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themistocles-第2部分

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ambitious of having people inquire after his house and frequent his
company。 When he came to the Olympic games; and was so splendid in his
equipage and entertainments; in his rich tents and furniture; that
he strove to outdo Cimon; he displeased the Greeks; who thought that
such magnificence might be allowed in one who was a young man and of a
great family; but was a great piece of insolence in one as yet
undistinguished; and without title or means for making any such
display。 In a dramatic contest; the play he paid for won the price;
which was then a matter that excited much emulation; he put up a
tablet in record of it; with the inscription: 〃Themistocles of
Phrearrhi was at the charge of it; Phrynichus made it; Adimantus was
archon。〃 He was well liked by the common people; would salute every
particular citizen by his own name; and always show himself a just
judge in questions of business between private men; he said to
Simonides; the poet of Ceos; who desired something of him; when he was
commander of the army; that was not reasonable; 〃Simonides; you
would be no good poet if you wrote false measure; nor should I be a
good magistrate if for favour I made false law。〃 and at another
time; laughing at Simonides; he said; that he was a man of little
judgment to speak against the Corinthians; who were inhabitants of a
great city; and to have his own picture drawn so often; having so
ill…looking a face。
  Gradually growing to be great; and winning the favour of the people;
he at last gained the day with his faction over that of Aristides; and
procured his banishment by ostracism。 When the king of Persia was
now advancing against Greece; and the Athenians were in consultation
who should be general; and many withdrew themselves of their own
accord; being terrified with the greatness of the danger; there was
one Epicydes; a popular speaker; son to Euphemides a man of an elegant
tongue; but of a faint heart; and a slave to riches who was desirous
of the command; and was looked upon to be in a fair way to carry it by
the number of votes; but Themistocles; fearing that; if the command
should fall into such hands; all would be lost; bought off Epicydes
and his pretensions; it is said; for a sum of money。
  When the king of Persia sent messengers into Greece; with an
interpreter; to demand earth and water; as an acknowledgment of
subjection; Themistocles; by the consent of the people; seized upon
the interpreter; and put him to death; for presuming to publish the
barbarian orders and decrees in the Greek language; this is one of the
actions he is commended for; as also for what he did to Arthmius of
Zelea; who brought gold from the king of Persia to corrupt the Greeks;
and was; by an order from Themistocles; degraded and disfranchised; he
and his children and his posterity; but that which most of all
redounded to his credit was; that he put an end to all the civil
wars of Greece; composed their differences; and persuaded them to
lay aside all enmity during the war with the Persians; and in this
great work; Chileus the Arcadian was; it is said; of great
assistance to him。
  Having taken upon himself the command of the Athenian forces; he
immediately endeavoured to persuade the citizens to leave the city;
and to embark upon their galleys; and meet with the Persians at a
great distance from Greece; but many being against this; he led a
large force; together with the Lacedaemonians; into Tempe; that in
this pass they might maintain the safety of Thessaly; which had not as
yet declared for the king; but when they returned without performing
anything; and it was known that not only the Thessalians; but all as
far as Boeotia; was going over to Xerxes; then the Athenians more
willingly hearkened to the advice of Themistocles to fight by sea; and
sent him with a fleet to guard the straits of Artemisium。
  When the contingents met here; the Greeks would have the
Lacedaemonians to command; and Eurybiades to be their admiral; but the
Athenians; who surpassed all the rest together in number of vessels;
would not submit to come after any other; till Themistocles;
perceiving the danger of the contest; yielded his own command to
Eurybiades; and got the Athenians to submit; extenuating the loss by
persuading them; that if in this war they behaved themselves like men;
he would answer for it after that; that the Greeks; of their own will;
would submit to their command。 And by this moderation of his; it is
evident that he was the chief means of the deliverance of Greece;
and gained the Athenians the glory of alike surpassing their enemies
in valour; and their confederates in wisdom。
  As soon as the Persian armada arrived at Aphetae; Eurybiades was
astonished to see such a vast number of vessels before him; and
being informed that two hundred more were sailing around behind the
island of Sciathus; he immediately determined to retire farther into
Greece; and to sail back into some part of Peloponnesus; where their
land army and their fleet might join; for he looked upon the Persian
forces to be altogether unassailable by sea。 But the Euboeans; fearing
that the Greeks would forsake them; and leave them to the mercy of the
enemy; sent Pelagon to confer privately with Themistocles; taking with
him a good sum of money; which; as Herodotus reports; he accepted
and gave to Eurybiades。 In this affair none of his own countrymen
opposed him so much as Architeles; captain of the sacred galley;
who; having no money to supply his seamen; was eager to go home; but
Themistocles so incensed the Athenians against them; that they set
upon him and left him not so much as his supper; at which Architeles
was much surprised; and took it very ill; but Themistocles immediately
sent him in a chest a service of provisions; and at the bottom of it a
talent of silver; desiring him to sup tonight; and to…morrow provide
for his seamen; if not; he would report it among the Athenians that he
had received money from the enemy。 So Phanias the Lesbian tells the
story。
  Though the fights between the Greeks and Persians in the straits
of Euboea were not so important as to make any final decision of the
war; yet the experience which the Greeks obtained in them was of great
advantage; for thus; by actual trial and in real danger; they found
out that neither number of ships; nor riches and ornaments; nor
boasting shouts; nor barbarous songs of victory; were any way terrible
to men that knew how to fight; and were resolved to come hand to
hand with their enemies; these things they were to despise; and to
come up close and grapple with their foes。 This Pindar appears to have
seen; and says justly enough of the fight at Artemisium; that…

