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the history-第189章
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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
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