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design　against　their　country；　and　it　was　at　this　time　that　they　sent　to　consult　the　Delphic　oracle；　and　received　the　answer　of　which　I　spoke　a　while　ago。　The　discovery　was　made　to　them　in　a　very　strange　way。　Demaratus；　the　son　of　Ariston；　after　he　took　refuge　with　the　Medes；　was　not；　in　my　judgment；　which　is　supported　by　probability；　a　well…wisher　to　the　Lacedaemonians。　It　may　be　questioned；　therefore；　whether　he　did　what　I　am　about　to　mention　from　good…will　or　from　insolent　triumph。　It　happened　that　he　was　at　Susa　at　the　time　when　Xerxes　determined　to　lead　his　army　into　Greece；　and　in　this　way　becoming　acquainted　with　his　design；　he　resolved　to　send　tidings　of　it　to　Sparta。　So　as　there　was　no　other　way　of　effecting　his　purpose；　since　the　danger　of　being　discovered　was　great；　Demaratus　framed　the　following　contrivance。　He　took　a　pair　of　tablets；　and；　clearing　the　wax　away　from　them；　wrote　what　the　king　was　purposing　to　do　upon　the　wood　whereof　the　tablets　were　made；　having　done　this；　he　spread　the　wax　once　more　over　the　writing；　and　so　sent　it。　By　these　means；　the　guards　placed　to　watch　the　roads；　observing　nothing　but　a　blank　tablet；　were　sure　to　give　no　trouble　to　the　bearer。　When　the　tablet　reached　Lacedaemon；　there　was　no　one；　I　understand；　who　could　find　out　the　secret；　till　Gorgo；　the　daughter　of　Cleomenes　and　wife　of　Leonidas；　discovered　it；　and　told　the　others。　〃If　they　would　scrape　the　wax　off　the　tablet；〃　she　said；　〃they　would　be　sure　to　find　the　writing　upon　the　wood。〃　The　Lacedaemonians　took　her　advice；　found　the　writing；　and　read　it；　after　which　they　sent　it　round　to　the　other　Greeks。　Such　then　is　the　account　which　is　given　of　this　matter。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Eighth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　URANIA

　　　　THE　Greeks　engaged　in　the　sea…service　were　the　following。　The　Athenians　furnished　a　hundred　and　twenty…seven　vessels　to　the　fleet；　which　were　manned　in　part　by　the　Plataeans；　who；　though　unskilled　in　such　matters；　were　led　by　their　active　and　daring　spirit　to　undertake　this　duty；　the　Corinthians　furnished　a　contingent　of　forty　vessels；　the　Megarians　sent　twenty；　the　Chalcideans　also　manned　twenty；　which　had　been　furnished　to　them　by　the　Athenians；　the　Eginetans　came　with　eighteen；　the　Sicyonians　with　twelve；　the　Lacedaemonians　with　ten；　the　Epidaurians　with　eight；　the　Eretrians　with　seven；　the　Troezenians　with　five；　the　Styreans　with　two；　and　the　Ceans　with　two　triremes　and　two　penteconters。　Last　of　all；　the　Locrians　of　Opus　came　in　aid　with　a　squadron　of　seven　penteconters。　　　　　Such　were　the　nations　which　furnished　vessels　to　the　fleet　now　at　Artemisium；　and　in　mentioning　them　I　have　given　the　number　of　ships　furnished　by　each。　The　total　number　of　the　ships　thus　brought　together；　without　counting　the　penteconters；　was　two　hundred　and　seventy…one；　and　the　captain；　who　had　the　chief　command　over　the　whole　fleet；　was　Eurybiades　the　son　of　Eurycleides。　He　was　furnished　by　Sparta；　since　the　allies　had　said　that　〃if　a　Lacedaemonian　did　not　take　the　command；　they　would　break　up　the　fleet；　for　never　would　they　serve　under　the　Athenians。〃　　　　　From　the　first；　even　earlier　than　the　time　when　the　embassy　went　to　Sicily　to　solicit　alliance；　there　had　been　a　talk　of　intrusting　the　Athenians　with　the　command　at　sea；　but　the　allies　were　averse　to　the　plan；　wherefore　the　Athenians　did　not　press　it；　for　there　was　nothing　they　had　so　much　at　heart　as　the　salvation　of　Greece；　and　they　knew　that；　if　they　quarrelled　among　themselves　about　the　command；　Greece　would　be　brought　to　ruin。　