第 136 节
作者:
孤独半圆 更新:2021-02-21 16:05 字数:9321
iades 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 eagerly with each other which should be the first to make prize of an Athenian ship; and thereby to secure himself a rich reward from the king。 For through both the hosts none were so much accounted of as the Athenians。 The Greeks; at a signal; brought the sterns of their ships together into a small compass; and turned their prows on every side towards the barbarians; after which; at a second signal; although inclosed within a narrow space; and closely pressed upon by the foe; yet they fell bravely to work; and captured thirty ships of the barbarians; at the same time taking prisoner Philaon; the son of Chersis; and brother of Gorgus king of Salamis; a man of much repute in the fleet。 The first who made prize of a ship of the enemy was Lycomedes the son of Aeschreas; an Athenian; who was afterwards adjudged the meed of valour。 Victory however was still doubtful when night came on; and put a stop to the combat。 The Greeks sailed back to Artemisium; and the barbarians returned to Aphetae; much surprised at the result; which was far other than they had looked for。 In this battle only one of the Greeks who fought on the side of the king deserted and joined his countrymen。 This was Antidorus of Lemnos; whom the Athenians rewarded for his desertion by the present of a piece of land in Salamis。 Evening had barely closed in when a heavy rain… it was about midsummer… began to fall; which continued the whole night; with terrible thunderings and lightnings from Mount Pelion: the bodies of the slain and the broken pieces of the damaged ships were drifted in the direction of Aphetae; and floated about the prows of the vessels there; disturbing the action of the oars。 The barbarians; hearing the storm; were greatly dismayed; expecting certainly to perish; as they had fallen into such a multitude of misfortunes。 For before they were well recovered from the tempest and the wreck of their vessels off Mount Pelion; they had been surprised by a sea…fight which had taxed all their strength; and now the sea…fight was scarcely over when they were exposed to floods of rain; and the rush of swollen streams into the sea; and violent thunderings。 If; however; they who lay at Aphetae passed a comfortless night; far worse were the sufferings of those who had been sent to make the circuit of Euboea; inasmuch as the storm fell on them out at sea; whereby the issue was indeed calamitous。 They were sailing along near the Hollows of Euboea; when the wind began to rise and the rain to pour: overpowered by the force of the gale; and driven they knew not whither; at the last they fell upon rocks… Heaven so contriving; in order that the Persian fleet might not greatly exceed the Greek; but be brought nearly to its level。 This squadron; therefore; was entirely lost about the Hollows of Euboea。 The barbarians at Aphetae were glad when day dawned; and remained in quiet at their station; content if they might enjoy a little peace after so many sufferings。 Meanwhile there came to the aid of the Greeks a reinforcement of fifty…three ships from Attica。 Their arrival; and the news (which reached Artemisium about the same time) of the complete destruction by the storm of the ships sent to sail round Euboea; greatly cheered the spirits of the Greek sailors。 So they waited again till the same hour as the day before; and; once more putting out to sea; attacked the enemy。 This time they fell in with some Cilician vessels; which they sank; when night came on; they withdrew to Artemisium。 The third day was now come; and the captains of the barbarians; ashamed that so small a number of ships should harass their fleet; and afraid of the anger of Xerxes; instead of waiting for the others to begin the battle; weighed anchor themselves; and advanced against the Greeks about the hour of noon; with shouts encouraging one another。 Now it happened that these sea…fights took place on the very same days with the combats at Thermopylae; and as the aim of the struggle was in the one case to maintain the pass; so in the other it was to defend the Euripus。 While the