the history-第145章

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e　Greeks。　If　thy　affairs　have　succeeded　ill；　it　has　not　been　by　their　fault；　thou　canst　not　say　that　thy　Persians　have　ever　shown　themselves　cowards。　What　matters　it　if　Phoenicians　and　Egyptians；　Cyprians　and　Cilicians；　have　misbehaved？…　their　misconduct　touches　not　us。　Since　then　thy　Persians　are　without　fault；　be　advised　by　me。　Depart　home；　if　thou　art　so　minded；　and　take　with　thee　the　bulk　of　thy　army；　but　first　let　me　choose　out　300；000　troops；　and　let　it　be　my　task　to　bring　Greece　beneath　thy　sway。〃　　　　　Xerxes；　when　he　heard　these　words；　felt　a　sense　of　joy　and　delight；　like　a　man　who　is　relieved　from　care。　Answering　Mardonius；　therefore；　〃that　he　would　consider　his　counsel；　and　let　him　know　which　course　he　might　prefer；〃　Xerxes　proceeded　to　consult　with　the　chief　men　among　the　Persians；　and　because　Artemisia　on　the　former　occasion　had　shown　herself　the　only　person　who　knew　what　was　best　to　be　done；　he　was　pleased　to　summon　her　to　advise　him　now。　As　soon　as　she　arrived；　he　put　forth　all　the　rest；　both　councillors　and　bodyguards；　and　said　to　her：…　　　　　〃Mardonius　wishes　me　to　stay　and　attack　the　Peloponnese。　My　Persians；　he　says；　and　my　other　land　forces；　are　not　to　blame　for　the　disasters　which　have　befallen　our　arms；　and　of　this　he　declares　they　would　very　gladly　give　me　the　proof。　He　therefore　exhorts　me；　either　to　stay　and　act　as　I　have　said；　or　to　let　him　choose　Out　300；000　of　my　troops…　wherewith　he　undertakes　to　reduce　Greece　beneath　my　sway…　while　I　myself　retire　with　the　rest　of　my　forces；　and　withdraw　into　my　own　country。　Do　thou；　therefore；　as　thou　didst　counsel　me　so　wisely　to　decline　the　sea…fight；　now　also　advise　me　in　this　matter；　and　say；　which　course　of　the　twain　I　ought　to　take　for　my　own　good。〃　　　　　Thus　did　the　king　ask　Artemisia's　counsel；　and　the　following　are　the　words　wherewith　she　answered　him：…　　　　　〃'Tis　a　hard　thing；　O　king！　to　give　the　best　possible　advice　to　one　who　asks　our　counsel。　Nevertheless；　as　thy　affairs　now　stand；　it　seemeth　to　me　that　thou　wilt　do　right　to　return　home。　As　for　Mardonius；　if　he　prefers　to　remain；　and　undertakes　to　do　as　he　has　said；　leave　him　behind　by　all　means；　with　the　troops　which　he　desires。　If　his　design　succeeds；　and　he　subdues　the　Greeks；　as　he　promises；　thine　is　the　conquest；　master；　for　thy　slaves　will　have　accomplished　it。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　affairs　run　counter　to　his　wishes；　we　can　suffer　no　great　loss；　so　long　as　thou　art　safe；　and　thy　house　is　in　no　danger。　The　Greeks；　too；　while　thou　livest；　and　thy　house　flourishes；　must　be　prepared　to　fight　full　many　a　battle　for　their　freedom；　whereas　if　Mardonius　fall；　it　matters　nothing…　they　will　have　gained　but　a　poor　triumph…　a　victory　over　one　of　thy　slaves！　Remember　also；　thou　goest　home　having　gained　the　purpose　of　thy　expedition；　for　thou　hast　burnt　Athens！〃　　　　　The　advice　of　Artemisia　pleased　Xerxes　well；　for　she　had　exactly　uttered　his　own　thoughts。　I；　for　my　part；　do　not　believe　that　he　would　have　remained　had　all　his　counsellors；　both　men　and　women；　united　to　urge　his　stay；　so　great　was　the　alarm　that　he　felt。　