the history-第139章

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Plataeans　had　done　than　instantly　they　marched　out　against　them；　while　the　Athenians　sent　troops　to　their　aid。　As　the　two　armies　were　about　to　join　battle；　the　Corinthians；　who　chanced　to　be　at　hand；　would　not　allow　them　to　engage；　both　sides　consented　to　take　them　for　arbitrators；　whereupon　they　made　up　the　quarrel；　and　fixed　the　boundary…line　between　the　two　states　upon　this　condition：　to　wit；　that　if　any　of　the　Boeotians　wished　no　longer　to　belong　to　Boeotia；　the　Thebans　should　allow　them　to　follow　their　own　inclinations。　The　Corinthians；　when　they　had　thus　decreed；　forthwith　departed　to　their　homes：　the　Athenians　likewise　set　off　on　their　return；　but　the　Boeotians　fell　upon　them　during　the　march；　and　a　battle　was　fought　wherein　they　were　worsted　by　the　Athenians。　Hereupon　these　last　would　not　be　bound　by　the　line　which　the　Corinthians　had　fixed；　but　advanced　beyond　those　limits；　and　made　the　Asopus　the　boundary…line　between　the　country　of　the　Thebans　and　that　of　the　Plataeans　and　Hysians。　Under　such　circumstances　did　the　Plataeans　give　themselves　up　to　Athens；　and　now　they　were　come　to　Marathon　to　bear　the　Athenians　aid。　　　　　The　Athenian　generals　were　divided　in　their　opinions；　and　some　advised　not　to　risk　a　battle；　because　they　were　too　few　to　engage　such　a　host　as　that　of　the　Medes；　while　others　were　for　fighting　at　once；　and　among　these　last　was　Miltiades。　He　therefore；　seeing　that　opinions　were　thus　divided；　and　that　the　less　worthy　counsel　appeared　likely　to　prevail；　resolved　to　go　to　the　Polemarch；　and　have　a　conference　with　him。　For　the　man　on　whom　the　lot　fell　to　be　Polemarch　at　Athens　was　entitled　to　give　his　vote　with　the　ten　generals；　since　anciently　the　Athenians　allowed　him　an　equal　right　of　voting　with　them。　The　Polemarch　at　this　juncture　was　Callimachus　of　Aphidnae；　to　him　therefore　Miltiades　went；　and　said：…　　　　　〃With　thee　it　rests；　Callimachus；　either　to　bring　Athens　to　slavery；　or；　by　securing　her　freedom；　to　leave　behind　thee　to　all　future　generations　a　memory　beyond　even　Harmodius　and　Aristogeiton。　For　never　since　the　time　that　the　Athenians　became　a　people　were　they　in　so　great　a　danger　as　now。　If　they　bow　their　necks　beneath　the　yoke　of　the　Medes；　the　woes　which　they　will　have　to　suffer　when　given　into　the　power　of　Hippias　are　already　determined　on；　if；　on　the　other　hand；　they　fight　and　overcome；　Athens　may　rise　to　be　the　very　first　city　in　Greece。　How　it　comes　to　pass　that　these　things　are　likely　to　happen；　and　how　the　determining　of　them　in　some　sort　rests　with　thee；　I　will　now　proceed　to　make　clear。　We　generals　are　ten　in　number；　and　our　votes　are　divided；　half　of　us　wish　to　engage；　half　to　avoid　a　combat。　Now；　if　we　do　not　fight；　I　look　to　see　a　great　disturbance　at　Athens　which　will　shake　men's　resolutions；　and　then　I　fear　they　will　submit　themselves；　but　if　we　fight　the　battle　before　any　unsoundness　show　itself　among　our　citizens；　let　the　gods　but　give　us　fair　play；　and　we　are　well　able　to　overcome　the　enemy。　On　thee　therefore　we　depend　in　this　matter；　which　lies　wholly　in　thine　own　power。　Thou　hast　only　to　add　thy　vote　to　my　side　and　thy　country　will　be　free；　and　not　free　only；　but　the　first　state　in　Greece。　Or；　if　thou　preferrest　to　give　thy　vote　to　them　who　would　decline　the　combat；　then　the　reverse　will　follow。〃　　　　　Miltiades　by　these　words　gained　Callimachus；　and　the　addition　of　the　Polemarch's　vote　caused　the　decision　to　be　in　favour　of　fighting。　Hereupon　all　those　generals　who　had　been　desirous　of　hazarding　a　battle；　when　their　turn　came　to　command　the　army；　gave　up　their　right　to　Miltiades。　