( by good fortune gained a double advantage to herself. For the captain of the Attic ship, when he saw her bearing down on a ship of the barbarians, concluding Artemisia's ship to be either a Grecian, or one that had deserted from the enemy and was assisting them, turned aside and attacked others. 88. In the first place, this was the result to her, that she escaped and did not perish; and in the next, it fell out that she having done an injury, in consequence of it, became still more in favour with Xerxes. For it is said, that Xerxes looking on observed her ship making the attack, and that some near him said: "Sire, do you see Artemisia, how well she fights, and has sunk one of the enemy's ships?" Whereupon he asked, if it was in truth the exploit of Artemisia: they answered, "that they knew the ensign of her ship perfectly well;" but they thought that it was an enemy that was sunk. For, as has been mentioned, other things turned out fortunately for her, and this in particular, that no one of the crew of the Calyndian ship was saved so as to accuse her. And it is related that Xerxes said in answer to their remarks: " My men have become women, and my women, men." They relate that Xerxes said this. 89. In this battle perished the admiral, Ariabignes, son of Darius, and brother of Xerxes, and many other illustrious men of the Persians and Medes, and the other allies; but only some few of the Greeks: for as they knew how to swim, they whose ships were destroyed, and who did not perish in actual conflict, swam safe to Salamis; whereas many of the barbarians, not knowing how to swim, perished in the sea. When the foremost ships were put to flight, then the greatest numbers were destroyed; for those who were stationed behind, endeavouring to pass on with their ships to the front, that they, too, might give the king some proof of their courage, fell foul of their own flying ships. 90. The following event also occurred in this confusion. Some Phoenicians, whose ships were destroyed, going to the king, accused the Ionians, that their ships had perished by their means, for that they had betrayed him. It, however, turned out that the Ionian captains were not put to death, but that those Phoenicians who accused them, received the following reward. For while they were yet speaking, a Samothracian ship bore down on an Athenian ship; the Athenian was sunk, and an Æginetan ship, coming up, sunk the ship of the Samothracians. But the Samothracians being javelin-men, by hurling their javelins, drove the marines from the ship that had sunk them, and boarded and got possession of it. This action saved the Ionians: for when Xerxes saw them perform so great an exploit, he turned round to the Phoenicians, as being above measure grieved, and ready to blame all, and ordered their heads to be struck off, that they who had proved themselves cowards, might no more accuse those who were braver. (For whenever Xerxes saw any one of his own men performing a gallant action in the sea-fight, being seated at the foot of the mountain opposite Salamis, which is called Ægaleos, he inquired the name of the person who did it, and his secretaries wrote down the family and country of the captain of the trireme.) Moreover, Ariaramnes, a Persian, who was a friend to the Ionians, and happened to be present, contributed to the ruin of the Phoenicians. They accordingly betook themselves to the Phoenicians.6 91. The barbarians being turned to flight, and sailing away towards Phalerus, the Ægineta waylaying them in the strait, performed actions worthy of record. For the Athenians in the rout ran down both those ships that resisted and those that fled; and the Æginetæ, those that sailed away from the battle so that when any escaped the Athenians, being borne violently on, they fell into the hands of the Æginetæ. 92. At this time there happened to meet together the ship of Themistocles, giving chace to one of the enemy, and that of Polycritus, son of Crius, an Æginetan, bearing down upon a Sidonian ship, the same that had taken the Æginetan ship, which was keeping watch off Sciathus, and on board of which sailed Pytheas, son of Ischenous, whom, though covered with wounds, the Persians kept in the ship from admiration of his valour. The Sidonian ship that carried him about, was taken with the Persians on board, so that Pytheas, by this means, returned safe to Ægina. But when Polycritus saw the Athenian ship, he knew it, seeing the admiral's ensign; and shouting to Themistocles, he railed at him, upbraiding him with the charge of Medism brought against the Ægineta. Polycritus, accordingly, as he was attacking the ship, threw out 6 That is, "the executioners put them to death." 7 See B. VII. chap. 181. See B. VI. chap. 49, 50. these reproaches against Themistocles. But the barbarians, whose ships survived, fled and arrived at Phalerus, under the protection of the land-forces. 93. In this engagement of the Greeks, the Æginetæ obtained the greatest renown; and next, the Athenians:—of particular persons, Polycritus of Ægina, and Athenians, Eumenes the Anagyrasian, with Aminias a Pallenian, who gave chace to Artemisia; and if he had known that Artemisia sailed in that ship, he would not have given over the pursuit, till he had either taken her, or been himself taken. For such had been the order given to the Athenian captains; and besides, a reward of ten thousand drachmas was offered to whoever should take her alive; for they considered it a great indignity that a woman should make war against Athens. She, however, as has been before mentioned, made her escape ;) and the others, whose ships survived, lay at Phalerus. 