a smaller history of greece-第16部分

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arge　army　was　preparing　to　march　against　the　enemy；　under　the　command　of　Pausanias；　who　acted　as　regent　for　the　infant　son　of　Leonidas。

Mardonius；　on　learning　the　approach　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　abandoned　Attica　and　crossed　into　Boeotia。　　He　finally　took　up　a　position　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Asopus；　and　not　far　from　the　town　of　Plataea。　　Here　he　caused　a　camp　to　be　constructed　of　ten　furlongs　square；　and　fortified　with　barricades　and　towers。　Meanwhile　the　Grecian　army　continued　to　receive　reinforcements　from　the　different　states；　and　by　the　time　it　reached　Boeotia；　it　formed　a　grand　total　of　about　110；000　men。　　After　several　days'　manoeuvring　a　general　battle　took　place　near　Plataea。　　The　light…　armed　undisciplined　Persians；　whose　bodies　were　unprotected　by　armour；　maintained　a　very　unequal　combat　against　the　serried　ranks；　the　long　spears；　and　the　mailed　bodies　of　the　Spartan　phalanx。　　Mardonius；　at　the　head　of　his　body…guard　of　1000　picked　men；　and　conspicuous　by　his　white　charger；　was　among　the　foremost　in　the　fight；　till　struck　down　by　the　hand　of　a　Spartan。　　The　fall　of　their　general　was　the　signal　for　flight　to　the　Persians；　already　wearied　and　disheartened　by　the　fruitless　contest；　nor　did　they　once　stop　till　they　lad　again　crossed　the　Asopus　and　reached　their　fortified　camp。　　The　glory　of　having　defeated　the　Persians　at　Plataea　rests　with　the　Lacedaemonians；　since　the　Athenians　were　engaged　in　another　part　of　the　field　with　the　Thebans。　　After　repulsing　the　Thebans；　the　Athenians　joined　the　Lacedaemonians；　who　had　pursued　the　Persians　as　far　as　their　fortified　camp。　　Upon　the　arrival　of　the　Athenians　the　barricades　were　stormed　and　carried；　after　a　gallant　resistance　on　the　part　of　the　Persians。　　The　camp　became　a　scene　of　the　most　horrible　carnage。　　The　Persian　loss　was　immense；　while　that　of　the　Greeks　seems　not　to　have　exceeded　1300　or　1400　men。

It　remained　to　bury　the　dead　and　divide　the　booty；　and　so　great　was　the　task　that　ten　days　were　consumed　in　it。　　The　booty　was　ample　and　magnificent。　　Gold　and　silver　coined；　as　well　as　in　plate　and　trinkets；　rich　vests　and　carpets；　ornamented　arms；　horses；　camelsin　a　word；　all　the　magnificence　of　Eastern　luxury。　　The　failure　of　the　Persian　expedition　was　completed　by　the　destruction　of　their　naval　armament。　　Laotychides；　the　Spartan　admiral；　having　sailed　across　the　AEgean；　found　the　Persian　fleet　at　Mycale　a　promontory　of　Asia　Minor　near　Miletus。　Their　former　reverses　seem　completely　to　have　discouraged　the　Persians　from　hazarding　another　naval　engagement。　　The　ships　were　hauled　ashore　and　surrounded　with　a　rampart；　whilst　an　army　of　60；000　Persians　lined　the　coast　for　their　defence。　　The　Greeks　landed　on　the　very　day　on　which　the　battle　of　Plataea　was　fought。　A　supernatural　presentiment　of　that　decisive　victory；　conveyed　by　a　herald's　staff　which　floated　over　the　AEgean　from　the　shores　of　Greece；　is　said　to　have　pervaded　the　Grecian　ranks　at　Mycale　as　they　marched　to　the　attack。　　The　Persians　did　not　long　resist：　they　turned　their　backs　and　fled　to　their　fortifications；　pursued　by　the　Greeks；　who　entered　them　almost　simultaneously。　　A　large　number　of　the　Persians　perished；　and　the　victory　was　rendered　still　more　decisive　by　the　burning　of　the　fleet。

