the history-第148章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


f　Timoxenus　to　betray　Potidaea　was　discovered　in　this　way。　Artabazus；　on　one　occasion；　shot　off　his　arrow；　intending　to　send　it　to　the　accustomed　place；　but；　missing　his　mark；　hit　one　of　the　Potidaeans　in　the　shoulder。　A　crowd　gathered　about　the　wounded　man；　as　commonly　happens　in　war；　and　when　the　arrow　was　pulled　out；　they　noticed　the　paper；　and　straightway　carried　it　to　the　captains　who　were　present　from　the　various　cities　of　the　peninsula。　The　captains　read　the　letter；　and；　finding　who　the　traitor　was；　nevertheless　resolved；　out　of　regard　for　the　city　of　Scione；　that　as　they　did　not　wish　the　Scionaeans　to　be　thenceforth　branded　with　the　name　of　traitors；　they　would　not　bring　against　him　any　charge　of　treachery。　Such　accordingly　was　the　mode　in　which　this　plot　was　discovered。　　　　　After　Artabazus　had　continued　the　siege　by　the　space　of　three　months；　it　happened　that　there　was　an　unusual　ebb　of　the　tide；　which　lasted　a　long　while。　So　when　the　barbarians　saw　that　what　had　been　sea　was　now　no　more　than　a　swamp；　they　determined　to　push　across　it　into　Pallene；　And　now　the　troops　had　already　made　good　two…fifths　of　their　passage；　and　three…fifths　still　remained　before　they　could　reach　Palline；　when　the　tide　came　in　with　a　very　high　flood；　higher　than　had　ever　been　seen　before；　as　the　inhabitants　of　those　parts　declare；　though　high　floods　are　by　no　means　uncommon。　All　who　were　not　able　to　swim　perished　immediately；　the　rest　were　slain　by　the　Potidaeans；　who　bore　down　upon　them　in　their　sailing　vessels。　The　Potidaeans　say　that　what　caused　this　swell　and　flood；　and　so　brought　about　the　disaster　of　the　Persians　which　ensued　therefrom；　was　the　profanation；　by　the　very　men　now　destroyed　in　the　sea；　of　the　temple　and　image　of　Neptune；　situated　in　their　suburb。　And　in　this　they　seem　to　me　to　say　well。　Artabazus　afterwards　led　away　the　remainder　of　his　army；　and　joined　Mardonius　in　Thessaly。　Thus　fared　it　with　the　Persians　who　escorted　the　king　to　the　strait。　　　　　As　for　that　part　of　the　fleet　of　Xerxes　which　had　survived　the　battle；　when　it　had　made　good　its　escape　from　Salamis　to　the　coast　of　Asia；　and　conveyed　the　king　with　his　army　across　the　strait　from　the　Chersonese　to　Abydos；　it　passed　the　winter　at　Cyme。　On　the　first　approach　of　spring；　there　was　an　early　muster　of　the　ships　at　Samos；　where　some　of　them　indeed　had　remained　throughout　the　winter。　Most　of　the　men…at…arms　who　served　on　board　were　Persians；　or　else　Medes；　and　the　command　of　the　fleet　had　been　taken　by　Mardontes；　the　son　of　Bagaeus；　and　Artayntes；　the　son　of　Artachaeus；　while　there　was　likewise　a　third　commander；　Ithamitres；　the　nephew　of　Artayntes；　whom　his　uncle　had　advanced　to　the　post。　Further　west　than　Samos；　however；　they　did　not　venture　to　proceed；　for　they　remembered　what　a　defeat　they　had　suffered；　and　there　was　no　one　to　compel　them　to　approach　any　nearer　to　Greece。　They　therefore　remained　at　Samos；　and　kept　watch　over　Ionia；　to　hinder　it　from　breaking　into　revolt。　The　whole　number　of　their　ships；　including　those　furnished　by　the　Ionians；　was　three　hundred。　