the history-第131章

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　of　the　sea　force；　fearing　lest　in　their　shattered　condition　the　Thessalians　should　venture　on　an　attack；　raised　a　lofty　barricade　around　their　station　out　of　the　wreck　of　the　vessels　cast　ashore。　The　storm　lasted　three　days。　At　length　the　Magians；　by　offering　victims　to　the　Winds；　and　charming　them　with　the　help　of　conjurers；　while　at　the　same　time　they　sacrificed　to　Thetis　and　the　Nereids；　succeeded　in　laying　the　storm　four　days　after　it　first　began；　or　perhaps　it　ceased　of　itself。　The　reason　of　their　offering　sacrifice　to　Thetis　was　this：　they　were　told　by　the　Ionians　that　here　was　the　place　whence　Peleus　carried　her　off；　and　that　the　whole　promontory　was　sacred　to　her　and　to　her　sister　Nereids。　So　the　storm　lulled　upon　the　fourth　day。　　　　　The　scouts　left　by　the　Greeks　about　the　highlands　of　Euboea　hastened　down　from　their　stations　on　the　day　following　that　whereon　the　storm　began；　and　acquainted　their　countrymen　with　all　that　had　befallen　the　Persian　fleet。　These　no　sooner　heard　what　had　happened　than　straightway　they　returned　thanks　to　Neptune　the　Saviour；　and　poured　libations　in　his　honour；　after　which　they　hastened　back　with　all　speed　to　Artemisium；　expecting　to　find　a　very　few　ships　left　to　oppose　them；　and　arriving　there　for　the　second　time；　took　up　their　station　on　that　strip　of　coast：　nor　from　that　day　to　the　present　have　they　ceased　to　address　Neptune　by　the　name　then　given　him；　of　〃Saviour。〃　　　　　The　barbarians；　when　the　wind　lulled　and　the　sea　grew　smooth；　drew　their　ships　down　to　the　water；　and　proceeded　to　coast　along　the　mainland。　Having　then　rounded　the　extreme　point　of　Magnesia；　they　sailed　straight　into　the　bay　that　runs　up　to　Pagasae。　There　is　a　place　in　this　bay；　belonging　to　Magnesia；　where　Hercules　is　said　to　have　been　put　ashore　to　fetch　water　by　Jason　and　his　companions；　who　then　deserted　him　and　went　on　their　way　to　Aea　in　Colchis；　on　board　the　ship　Argo；　in　quest　of　the　golden　fleece。　From　the　circumstance　that　they　intended；　after　watering　their　vessel　at　this　place；　to　quit　the　shore　and　launch　forth　into　the　deep；　it　received　the　name　of　Aphetae。　Here　then　it　was　that　the　fleet　of　Xerxes　came　to　an　anchor。　　　　　Fifteen　ships；　which　had　lagged　greatly　behind　the　rest；　happening　to　catch　sight　of　the　Greek　fleet　at　Artemisium；　mistook　it　for　their　own；　and　sailing　down　into　the　midst　of　it；　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。　The　commander　of　this　squadron　was　Sandoces；　the　son　of　Thamasius；　governor　of　Cyme；　in　Aeolis。　He　was　of　the　number　of　the　royal　judges；　and　had　been　crucified　by　Darius　some　time　before；　on　the　charge　of　taking　a　bribe　to　determine　a　cause　wrongly；　but　while　he　yet　hung　on　the　cross；　Darius　bethought　him　that　the　good　deeds　of　Sandoces　towards　the　king's　house　were　more　numerous　than　his　evil　deeds；　and　so；　confessing　that　he　had　acted　with　more　haste　than　wisdom；　he　ordered　him　to　be　taken　down　and　set　at　large。　