第 141 节
作者:
孤独半圆 更新:2021-02-21 16:06 字数:9322
a brave man; all will be well… if not; thou wilt bring Greece to ruin。 For the whole fortune of the war depends on our ships。 Be thou persuaded by my words。 If not; we will take our families on board; and go; just as we are; to Siris; in Italy; which is ours from of old; and which the prophecies declare we are to colonise some day or other。 You then; when you have lost allies like us; will hereafter call to mind what I have now said。〃 At these words of Themistocles; Eurybiades changed his determination; principally; as I believe; because he feared that if he withdrew the fleet to the Isthmus; the Athenians would sail away; and knew that without the Athenians; the rest of their ships could be no match for the fleet of the enemy。 He therefore decided to remain; and give battle at Salamis。 And now; the different chiefs; notwithstanding their skirmish of words; on learning the decision of Eurybiades; at once made ready for the fight。 Morning broke; and; just as the sun rose; the shock of an earthquake was felt both on shore and at sea: whereupon the Greeks resolved to approach the gods with prayer; and likewise to send and invite the Aeacids to their aid。 And this they did; with as much speed as they had resolved on it。 Prayers were offered to all the gods; and Telamon and Ajax were invoked at once from Salamis; while a ship was sent to Egina to fetch Aeacus himself; and the other Aeacids。 The following is a tale which was told by Dicaeus; the son of Theocydes; an Athenian; who was at this time an exile; and had gained a good report among the Medes。 He declared that after the army of Xerxes had; in the absence of the Athenians; wasted Attica; he chanced to be with Demaratus the Lacedaemonian in the Thriasian plain; and that while there; he saw a cloud of dust advancing from Eleusis; such as a host of thirty thousand men might raise。 As he and his companion were wondering who the men; from whom the dust arose; could possibly be; a sound of voices reached his ear; and he thought that he recognised the mystic hymn to Bacchus。 Now Demaratus was unacquainted with the rites of Eleusis; and so he inquired of Dicaeus what the voices were saying。 Dicaeus made answer… 〃O Demaratus! beyond a doubt some mighty calamity is about to befall the king's army! For it is manifest; inasmuch as Attica is deserted by its inhabitants; that the sound which we have heard is an unearthly one; and is now upon its way from Eleusis to aid the Athenians and their confederates。 If it descends upon the Peloponnese; danger will threaten the king himself and his land army… if it moves towards the ships at Salamis; 'twill go hard but the king's fleet there suffers destruction。 Every year the Athenians celebrate this feast to the Mother and the Daughter; and all who wish; whether they be Athenians or any other Greeks; are initiated。 The sound thou hearest is the Bacchic song; which is wont to be sung at that festival。〃 〃Hush now;〃 rejoined the other; 〃and see thou tell no man of this matter。 For if thy words be brought to the king's ear; thou wilt assuredly lose thy head because of them; neither I nor any man living can then save thee。 Hold thy peace therefore。 The gods will see to the king's army。〃 Thus Demaratus counselled him; and they looked; and saw the dust; from which the sound arose; become a cloud; and the cloud rise up into the air and sail away to Salamis; making for the station of the Grecian fleet。 Then they knew that it was the fleet of Xerxes which would suffer destruction。 Such was the tale told by Dicaeus the son of Theocydes; and he appealed for its truth to Demaratus and other eye…witnesses。 The men belonging to the fleet of Xerxes; after they had seen the Spartan dead at Thermopylae; and crossed the channel from Trachis to Histiaea; waited there by the space of three days; and then sailing down through the Euripus; in three more came to Phalerum。 In my judgment; the Persian forces both by land and sea when they invaded Attica were not less numerous than they had been on their arrival at Sepias and Thermopylae。 For against the Persian loss in the storm and at Thermopylae; and again in the sea…fights off Artemisium; I set the various nations which had since joined the king… as the Malians; the Dorians; the Locrians; and the Boeotians… each serving in full force in his army except the last; who did not number in their ranks either the Thespians or the Plataeans; and together with these; the Carystians; the Andrians; the Tenians; and the other people of the islands; who all fought on this side except the five states already mentioned。 