the history-第124部分

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a　man　of　Histiaea　went　in　a　merchantship　to　Aphetae；　and　told　the　Persians　that　the　Greeks　had　fled　from　Artemisium。　Disbelieving　his　report；　the　Persians　kept　the　man　a　prisoner；　while　they　sent　some　of　their　fastest　vessels　to　see　what　had　happened。　These　brought　back　word　how　matters　stood；　whereupon　at　sunrise　the　whole　fleet　advanced　together　in　a　body；　and　sailed　to　Artemisium；　where　they　remained　till　mid…day；　after　which　they　went　on　to　Histiaea。　That　city　fell　into　their　hands　immediately；　and　they　shortly　overran　the　various　villages　upon　the　coast　in　the　district　of　Hellopia；　which　was　part　of　the　Histiaean　territory。　　　　　It　was　while　they　were　at　this　station　that　a　herald　reached　them　from　Xerxes；　whom　he　had　sent　after　making　the　following　dispositions　with　respect　to　the　bodies　of　those　who　fell　at　Thermopylae。　Of　the　twenty　thousand　who　had　been　slain　on　the　Persian　side；　he　left　one　thousand　upon　the　field　while　he　buried　the　rest　in　trenches；　and　these　he　carefully　filled　up　with　earth；　and　hid　with　foliage；　that　the　sailors　might　not　see　any　signs　of　them。　The　herald；　on　reaching　Histiaea；　caused　the　whole　force　to　be　collected　together；　and　spake　thus　to　them：　　　　　〃Comrades；　King　Xerxes　gives　permission　to　all　who　please；　to　quit　their　posts；　and　see　how　he　fights　with　the　senseless　men　who　think　to　overthrow　his　armies。〃　　　　　No　sooner　had　these　words　been　uttered；　than　it　became　difficult　to　get　a　boat；　so　great　was　the　number　of　those　who　desired　to　see　the　sight。　Such　as　went　crossed　the　strait；　and　passing　among　the　heaps　of　dead；　in　this　way　viewed　the　spectacle。　Many　helots　were　included　in　the　slain；　but　every　one　imagined　that　the　bodies　were　all　either　Lacedaemonians　or　Thespians。　However；　no　one　was　deceived　by　what　Xerxes　had　done　with　his　own　dead。　It　was　indeed　most　truly　a　laughable　device…　on　the　one　side　a　thousand　men　were　seen　lying　about　the　field；　on　the　other　four　thousand　crowded　together　into　one　spot。　This　day　then　was　given　up　to　sight…seeing；　on　the　next　the　seamen　embarked　on　board　their　ships　and　sailed　back　to　Histiaea；　while　Xerxes　and　his　army　proceeded　upon　their　march。　　　　　There　came　now　a　few　deserters　from　Arcadia　to　join　the　Persians…　poor　men　who　had　nothing　to　live　on；　and　were　in　want　of　employment。　The　Persians　brought　them　into　the　king's　presence；　and　there　inquired　of　them；　by　a　man　who　acted　as　their　spokesman；　〃what　the　Greeks　were　doing？〃　The　Arcadians　answered…　〃They　are　holding　the　Olympic　Games；　seeing　the　athletic　sports　and　the　chariot…races。〃　〃And　what；〃　said　the　man；　〃is　the　prize　for　which　they　contend？〃　〃An　olive…wreath；〃　returned　the　others；　〃which　is　given　to　the　man　who　wins。〃　On　hearing　this；　Tritantaechmes；　the　son　of　Artabanus；　uttered　a　speech　which　was　in　truth　most　noble；　but　which　caused　him　to　be　taxed　with　cowardice　by　King　Xerxes。　Hearing　the　men　say　that　the　prize　was　not　money　but　a　wreath　of　olive；　he　could　not　forbear　from　exclaiming　before　them　all：　〃Good　heavens！　Mardonius；　what　manner　of　men　are　these　against　whom　thou　hast　brought　us　to　fight？…　men　who　contend　with　one　another；　not　for　money；　but　for　honour！〃　　　　　A　little　before　this；　and　just　after　the　blow　had　been　struck　at　Thermopylae；　a　herald　was　sent　into　Phocis　by　the　Thessalians；　who　had　always　been　on　bad　terms　with　the　Phocians；　and　especially　since　their　last　overthrow。　