a smaller history of greece-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



On　arriving　before　Athens；　Xerxes　found　the　Acropolis　occupied　by　a　handful　of　desperate　citizens；　who　made　a　brave　resistance；　but　they　were　overpowered　and　put　to　the　sword。　　The　temples　and　houses　on　the　Acropolis　were　pillaged　and　burnt；　and　Xerxes　thus　became　undisputed　master　of　Athens。

About　the　same　time　the　Persian　fleet　arrived　in　the　bay　of　Phalerum。　　Its　strength　is　not　accurately　known；　but　it　must　have　exceeded　1000　vessels。　　The　combined　Grecian　fleet　at　Salamis　consisted　of　366　ships；　of　which　200　were　Athenian。

At　this　critical　juncture　dissension　reigned　in　the　Grecian　fleet。　　In　the　council　of　war　which　had　been　summoned　by　Eurybiades　the　Spartan　commander；　Themistocles　urged　the　assembled　chiefs　to　remain　at　Salamis；　and　give　battle　to　the　Persians　in　the　narrow　straits；　where　the　superior　numbers　of　the　Persians　would　be　of　less　consequence。　　The　Peloponnesian　commanders；　on　the　other　hand；　were　anxious　that　the　fleet　should　be　removed　to　the　isthmus　of　Corinth；　and　thus　be　put　in　communication　with　their　land…forces。　　The　council　came　to　a　vote　in　favour　of　retreat；　but　Themistocles　prevailed　upon　Eurybiades　to　convene　another　assembly　upon　the　following　day。　　When　the　council　met；　the　Peloponnesian　commanders　loudly　expressed　their　dissatisfaction　at　seeing　a　debate　re…opened　which　they　had　deemed　concluded。　　Adimantus；　the　Corinthian　admiral　broke　out　into　open　rebukes　and　menaces。　　〃Themistocles；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃those　who　rise　at　the　public　games　before　the　signal　are　whipped。〃　　〃True；〃　replied　Themistocles；　〃but　they　who　lag　behind　it　never　win　a　crown。〃　　Another　incident　in　this　discussion　has　been　immortalized　by　Plutarch。　　Eurybiades；　incensed　by　the　language　of　Themistocles；　lifted　up　his　stick　to　strike　him；　whereupon　the　Athenian　exclaimed；　〃Strike；　but　hear　me！〃　Themistocles　repeated　his　arguments　and　entreaties；　and　at　length　threatened　that　he　and　the　Athenians　would　sail　away　to　Italy　and　there　found　a　new　city；　if　the　Peloponnesians　still　determined　to　retreat。　　Eurybiades　now　gave　way　and　issued　orders　for　the　fleet　to　remain　and　fight　at　Salamis；　but　the　Peloponnesians　obeyed　the　order　with　reluctance。　　A　third　council　was　summoned　and　Themistocles；　perceiving　that　the　decision　of　the　assembly　would　be　against　him；　determined　to　effect　his　object　by　stratagem。　　He　secretly　despatched　a　trusty　slave　with　a　message　to　Xerxes；　representing　the　dissensions　which　prevailed　in　the　Grecian　fleet；　and　how　easy　a　matter　it　would　be　to　surround　and　vanquish　an　armament　both　small　and　disunited。　　Xerxes　readily　adopted　the　suggestion；　and　ordered　his　captains　to　close　up　the　straits　of　Salamis　at　both　ends　during　the　night。　　On　the　council　assembling　in　the　morning；　Aristides　arrived　with　the　news　that　the　Grecian　fleet　was　completely　surrounded　by　that　of　the　Persians；　and　that　retreat　was　no　longer　possible。　　As　the　veil　of　night　rolled　gradually　away；　the　Persian　fleet　was　discovered　stretching　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　along　the　coast　of　Attica。　　The　Grecian　fleet；　being　concentrated　in　the　harbour　of　Salamis；　was　thus　surrounded　by　the　Persians。　　Xerxes　had　caused　a　lofty　throne　to　be　erected　upon　one　of　the　projecting　declivities　of　Mount　AEgaleos；　opposite　the　harbour　of　Salamis；　whence　be　could　survey　the　combat；　and　stimulate　by　his　presence　the　courage　of　his　men。