For as the Persians penetrated further into Greece; they were joined continually by fresh nations。 Reinforced by the contingents of all these various states; except Paros; the barbarians reached Athens。 As for the Parians; they tarried at Cythnus; waiting to see how the war would go。 The rest of the sea forces came safe to Phalerum; where they were visited by Xerxes; who had conceived a desire to go aboard and learn the wishes of the fleet。 So he came and sate in a seat of honour; and the sovereigns of the nations; and the captains of the ships; were sent for; to appear before him; and as they arrived took their seats according to the rank assigned them by the king。 In the first seat sate the king of Sidon; after him; the king of Tyre; then the rest in their order。 When the whole had taken their places; one after another; and were set down in orderly array; Xerxes; to try them; sent Mardonius and questioned each; whether a sea…fight should be risked or no。 Mardonius accordingly went round the entire assemblage; beginning with the Sidonian monarch; and asked this question; to which all gave the same answer; advising to engage the Greeks; except only Artemisia; who spake as follows (SS 1。):… 〃Say to the king; Mardonius; that these are my words to him: I was not the least brave of those who fought at Euboea; nor were my achievements there among the meanest; it is my right; therefore; O my lord; to tell thee plainly what I think to be most for thy advantage now。 This then is my advice。 Spare thy ships; and do not risk a battle; for these people are as much superior to thy people in seamanship; as men to women。 What so great need is there for thee to incur hazard at sea? Art thou not master of Athens; for which thou didst undertake thy expedition? Is not Greece subject to thee? Not a soul now resists thy advance。 They who once resisted; were handled even as they deserved。 (SS 2。) Now learn how I expect that affairs will go with thy adversaries。 If thou art not over…hasty to engage with them by sea; but wilt keep thy fleet near the land; then whether thou abidest as thou art; or marchest forward towards the Peloponnese; thou wilt easily accomplish all for which thou art come hither。 The Greeks cannot hold out against thee very long; thou wilt soon part them asunder; and scatter them to their several homes。 In the island where they lie; I hear they have no food in store; nor is it likely; if thy land force begins its march towards the Peloponnese; that they will remain quietly where they are… at least such as come from that region。 Of a surety they will not greatly trouble themselves to give battle on behalf of the Athenians。 (SS 3。) On the other hand; if thou art hasty to fight; I tremble lest the defeat of thy sea force bring harm likewise to thy land army。 This; too; thou shouldst remember; O king; good masters are apt to have bad servants; and bad masters good ones。 Now; as thou art the best of men; thy servants must needs be a sorry set。 These Egyptians; Cyprians; Cilicians; and Pamphylians; who are counted in the number of thy subject…allies; of how little service are they to thee!〃 As Artemisia spake; they who wished her well were greatly troubled concerning her words; thinking that she would suffer some hurt at the king's hands; because she exhorted him not to risk a battle; they; on the other hand; who disliked and envied her; favoured as she was by the king above all the rest of the allies; rejoiced at her declaration; expecting that her life would be the forfeit。 But Xerxes; when the words of the several speakers were reported to him; was pleased beyond all others with the reply of Artemisia; and whereas; even before this; he had always esteemed her much; he now praised her more than ever。 Nevertheless; he gave orders that the advice of the greater number should be followed; for he thought that at Euboea the fleet had not done its best; because he himself was not there to see… whereas this time he resolved that he would be an eye…witness of the combat。 Orders were now given to stand out to sea; and the ships proceeded towards Salamis; and took up the stations to which they were directed; without let or hindrance from the enemy。 The day; however; was too far spent for them to begin the battle; since night already approached: so they prepared to engage upon the morrow。 The Greeks; meanwhile; were in great distress and alarm; more especially those of the Peloponnese; who were troubled that they had been kept at Salamis to fight on behalf of the Athenian territory; and feared that; if they should suffer defeat; they would be pent up and besieged in an island; while their own country was left unp