the history-第147节

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received。　　　　　The　Persians；　having　journeyed　through　Thrace　and　reached　the　passage；　entered　their　ships　hastily　and　crossed　the　Hellespont　to　Abydos。　The　bridges　were　not　found　stretched　across　the　strait；　since　a　storm　had　broken　and　dispersed　them。　At　Abydos　the　troops　halted；　and；　obtaining　more　abundant　provision　than　they　had　yet　got　upon　their　march；　they　fed　without　stint；　from　which　cause；　added　to　the　change　in　their　water；　great　numbers　of　those　who　had　hitherto　escaped　perished。　The　remainder；　together　with　Xerxes　himself；　came　safe　to　Sardis。　　　　　There　is　likewise　another　account　given　of　the　return　of　the　king。　It　is　said　that　when　Xerxes　on　his　way　from　Athens　arrived　at　Eion　upon　the　Strymon；　he　gave　up　travelling　by　land；　and；　intrusting　Hydarnes　with　the　conduct　of　his　forces　to　the　Hellespont；　embarked　himself　on　board　a　Phoenician　ship；　and　so　crossed　into　Asia。　On　his　voyage　the　ship　was　assailed　by　a　strong　wind　blowing　from　the　mouth　of　the　Strymon；　which　caused　the　sea　to　run　high。　As　the　storm　increased；　and　the　ship　laboured　heavily；　because　of　the　number　of　the　Persians　who　had　come　in　the　king's　train；　and　who　now　crowded　the　deck；　Xerxes　was　seized　with　fear；　and　called　out　to　the　helmsman　in　a　loud　voice；　asking　him；　if　there　were　any　means　whereby　they　might　escape　the　danger。　〃No　means；　master；〃　the　helmsman　answered；　〃unless　we　could　be　quit　of　these　too　numerous　passengers。〃　Xerxes；　they　say；　on　hearing　this；　addressed　the　Persians　as　follows：　〃Men　of　Persia；〃　he　said；　〃now　is　the　time　for　you　to　show　what　love　ye　bear　your　king。　My　safety；　as　it　seems；　depends　wholly　upon　you。〃　So　spake　the　king；　and　the　Persians　instantly　made　obeisance；　and　then　leapt　over　into　the　sea。　Thus　was　the　ship　lightened；　and　Xerxes　got　safe　to　Asia。　As　soon　as　he　had　reached　the　shore；　he　sent　for　the　helmsman；　and　gave　him　a　golden　crown　because　he　had　preserved　the　life　of　the　kings…　but　because　he　had　caused　the　death　of　a　number　of　Persians；　he　ordered　his　head　to　be　struck　from　his　shoulders。　　　　　Such　is　the　other　account　which　is　given　of　the　return　of　Xerxes；　but　to　me　it　seems　quite　unworthy　of　belief；　alike　in　other　respects；　and　in　what　relates　to　the　Persians。　For　had　the　helmsman　made　any　such　speech　to　Xerxes；　I　suppose　there　is　not　one　man　in　ten　thousand　who　will　doubt　that　this　is　the　course　which　the　king　would　have　followed：…　he　would　have　made　the　men　upon　the　ship's　deck；　who　were　not　only　Persians；　but　Persians　of　the　very　highest　rank；　quit　their　place　and　go　down　below；　and　would　have　cast　into　the　sea　an　equal　number　of　the　rowers；　who　were　Phoenicians。　But　the　truth　is；　that　the　king；　as　I　have　already　said；　returned　into　Asia　by　the　same　road　as　the　rest　of　the　army。　　　　　I　will　add　a　strong　proof　of　this。　It　is　certain　that　Xerxes　on　his　way　back　from　Greece　passed　through　Abdera；　where　he　made　a　contract　of　friendship　with　the　inhabitants；　and　presented　them　with　a　golden　scymitar；　and　a　tiara　broidered　with　gold。　