He　however；　though　he　accepted　their　offers；　nevertheless　waited；　and　would　not　fight　until　his　own　day　of　command　arrived　in　due　course。　　　　　Then　at　length；　when　his　own　turn　was　come；　the　Athenian　battle　was　set　in　array；　and　this　was　the　order　of　it。　Callimachus　the　Polemarch　led　the　right　wing；　for　it　was　at　that　time　a　rule　with　the　Athenians　to　give　the　right　wing　to　the　Polemarch。　After　this　followed　the　tribes；　according　as　they　were　numbered；　in　an　unbroken　line；　while　last　of　all　came　the　Plataeans；　forming　the　left　wing。　And　ever　since　that　day　it　has　been　a　custom　with　the　Athenians；　in　the　sacrifices　and　assemblies　held　each　fifth　year　at　Athens；　for　the　Athenian　herald　to　implore　the　blessing　of　the　gods　on　the　Plataeans　conjointly　with　the　Athenians。　Now；　as　they　marshalled　the　host　upon　the　field　of　Marathon；　in　order　that　the　Athenian　front　might　he　of　equal　length　with　the　Median；　the　ranks　of　the　centre　were　diminished；　and　it　became　the　weakest　part　of　the　line；　while　the　wings　were　both　made　strong　with　a　depth　of　many　ranks。　　　　　So　when　the　battle　was　set　in　array；　and　the　victims　showed　themselves　favourable；　instantly　the　Athenians；　so　soon　as　they　were　let　go；　charged　the　barbarians　at　a　run。　Now　the　distance　between　the　two　armies　was　little　short　of　eight　furlongs。　The　Persians；　therefore；　when　they　saw　the　Greeks　coming　on　at　speed；　made　ready　to　receive　them；　although　it　seemed　to　them　that　the　Athenians　were　bereft　of　their　senses；　and　bent　upon　their　own　destruction；　for　they　saw　a　mere　handful　of　men　coming　on　at　a　run　without　either　horsemen　or　archers。　Such　was　the　opinion　of　the　barbarians；　but　the　Athenians　in　close　array　fell　upon　them；　and　fought　in　a　manner　worthy　of　being　recorded。　They　were　the　first　of　the　Greeks；　so　far　as　I　know；　who　introduced　the　custom　of　charging　the　enemy　at　a　run；　and　they　were　likewise　the　first　who　dared　to　look　upon　the　Median　garb；　and　to　face　men　clad　in　that　fashion。　Until　this　time　the　very　name　of　the　Medes　had　been　a　terror　to　the　Greeks　to　hear。　　　　　The　two　armies　fought　together　on　the　plain　of　Marathon　for　a　length　of　time；　and　in　the　mid　battle；　where　the　Persians　themselves　and　the　Sacae　had　their　place；　the　barbarians　were　victorious；　and　broke　and　pursued　the　Greeks　into　the　inner　country；　but　on　the　two　wings　the　Athenians　and　the　Plataeans　defeated　the　enemy。　Having　so　done；　they　suffered　the　routed　barbarians　to　fly　at　their　ease；　and　joining　the　two　wings　in　one；　fell　upon　those　who　had　broken　their　own　centre；　and　fought　and　conquered　them。　These　likewise　fled；　and　now　the　Athenians　hung　upon　the　runaways　and　cut　them　down；　chasing　them　all　the　way　to　the　shore；　on　reaching　which　they　laid　hold　of　the　ships　and　called　aloud　for　fire。　　　　　It　was　in　the　struggle　here　that　Callimachus　the　Polemarch；　after　greatly　distinguishing　himself；　lost　his　life；　Stesilaus　too；　the　son　of　Thrasilaus；　one　of　the　generals；　was　slain；　and　Cynaegirus；　the　son　of　Euphorion；　having　seized　on　a　vessel　of　the　enemy's　by　the　ornament　at　the　stern；　had　his　hand　cut　off　by　the　blow　of　an　axe；　and　so　perished；　as　likewise　did　many　other　Athenians　of　note　and　name。　　　　　Nevertheless　the　Athenians　secured　in　this　way　seven　of　the　vessels；　while　with　the　remainder　the　barbarians　pushed　off；　and　taking　aboard　their　Eretrian　prisoners　from　the　island　where　they　had　left　them；　doubled　Cape　Sunium；　hoping　to　reach　Athens　before　the　return　of　the　Athenians。　The　Alcmaeonidae　were　accused　by　their　countrymen　of　suggesting　this　course　to　them；　they　had；　it　was　said；　an　understanding　with　the　Persians；　and　made　a　signal　to　them；　by　raising　a　shield；　after　th