As　a　battle　was　now　inevitable　the　Grecian　commanders　lost　no　time　in　making　preparations　for　the　encounter。　　The　Greek　seamen　embarked　with　alacrity；　encouraging　one　another　to　deliver　their　country；　their　wives；　and　children；　and　the　temples　of　their　gods；　from　the　grasp　of　the　barbarians。　　History　has　preserved　to　us　but　few　details　of　the　engagement。　　The　Persian　fleet；　with　the　exception　of　some　of　the　Ionic　contingents；　fought　with　courage。　　But　the　very　numbers　on　which　they　so　confidently　relied；　proved　one　of　the　chief　causes　of　their　defeat。　　Too　crowded　either　to　advance　or　to　retreat；　their　oars　broken　or　impeded　by　collision　with　one　another；　their　fleet　lay　like　an　inert　and　lifeless　mass　upon　the　water；　and　fell　an　easy　prey　to　the　Greeks。　　A　single　incident　will　illustrate　the　terror　and　confusion　which　reigned　among　the　Persians。　　Artemisia；　queen　of　Halicarnassus　in　Caria；　distinguished　herself　in　it　by　deeds　of　daring　bravery。　　At　length　she　turned　and　fled；　pursued　by　an　Athenian　galley。　　Full　in　her　course　lay　the　vessel　of　a　Carian　prince。　　Instead　of　avoiding；　she　struck　and　sunk　it；　sending　her　countryman　and　all　his　crew　to　the　bottom。　　The　captain　of　the　Athenian　galley；　believing　from　this　act　that　she　was　a　deserter　from　the　Persian　cause；　suffered　her　to　escape。　　Xerxes；　who　from　his　lofty　throne　beheld　the　feat　of　the　Halicarnassian　queen；　but　who　imagined　that　the　sunken　ship　belonged　to　the　Greeks；　was　filled　with　admiration　at　her　courage；　and　exclaimed　〃My　men　are　become　women；　my　women　men！〃

Two　hundred　of　the　Persian　ships　were　destroyed　and　sunk　when　night　put　an　end　to　the　engagement。　　But　notwithstanding　this　loss　the　fleet　was　still　formidable　by　its　numbers。　　The　Greeks　themselves　did　not　regard　the　victory　as　decisive；　and　prepared　to　renew　the　combat。　　But　the　pusillanimity　of　Xerxes　relieved　them　from　all　further　anxiety。　　He　became　alarmed　for　his　own　personal　safety；　and　his　whole　care　was　now　centred　on　securing　his　retreat　by　land。　　The　best　troops　were　disembarked　from　the　ships；　and　marched　towards　the　Hellespont；　in　order　to　secure　the　bridge；　whilst　the　fleet　itself　was　ordered　to　make　for　Asia。　These　dispositions　of　Xerxes　were　prompted　by　Mardonius。　　He　represented　to　his　master　that　the　defeat；　after　all；　was　but　slight；　that　having　attained　one　of　the　great　objects　of　the　expedition　by　the　capture　of　Athens；　he　might　now　retire　with　honour；　and　even　with　glory；　and　that　for　the　rest　he　（Mardonius）　would　undertake　to　complete　the　conquest　of　Greece　with　300；000　men。　　While　the　Persian　fleet　sailed　towards　Asia；　Xerxes　set　out　on　his　homeward　march。　　In　Thessaly　Mardonius　selected　the　300；000　men　with　whom　he　proposed　to　conclude　the　war；　but　as　autumn　was　now　approaching；　he　resolved　to　postpone　all　further　operations　till　the　spring。

After　forty…five　days'　march　from　Attica；　Xerxes　again　reached　the　shores　of　the　Hellespont；　with　a　force　greatly　diminished　by　famine　and　pestilence。　　On　the　Hellespont　he　found　his　fleet；　but　the　bridge　had　been　washed　away　by　storms。　　Landed　on　the　shores　of　Asia；　the　Persian　army　at　length　obtained　abundance　of　provisions；　and　contracted　new　maladies　by　the　sudden　change　from　privation　to　excess。　　Thus　terminated　this　mighty　but　unsuccessful　expedition。

