships；　and　to　break　up　the　bridges　at　the　Hellespont。　Now；　therefore；　return　home　at　thy　leisure。'〃　　　　　The　messengers；　when　they　had　performed　their　errand；　sailed　back　to　the　fleet。　　　　　And　the　Greeks；　having　resolved　that　they　would　neither　proceed　further　in　pursuit　of　the　barbarians；　nor　push　forward　to　the　Hellespont　and　destroy　the　passage；　laid　siege　to　Andros；　intending　to　take　the　town　by　storm。　For　Themistocles　had　required　the　Andrians　to　pay　down　a　sum　of　money；　and　they　had　refused；　being　the　first　of　all　the　islanders　who　did　so。　To　his　declaration；　〃that　the　money　must　needs　be　paid；　as　the　Athenians　had　brought　with　him　two　mighty　gods…　Persuasion　and　Necessity；〃　they　made　reply；　that　〃Athens　might　well　be　a　great　and　glorious　city；　since　she　was　blest　with　such　excellent　gods；　but　they　were　wretchedly　poor；　stinted　for　land；　and　cursed　with　two　unprofitable　gods；　who　always　dwelt　with　them　and　would　never　quit　their　island…　to　wit；　Poverty　and　Helplessness。　These　were　the　gods　of　the　Andrians；　and　therefore　they　would　not　pay　the　money。　For　the　power　of　Athens　could　not　possibly　be　stronger　than　their　inability。〃　This　reply；　coupled　with　the　refusal　to　pay　the　sum　required；　caused　their　city　to　be　besieged　by　the　Greeks。　　　　　Meanwhile　Themistocles；　who　never　ceased　his　pursuit　of　gain；　sent　threatening　messages　to　the　other　islanders　with　demands　for　different　sums；　employing　the　same　messengers　and　the　same　words　as　he　had　used　towards　the　Andrians。　〃If；〃　he　said；　〃they　did　not　send　him　the　amount　required；　he　would　bring　the　Greek　fleet　upon　them；　and　besiege　them　till　he　took　their　cities。〃　By　these　means　he　collected　large　sums　from　the　Carystians　and　the　Parians；　who；　when　they　heard　that　Andros　was　already　besieged；　and　that　Themistocles　was　the　best　esteemed　of　all　the　captains；　sent　the　money　through　fear。　Whether　any　of　the　other　islanders　did　the　like；　I　cannot　say　for　certain；　but　I　think　some　did　besides　those　I　have　mentioned。　However；　the　Carystians；　though　they　complied；　were　not　spared　any　the　more；　but　Themistocles　was　softened　by　the　Parians'　gift；　and　therefore　they　received　no　visit　from　the　army。　In　this　way　it　was　that　Themistocles；　during　his　stay　at　Andros；　obtained　money　from　the　islanders；　unbeknown　to　the　other　captains。　　　　　King　Xerxes　and　his　army　waited　but　a　few　days　after　the　sea…fight；　and　then　withdrew　into　Boeotia　by　the　road　which　they　had　followed　on　their　advance。　It　was　the　wish　of　Mardonius　to　escort　the　king　a　part　of　the　way；　and　as　the　time　of　year　was　no　longer　suitable　for　carrying　on　war；　he　thought　it　best　to　winter　in　Thessaly；　and　wait　for　the　spring　before　he　attempted　the　Peloponnese。　After　the　army　was　come　into　Thessaly；　Mardonius　made　choice　of　the　troops　that　were　to　stay　with　him；　and；　first　of　all；　he　took　the　whole　body　called　the　〃Immortals；〃　except　only　their　leader；　Hydarnes；　who　refused　to　quit　the　person　of　the　king。　Next；　he　chose　the　Persians　who　wore　breastplates；　and　the　thousand　picked　horse；　likewise　the　Medes；　the　Sacans；　the　Bactrians；　and　the　Indians；　foot　and　horse　equally。　These　nations　he　took　entire：　from　the　rest　of　the　allies　he　culled　a　few　men；　taking　either　such　as　were　remarkable　for　their　appearance；　or　else　such　as　had　performed；　to　his　knowledge；　some　valiant　deed。　