The　Abderites　declare…　but　I　put　no　faith　in　this　part　of　their　story…　that　from　the　time　of　the　king's　leaving　Athens；　he　never　once　loosed　his　girdle　till　he　came　to　their　city；　since　it　was　not　till　then　that　he　felt　himself　in　safety。　Now　Abdera　is　nearer　to　the　Hellespont　than　Eion　and　the　Strymon；　where　Xerxes；　according　to　the　other　tale；　took　ship。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Greeks；　finding　that　they　could　not　capture　Andros；　sailed　away　to　Carystus；　and　wasted　the　lands　of　the　Carystians；　after　which　they　returned　to　Salamis。　Arrived　here；　they　proceeded；　before　entering　on　any　other　matter；　to　make　choice　of　the　first…fruits　which　should　be　set　apart　as　offerings　to　the　gods。　These　consisted　of　divers　gifts；　among　them　were　three　Phoenician　triremes；　one　of　which　was　dedicated　at　the　Isthmus；　where　it　continued　to　my　day；　another　at　Sunium；　and　the　third；　at　Salamis　itself；　which　was　devoted　to　Ajax。　This　done；　they　made　a　division　of　the　booty；　and　sent　away　the　first…fruits　to　Delphi。　Thereof　was　made　the　statue；　holding　in　its　hand　the　beak　of　a　ship；　which　is　twelve　cubits　high；　and　which　stands　in　the　same　place　with　the　golden　one　of　Alexander　the　Macedonian。　　　　　After　the　first…fruits　had　been　sent　to　Delphi；　the　Greeks　made　inquiry　of　the　god；　in　the　name　of　their　whole　body；　if　he　had　received　his　full　share　of　the　spoils　and　was　satisfied　therewith。　The　god　made　answer　that　all　the　other　Greeks　had　paid　him　his　full　due；　except　only　the　Eginetans；　on　them　he　had　still　a　claim　for　the　prize　of　valour　which　they　had　gained　at　Salamis。　So　the　Eginetans；　when　they　heard　this；　dedicated　the　three　golden　stars　which　stand　on　the　top　of　a　bronze　mast　in　the　corner　near　the　bowl　offered　by　Croesus。　　　　　When　the　spoils　had　been　divided；　the　Greeks　sailed　to　the　Isthmus；　where　a　prize　of　valour　was　to　be　awarded　to　the　man　who；　of　all　the　Greeks；　had　shown　the　most　merit　during　the　war。　When　the　chiefs　were　all　come；　they　met　at　the　altar　of　Neptune；　and　took　the　ballots　wherewith　they　were　to　give　their　votes　for　the　first　and　for　the　second　in　merit。　Then　each　man　gave　himself　the　first　vote；　since　each　considered　that　he　was　himself　the　worthiest；　but　the　second　votes　were　given　chiefly　to　Themistocies。　In　this　way；　while　the　others　received　but　one　vote　apiece；　Themistocles　had　for　the　second　prize　a　large　majority　of　the　suffrages。　　　　　Envy；　however；　hindered　the　chiefs　from　coming　to　a　decision；　and　they　all　sailed　away　to　their　homes　without　making　any　award。　Nevertheless　Themistocles　was　regarded　everywhere　as　by　far　the　wisest　man　of　all　the　Greeks；　and　the　whole　country　rang　with　his　fame。　As　the　chiefs　who　fought　at　Salamis；　notwithstanding　that　he　was　really　entitled　to　the　prize；　had　withheld　his　honour　from　him；　he　went　without　delay　to　Lacedaemon；　in　the　hope　that　he　would　be　honoured　there。　And　the　Lacedaemonians　received　him　handsomely；　and　paid　him　great　respect。　The　prize　of　valour　indeed；　which　was　a　crown　of　olive；　they　gave　to　Eurybiades；　but　Themistocles　was　given　a　crown　of　olive　too；　as　the　prize　of　wisdom　and　dexterity。　