It　did　not　enter　into　their　thoughts　that　the　Greeks　would　proceed　against　Ionia；　on　the　contrary；　they　supposed　that　the　defence　of　their　own　country　would　content　them；　more　especially　as　they　had　not　pursued　the　Persian　fleet　when　it　fled　from　Salamis；　but　had　so　readily　given　up　the　chase。　They　despaired；　however；　altogether　of　gaining　any　success　by　sea　themselves；　though　by　land　they　thought　that　Mardonius　was　quite　sure　of　victory。　So　they　remained　at　Samos；　and　took　counsel　together；　if　by　any　means　they　might　harass　the　enemy；　at　the　same　time　that　they　waited　eagerly　to　hear　how　matters　would　proceed　with　Mardonius。　　　　　The　approach　of　spring；　and　the　knowledge　that　Mardonius　was　in　Thessaly；　roused　the　Greeks　from　inaction。　Their　land　force　indeed　was　not　yet　come　together；　but　the　fleet；　consisting　of　one　hundred　and　ten　ships；　proceeded　to　Egina；　under　the　command　of　Leotychides。　This　Leotychides；　who　was　both　general　and　admiral；　was　the　son　of　Menares；　the　son　of　Agesilaus；　the　son　of　Hippocratides；　the　son　of　Leotychides；　the　son　of　Anaxilaus；　the　son　of　Archidamus；　the　son　of　Anaxandrides；　the　son　of　Theopompus；　the　son　of　Nicander；　the　son　of　Charillus；　the　son　of　Eunomus；　the　son　of　Polydectes；　the　son　of　Prytanis；　the　son　of　Euryphon；　the　son　of　Procles；　the　son　of　Aristodemus；　the　son　of　Aristomachus；　the　son　of　Cleodaeus；　the　son　of　Hyllus；　the　son　of　Hercules。　He　belonged　to　the　younger　branch　of　the　royal　house。　All　his　ancestors；　except　the　two　next　in　the　above　list　to　himself；　had　been　kings　of　Sparta。　The　Athenian　vessels　were　commanded　by　Xanthippus；　the　son　of　Ariphron。　　　　　When　the　whole　fleet　was　collected　together　at　Egina；　ambassadors　from　Ionia　arrived　at　the　Greek　station；　they　had　but　just　come　from　paying　a　visit　to　Sparta；　where　they　had　been　intreating　the　Lacedaemonians　to　undertake　the　deliverance　of　their　native　land。　One　of　these　ambassadors　was　Herodotus；　the　son　of　Basileides。　Originally　they　were　seven　in　number；　and　the　whole　seven　had　conspired　to　slay　Strattis　the　tyrant　of　Chios；　one；　however；　of　those　engaged　in　the　plot　betrayed　the　enterprise；　and　the　conspiracy　being　in　this　way　discovered；　Herodotus；　and　the　remaining　five；　quitted　Chios；　and　went　straight　to　Sparta；　whence　they　had　now　proceeded　to　Egina；　their　object　being　to　beseech　the　Greeks　that　they　would　pass　over　to　Ionia。　It　was　not；　however；　without　difficulty　that　they　were　induced　to　advance　even　so　far　as　Delos。　All　beyond　that　seemed　to　the　Greeks　full　of　danger；　the　places　were　quite　unknown　to　them；　and　to　their　fancy　swarmed　with　Persian　troops；　as　for　Samos；　it　appeared　to　them　as　far　off　as　the　Pillars　of　Hercules。　Thus　it　came　to　pass；　that　at　the　very　same　time　the　barbarians　were　hindered　by　their　fears　from　venturing　any　further　west　than　Samos；　and　the　prayers　of　the　Chians　failed　to　induce　the　Greeks　to　advance　any　further　east　than　Delos。　Terror　guarded　the　mid　region。　　　　　The　Greek　fleet　was　now　on　its　way　to　Delos；　but　Mardonius　still　abode　in　his　winter…quarters　in　Thessaly。　