The　Grecian　fleet　now　sailed　towards　the　Hellespont　with　the　view　of　destroying　the　bridge；　but　hearing　that　it　no　longer　existed；　Leotychides　departed　homewards　with　the　Peloponnesian　vessels。　Xanthippus　however；　the　Athenian　commander；　seized　the　opportunity　to　recover　from　the　Persians　the　Thracian　Chersonese；　which　had　long　been　an　Athenian　possession；　and　proceeded　to　blockade　Sestos；　the　key　of　the　strait。　　This　city　surrendered　in　the　autumn；　after　a　protracted　siege；　whereupon　the　Athenians　returned　home；　carrying　with　them　the　cables　of　the　bridge　across　the　Hellespont；　which　were　afterwards　preserved　in　the　Acropolis　as　a　trophy。



CHAPTER　IX。

FROM　THE　END　OF　THE　PERSIAN　WARS　TO　THE　BEGINNING　OF　THE　PELOPONNESIAN　WAR；　B。C。　479…431。

The　Athenians；　on　their　return　to　Attica；　after　the　defeat　of　the　Persians；　found　their　city　ruined　and　their　country　desolate。　They　began　to　rebuild　their　city　on　a　larger　scale　than　before；　and　to　fortify　it　with　a　wall。　　Those　allies　to　whom　the　increasing　maritime　power　of　Athens　was　an　object　of　suspicion；　and　especially　the　AEginetans；　to　whom　it　was　more　particularly　formidable；　beheld　her　rising　fortifications　with　dismay。　　They　endeavoured　to　inspire　the　Lacedaemonians　with　their　fears；　and　urged　them　to　arrest　the　work。　　But　though　Sparta　shared　the　jealousy　of　the　allies；　she　could　not　with　any　decency　interfere　by　force　to　prevent　a　friendly　city　from　exercising　a　right　inherent　in　all　independent　states。　　She　assumed　therefore　the　hypocritical　garb　of　an　adviser　and　counsellor。　　Concealing　her　jealousy　under　the　pretence　of　zeal　for　the　common　interests　of　Greece；　she　represented　to　the　Athenians　that；　in　the　event　of　another　Persian　invasion；　fortified　towns　would　serve　the　enemy　for　camps　and　strongholds；　as　Thebes　had　done　in　the　last　war；　and　proposed　that　the　Athenians　should　not　only　desist　from　completing　their　own　fortifications；　but　help　to　demolish　those　which　already　existed　in　other　towns。

The　object　of　the　proposal　was　too　transparent　to　deceive　so　acute　a　statesman　as　Themistocles。　　Athens　was　not　yet；　however；　in　a　condition　to　incur　the　danger　of　openly　rejecting　it；　and　he　therefore　advised　the　Athenians　to　dismiss　the　Spartan　envoys　with　the　assurance　that　they　would　send　ambassadors　to　Sparta　to　explain　their　views。　　He　then　caused　himself　to　be　appointed　one　of　these　ambassadors；　and　setting　off　straightway　for　Sparta；　directed　his　colleagues　to　linger　behind　as　long　as　possible。　　At　Sparta；　the　absence　of　his　colleagues；　at　which　he　affected　to　be　surprised；　afforded　him　an　excuse　for　not　demanding　an　audience　of　the　ephors。　　During　the　interval　thus　gained；　the　whole　population　of　Athens；　of　both　sexes　and　every　age；　worked　day　and　night　at　the　walls；　which；　when　the　other　ambassadors　at　length　arrived　at　Sparta；　had　attained　a　height　sufficient　to　afford　a　tolerable　defence。　　Meanwhile　the　suspicions　of　the　Spartans　had　been　more　than　once　aroused　by　messages　from　the　AEginetans　respecting　the　progress　of　the　walls。　　Themistocles；　however；　positively　denied　their　statements；　and　urged　the　Spartans　to　send　messengers　of　their　own　to　Athens　in　order　to　learn　the　true　state　of　affairs；　at　the　same　time　instructing　the　Athenians　to　detain　them　as　hostages　for　the　safety　of　himself　and　colleagues。　When　there　was　no　longer　any　motive　for　concealment；　Themistocles　openly　avowed　the　progress　of　the　works；　and　his　intention　of　securing　the　independence　of　Athens；　and　enabling　her　to　act　for　herself。　　The　walls　being　now　too　far　advanced　to　be　easily　taken；　the　Spartans　found　themselves　compelled　to　acquiesce；　and　the　works　were　completed　without　further　hindrance。