94. The Athenians say, that Adimantus, the Corinthian admiral, immediately from the commencement, when the ships engaged, being dismayed and excessively frightened, hoisted sail and fled; and that the Corinthians, seeing their admiral's ship flying, likewise bore away; and when, in their flight, they arrived off the temple of Minerva Sciras, on the coast of Salamis, a light bark fell in with them by the guidance of heaven; that no one appeared to have sent it, and that it came up to the Corinthians, who knew nothing relating to the fleet. From this circumstance they conjectured the circumstance to be divine; for that when those on board the bark neared the ships, they spoke as follows: Adimantus, having drawn off your ships, you have hurried away in flight, betraying the Greeks: they, however, are victorious, as far as they could have desired to conquer their enemies." Having said this, as Adimantus did not credit them, they again spoke as follows: that "they were ready to be taken as hostages, and be put to death, if the Greeks were not found to be victorious:" upon which, having put about ship, he and the rest returned to the fleet, when the work was done. Such a story is told of them by the Athenians; the Corinthians, however, do not admit its truth, but affirm that they were among the foremost in the engagement; and the rest of Greece bears testimony in their favour. 95. Aristides, son of Lysimachus, an Athenian, of whom I made mention a little before as a most upright man, in this confusion that took place about Salamis, did as follows: taking with him a considerable number of heavy-armed men, who were stationed along the shore of the Salaminian territory, and were Athenians by race, he landed them on the island of Psyttalea, and they put to the sword all the Persians who were on that little island. 96. When the sea-fight was ended, the Greeks, having hauled on shore at Salamis all the wrecks that still happened to be there, held themselves ready for another battle, expecting the king would still make use of the ships that survived. But a west wind carrying away many of the wrecks, drove them on the shore of Attica, which is called Colias, so as to fulfil both all the other oracles delivered by Bacis and Musæus concerning this sea-fight, and also that relating to the wrecks which were drifted on this shore, which many years before had been delivered by Lysistratus, an Athenian augur, but had not been understood by any of the Greeks: "The Colian women shall broil their meat with oars." 999 This was to happen after the departure of the king. 97. Xerxes, when he saw the defeat he had sustained, fearing lest some of the Ionians might suggest to the Greeks, or lest they themselves might resolve to sail to the Hellespont, for the purpose of breaking up the bridges, and lest he, being shut up in Europe, might be in danger of perishing, meditated flight. But wishing that his intention should not be known either to the Greeks or his own people, he attempted to throw a mound across to Salamis; and he fastened together Phonician merchantmen, that they might serve instead of a raft and a wall; and he made preparation for war, as if about to fight another battle at sea. All the others who saw him thus occupied, were firmly convinced that he had seriously determined to stay and continue the war; but none of these things escaped the notice of Mardonius, who was well acquainted with his design. At the same time that Xerxes was doing this, he despatched a messenger to the Persians, to inform them of the misfortune that had befallen him. 98. There is nothing mortal that reaches its destination more rapidly than these couriers: it has been thus planned by the Persians. They say that as many days as are occupied in the whole journey, so many horses and men are posted at regular inter9 Or, "shall shudder at the oars." vals, a horse and a man being stationed at each day's journey: neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor night, prevents them from performing their appointed stage as quick as possible. The first courier delivers his orders to the second, the second to the third, and so it passes throughout, being delivered from one to the other, just like the torch-bearing among the Greeks, which they perform in honour of Vulcan. This mode of travelling by horses the Persians call angareïon. 99. The first message that reached Susa, with the news that Xerxes was in possession of Athens, caused so great joy among the Persians who had been left behind, that they strewed all the roads with myrtle, burnt perfumes, and gave themselves up to sacrifices and festivity. But the second messenger arriving threw them into such consternation, that they all rent their garments, and uttered unbounded shouts and lamentations, laying the blame on Mardonius. The Persians acted thus, not so much being grieved for the ships, as fearing for Xerxes himself. And this continued with the Persians during all the time that elapsed until Xerxes himself arrived and stopped them from doing so. 100. Mardonius, seeing Xerxes much afflicted on account of the sea-fight, and suspecting he was meditating a retreat from Athens, and having thought within himself, that he should suffer punishment for having persuaded the king to invade Greece, and that it would be better for him to incur the hazard either of subduing Greece, or ending his life gloriously in attempting great achievements: however, the thought of subduing Greece weighed more with him; having, therefore, considered these things, he thus addressed the king: "Sire, do not grieve, nor think you have suffered any great loss in consequence of what has happened; for the contest with us does not depend on wood alone, but on men and horses. None of those who imagine they have already finished the whole business, will quit their ships and attempt to oppose you, nor will any one from this continent; and they who have opposed us, have suffered punishment. If, then, you think fit, let us immediately make an attempt on Peloponnesus; or if you think right to delay, you may do so. But be not discouraged; for the Greeks have no means of escape from rendering an account of what they have done now and formerly, and from becoming your slaves. By all means, therefore, do this. If, however, you have determined yourself to retire and to with |