Thus　Sandoces　escaped　destruction　at　the　hands　of　Darius；　and　was　alive　at　this　time；　but　he　was　not　fated　to　come　off　so　cheaply　from　his　second　peril；　for　as　soon　as　the　Greeks　saw　the　ships　making　towards　them；　they　guessed　their　mistake；　and　putting　to　sea；　took　them　without　difficulty。　　　　　Aridolis；　tyrant　of　Alabanda　in　Caria；　was　on　board　one　of　the　ships；　and　was　made　prisoner；　as　also　was　the　Paphian　general；　Penthylus；　the　son　of　Domonous；　who　was　on　board　another。　This　person　had　brought　with　him　twelve　ships　from　Paphos；　and；　after　losing　eleven　in　the　storm　off　Sepias；　was　taken　in　the　remaining　one　as　he　sailed　towards　Artemisium。　The　Greeks；　after　questioning　their　prisoners　as　much　as　they　wished　concerning　the　forces　of　Xerxes；　sent　them　away　in　chains　to　the　Isthmus　of　Corinth。　　　　　The　sea　force　of　the　barbarians；　with　the　exception　of　the　fifteen　ships　commanded　（as　I　said）　by　Sandoces；　came　safe　to　Aphetae。　Xerxes　meanwhile；　with　the　land　army；　had　proceeded　through　Thessaly　and　Achaea；　and　three　days　earlier；　had　entered　the　territory　of　the　Malians。　In　Thessaly；　he　matched　his　own　horses　against　the　Thessalian；　which　he　heard　were　the　best　in　Greece；　but　the　Greek　coursers　were　left　far　behind　in　the　race。　All　the　rivers　in　this　region　had　water　enough　to　supply　his　army；　except　only　the　Onochonus；　but　in　Achaea；　the　largest　of　the　streams；　the　Apidanus；　barely　held　out。　　　　　On　his　arrival　at　Alus　in　Achaea；　his　guides；　wishing　to　inform　him　of　everything；　told　him　the　tale　known　to　the　dwellers　in　those　parts　concerning　the　temple　of　the　Laphystian　Jupiter…　how　that　Athamas　the　son　of　Aeolus　took　counsel　with　Ino　and　plotted　the　death　of　Phrixus；　and　how　that　afterwards　the　Achaeans；　warned　by　an　oracle；　laid　a　forfeit　upon　his　posterity；　forbidding　the　eldest　of　the　race　ever　to　enter　into　the　court…house　（which　they　call　the　people's　house）；　and　keeping　watch　themselves　to　see　the　law　obeyed。　If　one　comes　within　the　doors；　he　can　never　go　out　again　except　to　be　sacrificed。　Further；　they　told　him　how　that　many　persons；　when　on　the　point　of　being　slain；　are　seized　with　such　fear　that　they　flee　away　and　take　refuge　in　some　other　country；　and　that　these；　if　they　come　back　long　afterwards；　and　are　found　to　be　the　persons　who　entered　the　court…house；　are　led　forth　covered　with　chaplets；　and　in　a　grand　procession；　and　are　sacrificed。　This　forfeit　is　paid　by　the　descendants　of　Cytissorus　the　son　of　Phrixus；　because；　when　the　Achaeans；　in　obedience　to　an　oracle；　made　Athamas　the　son　of　Aeolus　their　sin…offering；　and　were　about　to　slay　him；　Cytissorus　came　from　Aea　in　Colchis　and　rescued　Athamus；　by　which　deed　he　brought　the　anger　of　the　god　upon　his　own　posterity。　Xerxes；　therefore；　having　heard　this　story；　when　he　reached　the　grove　of　the　god；　avoided　it；　and　commanded　his　army　to　do　the　like。　He　also　paid　the　same　respect　to　the　house　and　precinct　of　the　descendants　of　Athamas。　　　　　Such　were　the　doing　of　Xerxes　in　Thessaly　and　in　Achaea；　From　hence　he　passed　on　into　Malis；　along　the　shores　of　a　bay；　in　which　there　is　an　ebb　and　flow　of　the　tide　daily。　By　the　side　of　this　bay　lies　a　piece　of　flat　land；　in　one　part　broad；　but　in　another　very　narrow　indeed；　around　which　runs　a　range　of　lofty　hills；　impossible　to　climb；　enclosing　all　Malis　within　them；　and　called　the　Trachinian　cliffs。　