Greece　owed　its　salvation　to　one　manThemistocles；　This　was　virtually　admitted　by　the　leaders　of　the　other　Grecian　states；　when　they　assembled　to　assign　the　prizes　of　wisdom　and　conduct。　Upon　the　altar　of　Poseidon；　at　the　isthmus　of　Corinth；　each　chief　deposited　a　ticket　inscribed　with　two　names；　of　those　whom　he　considered　entitled　to　the　first　and　second　prizes。　　But　in　this　adjudication　vanity　and　self…love　defeated　their　own　objects。　Each　commander　had　put　down　his　own　name　for　the　first　prize；　for　the　second；　a　great　majority　preponderated　in　favour　of　Themistocles。　　From　the　Spartans；　also；　Themistocles　received　the　honours　due　to　his　merit。　　A　crown　of　olive　was　conferred　upon　him；　together　with　one　of　the　most　splendid　chariots　which　the　city　could　produce。

On　the　very　same　day　on　which　the　Persians　were　defeated　at　Salamis　the　Sicilian　Greeks　also　obtained　a　victory　over　the　Carthaginians。　　There　is　reason　to　believe　that　the　invasion　of　Sicily　by　the　Carthaginians　was　concerted　with　Xerxes；　and　that　the　simultaneous　attach　on　two　distinct　Grecian　peoples；　by　two　immense　armaments；　was　not　merely　the　result　of　chance。　　Gelon；　the　powerful　ruler　of　Syracuse；　defeated　Hamilcar；　the　Carthaginian　general；　with　the　loss　it　is　said　of　150；000　men。

In　the　spring　of　B。C。　479　Mardonius　prepared　to　open　the　campaign。　　He　was　not　without　hopes　of　inducing　the　Athenians　to　join　the　Persian　alliance；　and　he　despatched　Alexander；　king　of　Macedon；　to　conciliate　the　Athenians；　now　partially　re…established　in　their　dilapidated　city。　　His　offers　on　the　part　of　the　Persians　were　of　the　most　seductive　kind；　but　the　Athenians　dismissed　him　with　a　positive　refusal；　whilst　to　the　Lacedaemonians　they　protested　that　no　temptations；　however　great；　should　ever　induce　them　to　desert　the　common　cause　of　Greece　and　freedom。　　In　return　for　this　disinterested　conduct　all　they　asked　was　that　a　Peloponnesian　army　should　be　sent　into　Boeotia　for　the　defence　of　the　Attic　frontier：　　a　request　which　the　Spartan　envoys　promised　to　fulfil。　　No　sooner；　however；　had　they　returned　into　their　own　country　than　this　promise　was　completely　forgotten。

When　Mardonius　was　informed　that　the　Athenians　had　rejected　his　proposal；　he　immediately　marched　against　Athens；　accompanied　by　all　his　Grecian　allies；　and　in　May　or　June；　B。C。　479；　about　ten　months　after　the　retreat　of　Xerxes；　the　Persians　again　occupied　that　city。　　With　feelings　of　bitter　indignation　against　their　faithless　allies；　the　Athenians　saw　themselves　once　more　compelled　to　remove　to　Salamis。　　Mardonius　took　advantage　of　his　situation　to　endeavour　once　more　to　win　them　to　his　alliance。　Through　a　Hellespontine　Greek；　the　same　favourable　conditions　were　again　offered　to　them；　but　were　again　refused。　　One　voice　alone；　that　of　the　senator　Lycidas；　broke　the　unanimity　of　the　assembly。　　But　his　opposition　cost　him　his　life。　　He　and　his　family　were　stoned　to　death　by　the　excited　populace。　　In　this　desperate　condition　the　Athenians　sent　ambassadors　to　the　Spartans　to　remonstrate　against　their　breach　of　faith；　and　to　intimate　that　necessity　might　at　length　compel　them　to　listen　to　the　proposals　of　the　enemy。　　The　Spartans　became　alarmed。　That　very　night　5000　citizens；　each　attended　by　seven　Helots；　were　despatched　to　the　frontiers；　and　these　were　shortly　followed　by　5000　Lacedaemonian　Perioeci；　each　attended　by　one　light…armed　Helot。　　Never　before　had　the　Spartans　sent　so　large　a　force　into　the　field。　　Their　example　was　followed　by　other　Peloponnesian　cities；　and　the　Athenian　envoys　returned　to　Salamis　with　the　joyful　news　that　a　large　army　was　preparing　to　march　ag