As　it　was；　he　gave　praise　to　Artemisia；　and　entrusted　certain　of　his　children　to　her　care；　ordering　her　to　convey　them　to　Ephesus；　for　he　had　been　accompanied　on　the　expedition　by　some　of　his　natural　sons。　　　　　He　likewise　sent　away　at　this　time　one　of　the　principal　of　his　eunuchs；　a　man　named　Hermotimus；　a　Pedasian；　who　was　bidden　to　take　charge　of　these　sons。　Now　the　Pedasians　inhabit　the　region　above　Halicarnassus；　and　it　is　related　of　them；　that　in　their　country　the　following　circumstance　happens：　when　a　mischance　is　about　to　befall　any　of　their　neighbours　within　a　certain　time；　the　priestess　of　Minerva　in　their　city　grows　a　long　beard。　This　has　already　taken　place　on　two　occasions。　　　　　The　Hermotimus　of　whom　I　spoke　above　was；　as　I　said；　a　Pedasian；　and　he；　of　all　men　whom　we　know；　took　the　most　cruel　vengeance　on　the　person　who　had　done　him　an　injury。　He　had　been　made　a　prisoner　of　war；　and　when　his　captors　sold　him；　he　was　bought　by　a　certain　Panionius；　a　native　of　Chios；　who　made　his　living　by　a　most　nefarious　traffic。　Whenever　he　could　get　any　boys　of　unusual　beauty；　he　made　them　eunuchs；　and；　carrying　them　to　Sardis　or　Ephesus；　sold　them　for　large　sums　of　money。　For　the　barbarians　value　eunuchs　more　than　others；　since　they　regard　them　as　more　trustworthy。　Many　were　the　slaves　that　Panionius；　who　made　his　living　by　the　practice；　had　thus　treated；　and　among　them　was　this　Hermotimus　of　whom　I　have　here　made　mention。　However；　he　was　not　without　his　share　of　good　fortune；　for　after　a　while　he　was　sent　from　Sardis；　together　with　other　gifts；　as　a　present　to　the　king。　Nor　was　it　long　before　he　came　to　be　esteemed　by　Xerxes　more　highly　than　all　his　eunuchs。　　　　　When　the　king　was　on　his　way　to　Athens　with　the　Persian　army；　and　abode　for　a　time　at　Sardis；　Hermotimus　happened　to　make　a　journey　upon　business　into　Mysia；　and　there；　in　a　district　which　is　called　Atarneus；　but　belongs　to　Chios；　he　chanced　to　fall　in　with　Panionius。　Recognising　him　at　once；　he　entered　into　a　long　and　friendly　talk　with　him；　wherein　he　counted　up　the　numerous　blessings　he　enjoyed　through　his　means；　and　promised　him　all　manner　of　favours　in　return；　if　he　would　bring　his　household　to　Sardis　and　live　there。　Panionius　was　overjoyed；　and；　accepting　the　offer　made　him；　came　presently；　and　brought　with　him　his　wife　and　children。　Then　Hermotimus；　when　he　had　got　Panionius　and　all　his　family　into　his　power；　addressed　him　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃Thou　man；　who　gettest　a　living　by　viler　deeds　than　any　one　else　in　the　whole　world；　what　wrong　to　thee　or　thine　had　I　or　any　of　mine　done；　that　thou　shouldst　have　made　me　the　nothing　that　I　now　am？　Ah！　surely　thou　thoughtest　that　the　gods　took　no　note　of　thy　crimes。　But　they　in　their　justice　have　delivered　thee；　the　doer　of　unrighteousness；　into　my　hands；　and　now　thou　canst　not　complain　of　the　vengeance　which　I　am　resolved　to　take　on　thee。〃　　　　　After　these　reproaches；　Hermotimus　commanded　the　four　sons　of　Panionius　to　be　brought；　and　forced　the　father　to　make　them　eunuchs　with　his　own　hand。　