Herein　they　judged　rightly；　for　internal　strife　is　a　thing　as　much　worse　than　war　carried　on　by　a　united　people；　as　war　itself　is　worse　than　peace。　The　Athenians　therefore；　being　so　persuaded；　did　not　push　their　claims；　but　waived　them；　so　long　as　they　were　in　such　great　need　of　aid　from　the　other　Greeks。　And　they　afterwards　showed　their　motive；　for　at　the　time　when　the　Persians　had　been　driven　from　Greece；　and　were　now　threatened　by　the　Greeks　in　their　own　country；　they　took　occasion　of　the　insolence　of　Pausanias　to　deprive　the　Lacedaemonians　of　their　leadership。　This；　however；　happened　afterwards。　　　　　At　the　present　time　the　Greeks；　on　their　arrival　at　Artemisium；　when　they　saw　the　number　of　the　ships　which　lay　at　anchor　near　Aphetae；　and　the　abundance　of　troops　everywhere；　feeling　disappointed　that　matters　had　gone　with　the　barbarians　so　far　otherwise　than　they　had　expected；　and　full　of　alarm　at　what　they　saw；　began　to　speak　of　drawing　back　from　Artemisium　towards　the　inner　parts　of　their　country。　So　when　the　Euboeans　heard　what　was　in　debate；　they　went　to　Eurybiades；　and　besought　him　to　wait　a　few　days；　while　they　removed　their　children　and　their　slaves　to　a　place　of　safety。　But；　as　they　found　that　they　prevailed　nothing；　they　left　him　and　went　to　Themistocles；　the　Athenian　commander；　to　whom　they　gave　a　bribe　of　thirty　talents；　on　his　promise　that　the　fleet　should　remain　and　risk　a　battle　in　defence　of　Euboea。　　　　　And　Themistocles　succeeded　in　detaining　the　fleet　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　relate。　He　made　over　to　Eurybiades　five　talents　out　of　the　thirty　paid　him；　which　he　gave　as　if　they　came　from　himself；　and　having　in　this　way　gained　over　the　admiral；　he　addressed　himself　to　Adeimantus；　the　son　of　Ocytus；　the　Corinthian　leader；　who　was　the　only　remonstrant　now；　and　who　still　threatened　to　sail　away　from　Artemisium　and　not　wait　for　the　other　captains。　Addressing　himself　to　this　man；　Themistocles　said　with　an　oath…　〃Thou　forsake　us？　By　no　means！　I　will　pay　thee　better　for　remaining　than　the　Mede　would　for　leaving　thy　friends〃…　and　straightway　he　sent　on　board　the　ship　of　Adeimantus　a　present　of　three　talents　of　silver。　So　these　two　captains　were　won　by　gifts；　and　came　over　to　the　views　of　Themistocles；　who　was　thereby　enabled　to　gratify　the　wishes　of　the　Euboeans。　He　likewise　made　his　own　gain　on　the　occasion；　for　he　kept　the　rest　of　the　money；　and　no　one　knew　of　it。　The　commanders　who　took　the　gifts　thought　that　the　sums　were　furnished　by　Athens；　and　had　been　sent　to　be　used　in　this　way。　　　　　Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　the　Greeks　stayed　at　Euboea　and　there　gave　battle　to　the　enemy。　　　　　Now　the　battle　was　on　this　wise。　The　barbarians　reached　Aphetae　early　in　the　afternoon；　and　then　saw　（as　they　had　previously　heard　reported）　that　a　fleet　of　Greek　ships；　weak　in　number；　lay　at　Artemisium。　At　once　they　were　eager　to　engage；　fearing　that　the　Greeks　would　fly；　and　hoping　to　capture　them　before　they　should　get　away。　They　did　not　however　think　it　wise　to　make　straight　for　the　Greek　station；　lest　the　enemy　should　see　them　as　they　bore　down；　and　betake　themselves　to　flight　immediately；　in　which　case　night　might　close　in　before　they　came　up　with　the　fugitives；　and　so　they　might　get　clean　off　and　make　their　escape　from　them；　whereas　the　Persians　were　minded　not　to　let　a　single　soul　slip　through　their　hands。　　　　　