For　it　was　not　many　years　previous　to　this　invasion　of　Greece　by　the　king；　that　the　Thessalians；　with　their　allies；　entered　Phocis　in　full　force；　but　were　defeated　by　the　Phocians　in　an　engagement　wherein　they　were　very　roughly　handled。　The　Phocians；　who　had　with　them　as　soothsayer　Tellias　of　Elis；　were　blocked　up　in　the　mountain　of　Parnassus；　when　the　following　stratagem　was　contrived　for　them　by　their　Elean　ally。　He　took　six　hundred　of　their　bravest　men；　and　whitened　their　bodies　and　their　arms　with　chalk；　then　instructing　them　to　slay　every　one　whom　they　should　meet　that　was　not　whitened　like　themselves；　he　made　a　night　attack　upon　the　Thessalians。　No　sooner　did　the　Thessalian　sentries；　who　were　the　first　to　see　them；　behold　this　strange　sight；　than；　imagining　it　to　be　a　prodigy；　they　were　all　filled　with　affright。　From　the　sentries　the　alarm　spread　to　the　army；　which　was　seized　with　such　a　panic　that　the　Phocians　killed　four　thousand　of　them；　and　became　masters　of　their　dead　bodies　and　shields。　Of　the　shields　one　half　were　sent　as　an　offering　to　the　temple　at　Abae；　the　other　half　were　deposited　at　Delphi；　while　from　the　tenth　part　of　the　booty　gained　in　the　battle；　were　made　the　gigantic　figures　which　stand　round　the　tripod　in　front　of　the　Delphic　shrine；　and　likewise　the　figures　of　the　same　size　and　character　at　Abae。　　　　　Besides　this　slaughter　of　the　Thessalian　foot　when　it　was　blockading　them；　the　Phocians　had　dealt　a　blow　to　their　horse　upon　its　invading　their　territory；　from　which　they　had　never　recovered。　There　is　a　pass　near　the　city　of　Hyampolis；　where　the　Phocians；　having　dug　a　broad　trench；　filled　up　the　void　with　empty　wine…jars；　after　which　they　covered　the　place　with　mould；　so　that　the　ground　all　looked　alike；　and　then　awaited　the　coming　of　the　Thessalians。　These；　thinking　to　destroy　the　Phocians　at　one　sweep；　rushed　rapidly　forward；　and　became　entangled　in　the　wine…jars；　which　broke　the　legs　of　their　horses。　　　　　The　Thessalians　had　therefore　a　double　cause　of　quarrel　with　the　Phocians；　when　they　dispatched　the　herald　above　mentioned；　who　thus　delivered　his　message：…　　　　　〃At　length　acknowledge；　ye　men　of　Phocis；　that　ye　may　not　think　to　match　with　us。　In　times　past；　when　it　pleased　us　to　hold　with　the　Greeks；　we　had　always　the　vantage　over　you；　and　now　our　influence　is　such　with　the　barbarian；　that；　if　we　choose　it；　you　will　lose　your　country；　and　（what　is　even　worse）　you　will　be　sold　as　slaves。　However；　though　we　can　now　do　with　you　exactly　as　we　like；　we　are　willing　to　forget　our　wrongs。　Quit　them　with　a　payment　of　fifty　talents　of　silver；　and　we　undertake　to　ward　off　the　evils　which　threaten　your　country。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　message　which　the　Thessalians　sent。　The　Phocians　were　the　only　people　in　these　parts　who　had　not　espoused　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　and　it　is　my　deliberate　opinion　that　the　motive　which　swayed　them　was　none　other…　neither　more　nor　less…　than　their　hatred　of　the　Thessalians：　for　had　the　Thessalians　declared　in　favour　of　the　Greeks；　I　believe　that　the　men　of　Phocis　would　have　joined　the　Median　side。　As　it　was；　when　the　message　arrived；　the　Phocians　made　answer；　that　〃they　would　not　pay　anything…　it　was　open　to　them；　equally　with　the　Thessalians；　to　make　common　cause　with　the　Medes；　if　they　only　chose　so　to　do…　but　they　would　never　of　their　own　free　will　become　traitors　to　Greece。〃　　　　　On　the　return　of　this　answer；　the　Thessalians；　full　of　wrath　against　the　Phocians；　offered　themselves　as　guides　to　the　barbarian　army；　and　led　them　forth　from　Trachinia　into　Doris。　