Unable　to　resist；　he　did　as　Hermotimus　required；　and　then　his　sons　were　made　to　treat　him　in　the　self…same　way。　So　in　this　way　there　came　to　Panionius　requital　at　the　hands　of　Hermotimus。　　　　　Xerxes；　after　charging　Artemisia　to　convey　his　sons　safe　to　Ephesus；　sent　for　Mardonius；　and　bade　him　choose　from　all　his　army　such　men　as　he　wished；　and　see　that　he　made　his　achievements　answer　to　his　promises。　During　this　day　he　did　no　more；　but　no　sooner　was　night　come；　than　he　issued　his　orders；　and　at　once　the　captains　of　the　ships　left　Phalerum；　and　bore　away　for　the　Hellespont；　each　making　all　the　speed　he　could；　and　hasting　to　guard　the　bridges　against　the　king's　return。　On　their　way；　as　they　sailed　by　Zoster；　where　certain　narrow　points　of　land　project　into　the　sea；　they　took　the　cliffs　for　vessels；　and　fled　far　away　in　alarm。　Discovering　their　mistake；　however；　after　a　time；　they　joined　company　once　more；　and　proceeded　upon　their　voyage。　　　　　Next　day　the　Greeks；　seeing　the　land　force　of　the　barbarians　encamped　in　the　same　place；　thought　that　their　ships　must　still　be　lying　at　Phalerum；　and；　expecting　another　attack　from　that　quarter；　made　preparations　to　defend　themselves。　Soon　however　news　came　that　the　ships　were　all　departed　and　gone　away；　whereupon　it　was　instantly　resolved　to　make　sail　in　pursuit。　They　went　as　far　as　Andros；　but；　seeing　nothing　of　the　Persian　fleet；　they　stopped　at　that　place；　and　held　a　council　of　war。　At　this　council　Themistocles　advised　that　the　Greeks　should　follow　on　through　the　islands；　still　pressing　the　pursuit；　and　making　all　haste　to　the　Hellespont；　there　to　break　down　the　bridges。　Eurybiades；　however；　delivered　a　contrary　opinion。　〃If；〃　he　said；　〃the　Greeks　should　break　down　the　bridges；　it　would　be　the　worst　thing　that　could　possibly　happen　for　Greece。　The　Persian；　supposing　that　his　retreat　were　cut　off；　and　he　compelled　to　remain　in　Europe；　would　be　sure　never　to　give　them　any　peace。　Inaction　on　his　part　would　ruin　all　his　affairs；　and　leave　him　no　chance　of　ever　getting　back　to　Asia…　nay；　would　even　cause　his　army　to　perish　by　famine：　whereas；　if　he　bestirred　himself；　and　acted　vigorously；　it　was　likely　that　the　whole　of　Europe　would　in　course　of　time　become　subject　to　him；　since；　by　degrees；　the　various　towns　and　tribes　would　either　fall　before　his　arms；　or　else　agree　to　terms　of　submission；　and　in　this　way；　his　troops　would　find　food　sufficient　for　them；　since　each　year　the　Greek　harvest　would　be　theirs。　As　it　was；　the　Persian；　because　he　had　lost　the　sea…fight；　intended　evidently　to　remain　no　longer　in　Europe。　The　Greeks　ought　to　let　him　depart；　and　when　he　was　gone　from　among　them；　and　had　returned　into　his　own　country；　then　would　be　the　time　for　them　to　contend　with　him　for　the　possession　of　that。〃　　　　　The　other　captains　of　the　Peloponnesians　declared　themselves　of　the　same　mind。　　　　　Whereupon　Themistocles；　finding　that　the　majority　was　against　him；　and　that　he　could　not　persuade　them　to　push　on　to　the　Hellespont；　changed　round；　and　addressing　himself　to　the　Athenians；　who　of　all　the　allies　were　the　most　nettled　at　the　enemy's　escape；　and　who　eagerly　desired；　if　the　other　Greeks