He　was　likewise　presented　with　the　most　beautiful　chariot　that　could　be　found　in　Sparta；　and　after　receiving　abundant　praises；　was；　upon　his　departure；　escorted　as　far　as　the　borders　of　Tegea；　by　the　three　hundred　picked　Spartans；　who　are　called　the　Knights。　Never　was　it　known；　either　before　or　since；　that　the　Spartans　escorted　a　man　out　of　their　city。　　　　　On　the　return　of　Themistocles　to　Athens；　Timodemus　of　Aphidnae；　who　was　one　of　his　enemies；　but　otherwise　a　man　of　no　repute；　became　so　maddened　with　envy　that　he　openly　railed　against　him；　and；　reproaching　him　with　his　journey　to　Sparta；　said…　〃'Twas　not　his　own　merit　that　had　won　him　honour　from　the　men　of　Lacedaemon；　but　the　fame　of　Athens；　his　country。〃　Then　Themistocles；　seeing　that　Timodemus　repeated　this　phrase　unceasingly；　replied…　　　　　〃Thus　stands　the　case；　friend。　I　had　never　got　this　honour　from　the　Spartans；　had　I　been　a　Belbinite…　nor　thou；　hadst　thou　been　an　Athenian！〃　　　　　Artabazus；　the　son　of　Pharnaces；　a　man　whom　the　Persians　had　always　held　in　much　esteem；　but　who；　after　the　affair　of　Plataea；　rose　still　higher　in　their　opinion；　escorted　King　Xerxes　as　far　as　the　strait；　with　sixty　thousand　of　the　chosen　troops　of　Mardonius。　When　the　king　was　safe　in　Asia；　Artabazus　set　out　upon　his　return；　and　on　arriving　near　Palline；　and　finding　that　Mardonius　had　gone　into　winter…quarters　in　Thessaly　and　Macedonia；　and　was　in　no　hurry　for　him　to　join　the　camp；　he　thought　it　his　bounden　duty；　as　the　Potidaeans　had　just　revolted；　to　occupy　himself　in　reducing　them　to　slavery。　For　as　soon　as　the　king　had　passed　beyond　their　territory；　and　the　Persian　fleet　had　made　its　hasty　flight　from　Salamis；　the　Potidaeans　revolted　from　the　barbarians　openly；　as　likewise　did　all　the　other　inhabitants　of　that　peninsula。　　　　　Artabazus；　therefore；　laid　siege　to　Potidaea；　and　having　a　suspicion　that　the　Olynthians　were　likely　to　revolt　shortly；　he　besieged　their　city　also。　Now　Olynthus　was　at　that　time　held　by　the　Bottiaeans；　who　had　been　driven　from　the　parts　about　the　Thermaic　Gulf　by　the　Macedonians。　Artabazus　took　the　city；　and；　having　so　done；　led　out　all　the　inhabitants　to　a　marsh　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　there　slew　them。　After　this　he　delivered　the　place　into　the　hands　of　the　people　called　Chalcideans；　having　first　appointed　Critobulus　of　Torone　to　be　governor。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　Chalcideans　got　Olynthus。　　　　　When　this　town　had　fallen；　Artabazus　pressed　the　siege　of　Potidaea　all　the　more　unremittingly；　and　was　pushing　his　operations　with　vigour；　when　Timoxenus；　captain　of　the　Scionaeans；　entered　into　a　plot　to　betray　the　town　to　him。　How　the　matter　was　managed　at　first；　I　cannot　pretend　to　say；　for　no　account　has　come　down　to　us：　but　at　the　last　this　is　what　happened。　Whenever　Timoxenus　wished　to　send　a　letter　to　Artabazus；　or　Artabazus　to　send　one　to　Timoxenus；　the　letter　was　written　on　a　strip　of　paper；　and　rolled　round　the　notched　end　of　an　arrow…shaft；　the　feathers　were　then　put　on　over　the　paper；　and　the　arrow　thus　prepared　was　shot　to　some　place　agreed　upon。　But　after　a　while　the　plot　of　Timoxenus　to　betray　Potidaea　was　discovered　in　this　way。　Artabazus；　on　one　occasion；　shot　off　his