The　first　city　upon　the　bay；　as　you　come　from　Achaea；　is　Anticyra；　near　which　the　river　Spercheius；　flowing　down　from　the　country　of　the　Enianians；　empties　itself　into　the　sea。　About　twenty　furlongs　from　this　stream　there　is　a　second　river；　called　the　Dyras；　which　is　said　to　have　appeared　first　to　help　Hercules　when　he　was　burning。　Again；　at　the　distance　of　twenty　furlongs；　there　is　a　stream　called　the　Melas；　near　which；　within　about　five　furlongs；　stands　the　city　of　Trachis。　　　　　At　the　point　where　this　city　is　built；　the　plain　between　the　hills　and　the　sea　is　broader　than　at　any　other；　for　it　there　measures　22；000　plethra。　South　of　Trachis　there　is　a　cleft　in　the　mountain…range　which　shuts　in　the　territory　of　Trachinia；　and　the　river　Asopus　issuing　from　this　cleft　flows　for　a　while　along　the　foot　of　the　hills。　　　　　Further　to　the　south；　another　river；　called　the　Phoenix；　which　has　no　great　body　of　water；　flows　from　the　same　hills；　and　falls　into　the　Asopus。　Here　is　the　narrowest　place　of　all；　for　in　this　part　there　is　only　a　causeway　wide　enough　for　a　single　carriage。　From　the　river　Phoenix　to　Thermopylae　is　a　distance　of　fifteen　furlongs；　and　in　this　space　is　situate　the　village　called　Anthela；　which　the　river　Asopus　passes　ere　it　reaches　the　sea。　The　space　about　Anthela　is　of　some　width；　and　contains　a　temple　of　Amphictyonian　Ceres；　as　well　as　the　seats　of　the　Amphictyonic　deputies；　and　a　temple　of　Amphictyon　himself。　　　　　King　Xerxes　pitched　his　camp　in　the　region　of　Malis　called　Trachinia；　while　on　their　side　the　Greeks　occupied　the　straits。　These　straits　the　Greeks　in　general　call　Thermopylae　（the　Hot　Gates）；　but　the　natives；　and　those　who　dwell　in　the　neighbourhood；　call　them　Pylae　（the　Gates）。　Here　then　the　two　armies　took　their　stand；　the　one　master　of　all　the　region　lying　north　of　Trachis；　the　other　of　the　country　extending　southward　of　that　place　to　the　verge　of　the　continent。　　　　　The　Greeks　who　at　this　spot　awaited　the　coming　of　Xerxes　were　the　following：…　From　Sparta；　three　hundred　men…at…arms；　from　Arcadia；　a　thousand　Tegeans　and　Mantineans；　five　hundred　of　each　people；　a　hundred　and　twenty　Orchomenians；　from　the　Arcadian　Orchomenus；　and　a　thousand　from　other　cities：　from　Corinth；　four　hundred　men；　from　Phlius；　two　hundred；　and　from　Mycenae　eighty。　Such　was　the　number　from　the　Peloponnese。　There　were　also　present；　from　Boeotia；　seven　hundred　Thespians　and　four　hundred　Thebans。　　　　　Besides　these　troops；　the　Locrians　of　Opus　and　the　Phocians　had　obeyed　the　call　of　their　countrymen；　and　sent；　the　former　all　the　force　they　had；　the　latter　a　thousand　men。　For　envoys　had　gone　from　the　Greeks　at　Thermopylae　among　the　Locrians　and　Phocians；　to　call　on　them　for　assistance；　and　to　say…　〃They　were　themselves　but　the　vanguard　of　the　host；　sent　to　precede　the　main　body；　which　might　every　day　be　expected　to　follow　them。　The　sea　was　in　good　keeping；　watched　by　the　Athenians；　the　Eginetans；　and　the　rest　of　the　fleet。　There　was　no　cause　why　they　should　fear；　for　after　all　the　invader　was　not