When　he　was　about　to　leave　them；　he　despatched　a　man　named　Mys；　a　European　by　birth；　to　go　and　consult　the　different　oracles；　giving　him　orders　to　put　questions　everywhere　to　all　the　oracles　whereof　he　found　it　possible　to　make　trial。　What　it　was　that　he　wanted　to　know；　when　he　gave　Mys　these　orders；　I　am　not　able　to　say；　for　no　account　has　reached　me　of　the　matter；　but　for　my　own　part；　I　suppose　that　he　sent　to　inquire　concerning　the　business　which　he　had　in　hand；　and　not　for　any　other　purpose。　　　　　Mys；　it　is　certain；　went　to　Lebadeia；　and；　by　the　payment　of　a　sum　of　money；　induced　one　of　the　inhabitants　to　go　down　to　Trophonius；　he　likewise　visited　Abae　of　the　Phocians；　and　there　consulted　the　god；　while　at　Thebes；　to　which　place　he　went　first　of　all；　he　not　only　got　access　to　Apollo　Ismenius　（of　whom　inquiry　is　made　by　means　of　victims；　according　to　the　custom　practised　also　at　Olympia）；　but　likewise　prevailed　on　a　man；　who　was　not　a　Theban　but　a　foreigner；　to　pass　the　night　in　the　temple　of　Amphiaraus。　No　Theban　can　lawfully　consult　this　oracle；　for　the　following　reason：　Amphiaraus　by　an　oracle　gave　the　Thebans　their　choice；　to　have　him　for　their　prophet　or　for　their　helper　in　war；　he　bade　them　elect　between　the　two；　and　forego　either　one　or　the　other；　so　they　chose　rather　to　have　him　for　their　helper。　On　this　account　it　is　unlawful　for　a　Theban　to　sleep　in　his　temple。　　　　　One　thing　which　the　Thebans　declare　to　have　happened　at　this　time　is　to　me　very　surprising。　Mys；　the　European；　they　say；　after　he　had　gone　about　to　all　the　oracles；　came　at　last　to　the　sacred　precinct　of　Apollo　Ptous。　The　place　itself　bears　the　name　of　Ptoum；　it　is　in　the　country　of　the　Thebans；　and　is　situated　on　the　mountain　side　overlooking　Lake　Copais；　only　a　very　little　way　from　the　town　called　Acraephia。　Here　Mys　arrived；　and　entered　the　temple；　followed　by　three　Theban　citizens…　picked　men　whom　the　state　had　appointed　to　take　down　whatever　answer　the　god　might　give。　No　sooner　was　he　entered　than　the　prophet　delivered　him　an　oracle；　but　in　a　foreign　tongue；　so　that　his　Theban　attendants　were　astonished；　hearing　a　strange　language　when　they　expected　Greek；　and　did　not　know　what　to　do。　Mys；　however；　the　European；　snatched　from　their　hands　the　tablet　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　and　wrote　down　what　the　prophet　uttered。　The　reply；　he　told　them；　was　in　the　Carian　dialect。　After　this；　Mys　departed　and　returned　to　Thessaly。　　　　　Mardonius；　when　he　had　read　the　answers　given　by　the　oracles；　sent　next　an　envoy　to　Athens。　This　was　Alexander；　the　son　of　Amyntas；　a　Macedonian；　of　whom　he　made　choice　for　two　reasons。　Alexander　was　connected　with　the　Persians　by　family　ties；　for　Gygaea；　who　was　the　daughter　of　Amyntas；　and　sister　to　Alexander　himself；　was　married　to　Bubares；　a　Persian；　and　by　him　had　a　son；　to　wit；　Amyntas　of　Asia；　who　was　named　after　his　mother's　father；　and　enjoyed　the　revenues　of　Alabanda；　a　large　city　of　Phrygia；　which　had　been　assigned　him　by　the　king。　Alexander　was　likewise　（and　of　this　too　Mardonius　was　well　aware）；　both　by　services　which　he　had　rendered；　and　by　formal　compact　of　friendship；　connected　with　Athens。　Mardoni