In　this　place　there　is　a　narrow　tongue　of　Dorian　territory；　not　more　than　thirty　furlongs　across；　interposed　between　Malis　and　Phocis；　it　is　the　tract　in　ancient　times　called　Dryopis；　and　the　land；　of　which　it　is　a　part；　is　the　mother…country　of　the　Dorians　in　the　Peloponnese。　This　territory　the　barbarians　did　not　plunder；　for　the　inhabitants　had　espoused　their　side；　and　besides；　the　Thessalians　wished　that　they　should　be　spared。　　　　　From　Doris　they　marched　forward　into　Phocis；　but　here　the　inhabitants　did　not　fall　into　their　power：　for　some　of　them　had　taken　refuge　in　the　high　grounds　of　Parnassus…　one　summit　of　which；　called　Tithorea；　standing　quite　by　itself；　not　far　from　the　city　of　Neon；　is　well　fitted　to　give　shelter　to　a　large　body　of　men；　and　had　now　received　a　number　of　the　Phocians　with　their　movables；　while　the　greater　portion　had　fled　to　the　country　of　the　Ozolian　Locrians；　and　placed　their　goods　in　the　city　called　Amphissa；　which　lies　above　the　Crissaean　plain。　The　land　of　Phocis；　however；　was　entirely　overrun；　for　the　Thessalians　led　the　Persian　army　through　the　whole　of　it；　and　wherever　they　went；　the　country　was　wasted　with　fire　and　sword；　the　cities　and　even　the　temples　being　wilfully　set　alight　by　the　troops。　　　　　The　march　of　the　army　lay　along　the　valley　of　the　Cephissus；　and　here　they　ravaged　far　and　wide；　burning　the　towns　of　Drymus；　Charadra；　Erochus；　Tethronium；　Amphicaea；　Neon；　Pedieis；　Triteis；　Elateia；　Hyampolis；　Parapotamii；　and　Abae。　At　the　last…named　place　there　was　a　temple　of　Apollo；　very　rich；　and　adorned　with　a　vast　number　of　treasures　and　offerings。　There　was　likewise　an　oracle　there　in　those　days；　as　indeed　there　is　at　the　present　time。　This　temple　the　Persians　plundered　and　burnt；　and　here　they　captured　a　number　of　the　Phocians　before　they　could　reach　the　hills；　and　caused　the　death　of　some　of　their　women　by　ill…usage。　　　　　After　passing　Parapotamii；　the　barbarians　marched　to　Panopeis；　and　now　the　army　separated　into　two　bodies；　whereof　one；　which　was　the　more　numerous　and　the　stronger　of　the　two；　marched；　under　Xerxes　himself；　towards　Athens；　entering　Boeotia　by　the　country　of　the　Orchomenians。　The　Boeotians　had　one　and　all　embraced　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　and　their　towns　were　in　the　possession　of　Macedonian　garrisons；　whom　Alexander　had　sent　there；　to　make　it　manifest　to　Xerxes　that　the　Boeotians　were　on　the　Median　side。　Such　then　was　the　road　followed　by　one　division　of　the　barbarians。　　　　　The　other　division　took　guides；　and　proceeded　towards　the　temple　of　Delphi；　keeping　Mount　Parnassus　on　their　right　hand。　They　too　laid　waste　such　parts　of　Phocis　as　they　passed　through；　burning　the　city　of　the　Panopeans；　together　with　those　of　the　Daulians　and　of　the　Aeolidae。　This　body　had　been　detached　from　the　rest　of　the　army；　and　made　to　march　in　this　direction；　for　the　purpose　of　plundering　the　Delphian　temple　and　conveying　to　King　Xerxes　the　riches　which　were　there　laid　up。　For　Xerxes；　as　I　am　informed；　was　better　acquainted　with　what　there　was　worthy　of　note　at　Delphi；　than　even　with　what　he　had　left　in　his　own　house；　so　many　of　those　about　him　were　continually　describing　the　treasures…　more　especially　the　offerings　made　by　Croesus　the　son　of　Alyattes。　　　　　Now　when　the　Delphians　heard　what　danger　they　were　in；　great　fear　fell　on　them。　In　their　terror　they　consulted　the　oracle　concerning　the　holy　tr