The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [182]
17. ‘Ah! surely you thought you would never be punished for your crimes.
18. ‘But justice has delivered you into my hands; and you cannot complain of the vengeance which I am resolved to take on you.’
19. So saying, Hermotimus commanded the four sons of Panionius to be brought, and forced the father to make them eunuchs with his own hand.
20. Unable to resist, he did as Hermotimus required; and then his sons were made to treat him in the same way.
21. Thus did Hermotimus exact requital from Panionius.
Chapter 86
1. Xerxes sent for Mardonius, and told him to choose from all his army such men as he wished, and see that he made his achievements equal his promises.
2. When night fell he ordered the captains of what remained of his fleet to sail for the Hellespont as fast as possible, to guard the bridges for the king’s return.
3. On their way, as they sailed by Zoster, where certain narrow points of land project into the sea,
4. They mistook the cliffs for vessels, and fled far away in alarm.
5. Discovering their mistake, however, after a time, they joined company once more, and proceeded on their voyage.
6. Next day the Greeks, seeing the land force of the barbarians encamped in the same place,
7. Thought that their ships must still be lying nearby, and began to prepare for another attack.
8. Soon however news came that the Persian fleet had gone; whereupon it was instantly resolved to pursue.
9. The Greeks sailed as far as Andros; but, seeing nothing of the Persians, stopped there, and held a council.
10. Themistocles advised that the Greeks should press the pursuit, and make all haste to the Hellespont, in order to break down the bridges.
11. Eurybiades, however, delivered a contrary opinion. ‘If,’ he said, ‘we break down the bridges, it would be the worst thing that could possibly happen for Greece.
12. ‘The Persian, supposing himself compelled to remain in Europe, would be sure never to give us peace.
13. ‘He could not afford inaction, which would ruin all his affairs, and leave him no chance of ever getting back to Asia;
14. ‘Indeed, it would even cause his army to perish by famine: whereas, if he stirred himself, and acted vigorously,
15. ‘It was likely that the whole of Europe would eventually become subject to him;
16. ‘Since, by degrees, the various towns and tribes would either fall before his arms, or agree to submit;
17. ‘And in this way, his troops would find food sufficient, since each year the Greek harvest would be theirs.
18. ‘As it was, the Persian, because he had lost the sea fight, intended evidently to remain no longer in Europe.
19. ‘The Greeks ought to let him go; and when he was gone from among them, and had returned into his own country,
20. ‘There would be time for them to contend with him for the possession of that.’
21. The other captains of the Peloponnesians agreed with this.
22. Finding the majority against him, Themistocles changed round, and addressing himself to the Athenians,
23. Who of all the allies were most nettled at the enemy’s escape, and who eagerly desired, if the other Greeks would not stir, to sail on by themselves to the Hellespont and break the bridges, said:
24. ‘I have often myself witnessed, and I have heard the same from others, that men who have been conquered, and driven quite to desperation, have renewed the fight, and retrieved their former disasters.
25. ‘We have now had the great good luck to save both ourselves and all Greece by the repulse of this vast cloud of men;
26. ‘Let us be content and not press them too hard, now that they have begun to retreat.
27. ‘At present all is well with us – let us abide in Greece, and look to ourselves and our families.
28. ‘The barbarian is gone – we have driven him off – let each go home, and sow his land diligently.
29. ‘In the spring we will take ship and sail to the Hellespont and to Ionia!’
30. All this Themistocles said, dissembling, in the hope of establishing a claim upon Xerxes;
31. For he wanted to have a safe retreat in case any mischance should befall him at Athens – which indeed