The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [179]
10. Of these last a few only followed the advice of Themistocles, to fight backwardly; the greater number did far otherwise.
11. The names of trierarchs who captured vessels from the Greeks include Theomestor, the son of Androdamas, and Phylacus, the son of Histiaeus, both Samians.
12. For this service Theomestor was made tyrant of Samos by the Persians, while Phylacus was enrolled among the king’s benefactors, and presented with a large estate in land.
13. By far the greater number of the Persian ships engaged in this battle were disabled, either by the Athenians or by the Eginetans.
14. For as the Greeks fought in order and kept their line, while the barbarians were in confusion and had no plan in anything they did, the issue of the battle could not be other than it was.
15. Yet the Persians fought far more bravely here than at Euboea, and indeed surpassed themselves; each did his utmost through fear of Xerxes, for each thought that the king’s eye was upon himself.
16. Artemisia distinguished herself more than any other Persian leader, and in such a way as raised her even higher than before in Xerxes’ esteem.
17. For after confusion had spread through the king’s fleet, and her ship was closely pursued by an Athenian trireme,
18. She, having no way to fly, since in front of her were a number of friendly vessels, and she was nearest of all the Persians to the enemy, resolved on a measure which in fact proved her safety.
19. Pressed by the Athenian pursuer, she bore straight against one of the ships of her own party, a Calyndian, which had Damasithymus, the Calyndian king, himself on board, and sank it.
20. The commander of the Athenian trireme, when he saw her bear down on one of the enemy’s fleet, thought immediately that her vessel was Greek,
21. Or else had deserted from the Persians, and was now fighting on the Greek side; he therefore gave up the chase, and turned away to attack others.
22. Thus she saved her life, and Xerxes observed, ‘My men have behaved like women, my women like men!’
23. There fell in the battle Ariabignes, one of the chief commanders of the Persian fleet, who was son of Darius and brother of Xerxes;
24. And with him perished a vast number of men of high repute, Persians, Medes and allies.
25. Among the Greeks only a few died; for, as they were able to swim, all those that were not slain by the enemy escaped from the sinking vessels and swam to Salamis.
26. On the barbarian side more perished by drowning than in any other way, because they did not know how to swim.
27. The greatest destruction took place when the ships which had been first engaged began to retreat;
28. For those stationed in the rear, anxious to display their valour before the eyes of the king, made every effort to force their way to the front, and so became entangled with their own retreating forces.
29. In this confusion certain Phoenicians, belonging to ships which had been sunk,
30. Came before the king and laid the blame of their defeat on the Ionians, saying that they were traitors, and had wilfully destroyed the vessels.
31. But the consequence of their complaint was that Xerxes condemned them instead of the Ionians.
32. For exactly as they spoke, a Samothracian vessel bore down on an Athenian and sank it, but was attacked and crippled immediately by one of the Eginetan squadron.
33. Now the Samothracians were expert with the javelin, and aimed their weapons so well,
34. That they cleared the deck of the vessel that had disabled their own, after which they sprang on board, and took it.
35. Xerxes, when he saw the exploit, turned fiercely on the Phoenicians – ready, in his extreme vexation, to find fault with anyone – and ordered their heads to be cut off,
36. To prevent them, he said, from casting the blame of their own misconduct upon braver men.
Chapter 83
1. During the whole battle Xerxes sat at the base of the hill called Aegaleos, near Salamis;
2. And whenever he saw any of his own captains perform a worthy exploit he enquired about him, and the man’s name was