         〃There the sons of Athens set
         The stone that freedom stands on yet。〃

For the first step towards victory undoubtedly is to gain courage;
Artemisium is in Euboea; beyond the city of Histiaea; a sea…beach open
to the north; most nearly opposite to it stands Olizon; in the country
which formally was under Philoctetes; there is a small temple there;
dedicated to Diana; surnamed of the Dawn; and trees about it; around
which again stand pillars of white marble; and if you rub them with
your hand; they send forth both the smell and colour of saffron。 On
one of these pillars these verses are engraved:…

         〃With numerous tribes from Asia's region brought
         The sons of Athens on these waters fought;
         Erecting; after they had quelled the Mede;
         To Artemis this record of the deed。〃

There is a place still to be seen upon this shore; where; in the
middle of a great heap of sand; they take out from the bottom a dark
powder like ashes; or something that has passed the fire; and here; it
is supposed; the shipwrecks and bodies of the dead were burnt。
  But when news came from Thermopylae to Artemisium informing them
that king Leonidas was slain; and that Xerxes had made himself
master of all the passages by land; they returned back to the interior
of Greece; the Athenians having the command of the rear; the place
of honour and danger; and much elated by what had been done。
  As Themistocles sailed along the coasts; he took notice of the
harbours and fit places for the enemy's ships to come to land at;
and engraved large letters in such stones as he found there by chance;
as also in others which he set up on purpose near to the
landing…places; or where they were to water; in which inscriptions
he called upon the Ionians to forsake the Medes; if it were
possible; and to come over to the Greeks; who were their proper
founders and fathers; and were now hazarding all for their
liberties; but; if this could not be done; at any rate to impede and
disturb the Persians in all engagements。 He hoped that these
writings would prevail with the Ionians to revolt; or raise some
trouble by making their fidelity doubtful to the Persians。
  Now; though Xerxes has already passed through Doris and invaded
the country of Phocis; and was burning and destroying the cities of
the Phocians; yet the Greeks sent them no relief; and; though the
Athenians earnestly desired them to meet the Persians in Boeotia;
before they could come into Attica; as they themselves had come
forward by sea at Artemisium; they gave no ear to their requests;
being wholly intent upon Peloponnesus; and resolved to gather all
their forces together within the Isthmus; and to build a wall from sea
to sea in that narrow neck of land; so that the Athenians were enraged
to see themselves betrayed; and at the same time afflicted and
dejected at their own destitution。 For to fight alone against such a
numerous army was to no purpose; and the only expedient now left
them was to leave their city and cling to their ships; which the
people were very unwilling to submit to; imagining that it would
signify little now to gain a victory; and not understanding how
there could be deliverance any longer after they had once forsaken the
temples of their gods and exposed the tombs and monuments of their
ancestors to the fury of their enemies。
  Themistocles; being at a loss; and not able to draw the people
over to his opinion by any human reason; set his machines 
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