They　therefore　contrived　a　plan；　which　was　the　following：…　They　detached　two　hundred　of　their　ships　from　the　rest；　and…　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　seeing　them　start…　sent　them　round　outside　the　island　of　Sciathos；　to　make　the　circuit　of　Euboea　by　Caphareus　and　Geraestus；　and　so　to　reach　the　Euripus。　By　this　plan　they　thought　to　enclose　the　Greeks　on　every　side；　for　the　ships　detached　would　block　up　the　only　way　by　which　they　could　retreat；　while　the　others　would　press　upon　them　in　front。　With　these　designs　therefore　they　dispatched　the　two　hundred　ships；　while　they　themselves　waited…　since　they　did　not　mean　to　attack　the　Greeks　upon　that　day；　or　until　they　knew；　by　signal；　of　the　arrival　of　the　detachment　which　had　been　ordered　to　sail　round　Euboea。　Meanwhile　they　made　a　muster　of　the　other　ships　at　Aphetae。　　　　　Now　the　Persians　had　with　them　a　man　named　Scyllias；　a　native　of　Scione；　who　was　the　most　expert　diver　of　his　day。　At　the　time　of　the　shipwreck　off　Mount　Pelion　he　had　recovered　for　the　Persians　a　great　part　of　what　they　lost；　and　at　the　same　time　he　had　taken　care　to　obtain　for　himself　a　good　share　of　the　treasure。　He　had　for　some　time　been　wishing　to　go　over　to　the　Greeks；　but　no　good　opportunity　had　offered　till　now；　when　the　Persians　were　making　the　muster　of　their　ships。　In　what　way　he　contrived　to　reach　the　Greeks　I　am　not　able　to　say　for　certain：　I　marvel　much　if　the　tale　that　is　commonly　told　be　true。　'Tis　said　he　dived　into　the　sea　at　Aphetae；　and　did　not　once　come　to　the　surface　till　he　reached　Artemisium；　a　distance　of　nearly　eighty　furlongs。　Now　many　things　are　related　of　this　man　which　are　plainly　false；　but　some　of　the　stories　seem　to　be　true。　My　own　opinion　is　that　on　this　occasion　he　made　the　passage　to　Artemisium　in　a　boat。　　　　　However　this　might　be；　Scyllias　no　sooner　reached　Artemisium　than　he　gave　the　Greek　captains　a　full　account　of　the　damage　done　by　the　storm；　and　likewise　told　them　of　the　ships　sent　to　make　the　circuit　of　Euboea。　　　　　So　the　Greeks　on　receiving　these　tidings　held　a　council；　whereat；　after　much　debate；　it　was　resolved　that　they　should　stay　quiet　for　the　present　where　they　were；　and　remain　at　their　moorings；　but　that　after　midnight　they　should　put　out　to　sea；　and　encounter　the　ships　which　were　on　their　way　round　the　island。　Later　in　the　day；　when　they　found　that　no　one　meddled　with　them；　they　formed　a　new　plan；　which　was　to　wait　till　near　evening；　and　then　sail　out　against　the　main　body　of　the　barbarians；　for　the　purpose　of　trying　their　mode　of　fight　and　skill　in　manoeuvring。　　　　　When　the　Persian　commanders　and　crews　saw　the　Greeks　thus　boldly　sailing　towards　them　with　their　few　ships；　they　thought　them　possessed　with　madness；　and　went　out　to　meet　them；　expecting　（as　indeed　seemed　likely　enough）　that　they　would　take　all　their　vessels　with　the　greatest　ease。　The　Greek　ships　were　so　few；　and　their　own　so　far　outnumbered　them；　and　sailed　so　much　better；　that　they　resolved；　seeing　their　advantage；　to　encompass　their　foe　on　every　side。　And　now　such　of　the　Ionians　as　wished　well　to　the　Grecian　cause　and　served　in　the　Persian　fleet　unwillingly；　seeing　their　countrymen　surrounded；　were　sorely　distressed；　for　they　felt　sure　that　not　one　of　them　would　ever　make　his　escape；　so　poor　an　opinion　had　they　of　the　strength　of　the　Greeks。　On　the　other　hand；　such　as　saw　with　pleasure　the　attack　on　Greece；　now　vied