Having　thus　secured　the　city　from　all　danger　of　an　immediate　attack；　Themistocles　pursued　his　favourite　project　of　rendering　Athens　the　greatest　maritime　and　commercial　power　of　Greece。　　He　erected　a　town　round　the　harbour　of　Piraeus；　distant　between　four　and　five　miles　from　Athens；　and　enclosed　it　with　a　wall　as　large　in　extent　as　the　city　itself；　but　of　vastly　greater　height　and　thickness。　　Meanwhile　an　event　occurred　which　secured　more　firmly　than　ever　the　maritime　supremacy　of　Athens；　by　transferring　to　her　the　command　of　the　allied　fleet。

In　the　year　after　the　battle　of　Plataea　a　fleet　had　been　fitted　out　and　placed　under　the　command　of　the　Spartan　regent；　Pausanias；　in　order　to　carry　on　the　war　against　the　Persians。　After　delivering　most　of　the　Grecian　towns　in　Cyprus　from　the　Persians；　this　armament　sailed　up　the　Bosporus　and　laid　siege　to　Byzantium；　which　was　garrisoned　by　a　large　Persian　force。　　The　town　surrendered　after　a　protracted　siege；　but　it　was　during　this　expedition　that　the　conduct　of　the　Spartan　commander　struck　a　fatal　blow　at　the　interests　of　his　country。

The　immense　booty；　as　well　as　the　renown；　which　Pausanias　had　acquired　at　Plataea；　had　filled　him　with　pride　and　ambition。　After　the　capture　of　Byzantium　he　despatched　a　letter　to　Xerxes；　offering　to　marry　the　king's　daughter；　and　to　bring　Sparta　and　the　rest　of　Greece　under　his　dominion。　　Xerxes　was　highly　delighted　with　this　letter；　and　sent　a　reply　in　which　he　urged　Pausanias　to　pursue　his　project　night　and　day；　and　promised　to　supply　him　with　all　the　money　and　troops　that　might　be　needful　for　its　execution。　　But　the　childish　vanity　of　Pausanias　betrayed　his　plot　before　it　was　ripe　for　execution。　　Elated　by　the　confidence　of　Xerxes；　and　by　the　money　with　which　he　was　lavishly　supplied；　he　acted　as　if　he　had　already　married　the　Great　King's　daughter。　　He　assumed　the　Persian　dress；　he　made　a　progress　through　Thrace；　attended　by　Persian　and　Egyptian　guards；　and　copied；　in　the　luxury　of　his　table　and　the　dissoluteness　of　his　manners；　the　example　of　his　adopted　country。　　Above　all；　he　offended　the　allies　by　his　haughty　reserve　and　imperiousness。　His　designs　were　now　too　manifest　to　escape　attention。　　His　proceedings　reached　the　ears　of　the　Spartans；　who　sent　out　Dorcis　to　supersede　him。　　Disgusted　by　the　insolence　of　Pausanias；　the　Ionians　serving　in　the　combined　Grecian　fleet　addressed　themselves　to　Aristides；　whose　manners　formed　a　striking　contrast　to　those　of　the　Spartan　leader；　and　begged　him　to　assume　the　command。　　This　request　was　made　precisely　at　the　time　when　Pausanias　was　recalled；　and　accordingly；　when　Dorcis　arrived；　he　found　Aristides　in　command　of　the　combined　fleet　（B。C。　478）。

This　event　was　not　a　mere　empty　question　about　a　point　of　honour。　It　was　a　real　revolution；　terminated　by　a　solemn　league；　of　which　Athens　was　to　be　the　head。　　Aristides　took　the　lead　in　the　matter；　for　which　his　proverbial　justice　and　probity　eminently　qualified　him。　　The　league　obtained　the　name　of　〃the　Confederacy　of　Delos；〃　from　its　being　arranged　that　deputies　of　the　allies　belonging　to　it　should　meet　periodically　for　deliberation　in　the　temple　of　Apollo　and　Artemis　（Diana）　in　that　island。　　Each　state　was　assessed　in　a　certain　contribution；　either　of　money　or　ships；　as　proposed　by　the　Athenians　and　ratified　by　the　synod。