The　Persians　furnished　him　with　the　greatest　number　of　troops；　men　who　were　adorned　with　chains　and　armlets。　Next　to　them　were　the　Medes；　who　in　number　equalled　the　Persians；　but　in　valour　fell　short　of　them。　The　whole　army；　reckoning　the　horsemen　with　the　rest；　amounted　to　300；000　men。　　　　　At　the　time　when　Mardonius　was　making　choice　of　his　troops；　and　Xerxes　still　continued　in　Thessaly；　the　Lacedaemonians　received　a　message　from　the　Delphic　oracle；　bidding　them　seek　satisfaction　at　the　hands　of　Xerxes　for　the　death　of　Leonidas；　and　take　whatever　he　chose　to　give　them。　So　the　Spartans　sent　a　herald　with　all　speed　into　Thessaly；　who　arrived　while　the　entire　Persian　army　was　still　there。　This　man；　being　brought　before　the　king；　spake　as　follows：…　　　　　〃King　of　the　Medes；　the　Lacedaemonians　and　the　Heracleids　of　Sparta　require　of　thee　the　satisfaction　due　for　bloodshed；　because　thou　slewest　their　king；　who　fell　fighting　for　Greece。〃　　　　　Xerxes　laughed；　and　for　a　long　time　spake　not　a　word。　At　last；　however；　he　pointed　to　Mardonius；　who　was　standing　by　him；　and　said：…　〃Mardonius　here　shall　give　them　the　satisfaction　they　deserve　to　get。〃　And　the　herald　accepted　the　answer；　and　forthwith　went　his　way。　　　　　Xerxes；　after　this；　left　Mardonius　in　Thessaly；　and　marched　away　himself；　at　his　best　speed；　toward　the　Hellespont。　In　five…and…forty　days　he　reached　the　place　of　passage；　where　he　arrived　with　scarce　a　fraction；　so　to　speak；　of　his　former　army。　All　along　their　line　of　march；　in　every　country　where　they　chanced　to　be；　his　soldiers　seized　and　devoured　whatever　corn　they　could　find　belonging　to　the　inhabitants；　while；　if　no　corn　was　to　be　found；　they　gathered　the　grass　that　grew　in　the　fields；　and　stripped　the　trees；　whether　cultivated　or　wild；　alike　of　their　bark　and　of　their　leaves；　and　so　fed　themselves。　They　left　nothing　anywhere；　so　hard　were　they　pressed　by　hunger。　Plague　too　and　dysentery　attacked　the　troops　while　still　upon　their　march；　and　greatly　thinned　their　ranks。　Many　died；　others　fell　sick　and　were　left　behind　in　the　different　cities　that　lay　upon　the　route；　the　inhabitants　being　strictly　charged　by　Xerxes　to　tend　and　feed　them。　Of　these　some　remained　in　Thessaly；　others　in　Siris　of　Paeonia；　others　again　in　Macedon。　Here　Xerxes；　on　his　march　into　Greece；　had　left　the　sacred　car　and　steeds　of　Jove；　which　upon　his　return　he　was　unable　to　recover；　for　the　Paeonians　had　disposed　of　them　to　the　Thracians；　and；　when　Xerxes　demanded　them　back；　they　said　that　the　Thracian　tribes　who　dwelt　about　the　sources　of　the　Strymon　had　stolen　the　mares　as　they　pastured。　　　　　Here　too　a　Thracian　chieftain；　king　of　the　Bisaltians　and　of　Crestonia；　did　a　deed　which　went　beyond　nature。　He　had　refused　to　become　the　willing　slave　of　Xerxes；　and　had　fled　before　him　into　the　heights　of　Rhodope；　at　the　same　time　forbidding　his　sons　to　take　part　in　the　expedition　against　Greece。　But　they；　either　because　they　cared　little　for　his　orders；　or　because　they　wished　greatly　to　see　the　war；　joined　the　army　of　Xerxes。　At　this　time　they　had　all　returned　home　to　him…　the　number　of　the　men　was　six…　quite　safe　and　sound。　But　their　father　took　them；　and　punished　their　offence　by　plucking　out　their　eyes　from　the　sockets。　Such　was　the　treatment　which　these　men　received。　　　　　The　Persians；　having　journeyed　through　Thrace　and　reached　the　passage；　entered　their　s