The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [183]
32. But at this time his fellow Athenians were ready to do whatever he advised, since they had always esteemed him a wise man, and he had lately proved himself truly well-judging.
Chapter 87
1. Privately now Themistocles lost no time in sending messengers in a light bark to Xerxes,
2. Choosing for this purpose men he could trust even if they should be put to torture.
3. Among them was the house-slave Sicinnus, the same whom he had made use of previously.
4. When the men reached Attica, all the others stayed in the boat, but Sicinnus went up to the king, and said,
5. ‘I am sent by Themistocles, son of Neocles, leader of the Athenians, and the wisest and bravest man of the allies.
6. ‘He says to you: “Themistocles the Athenian, anxious to render you a service, has restrained the Greeks,
7. ‘“Who were impatient to pursue your ships, and to break up the bridges at the Hellespont. Now, therefore, return home at your leisure.”’
8. Now the Greeks, having resolved that they would neither pursue the barbarians, nor sail for the Hellespont to destroy the bridge,
9. Laid siege to Andros, intending to take the town by storm. Themistocles had required the Andrians to pay a sum of money;
10. And they had refused, being the first of all the islanders to do so.
11. To his declaration, that the money must needs be paid, as the Athenians had brought with them two mighty warriors, Persuasion and Necessity,
12. They replied that Athens might well be a great and glorious city, since she was blest with such excellent fortune;
13. But they were wretchedly poor, stinted for land, and cursed with two weak governors, who always dwelt with them and would never quit their island; to wit, Poverty and Helplessness.
14. Accordingly the Andrians would not pay. For the power of Athens could not possibly be stronger than their inability.
15. This reply, coupled with the refusal to pay the sum required, caused their city to be besieged by the Greeks.
16. Meanwhile Themistocles, who never ceased his pursuit of gain, sent threatening messages to the other islanders with demands for different sums,
17. Employing the same messengers and the same words as he had used towards the Andrians.
18. If, he said, they did not send him the amount required, he would bring the fleet on them, and besiege them till he took their cities.
19. By these means he collected large sums from the Carystians and the Parians, who, when they heard that Andros was already besieged,
20. And that Themistocles was the best esteemed of all the captains, sent the money through fear.
21. In this way Themistocles, during his stay at Andros, obtained money from the islanders, unbeknown to the other captains.
Chapter 88
1. Xerxes and his army waited only a few days after the sea fight, and then withdrew into Boeotia by the road they had followed on their advance.
2. It was the wish of Mardonius to escort the king a part of the way; and as the time of year was no longer suitable for war,
3. He thought it best to winter in Thessaly, and wait for the spring before he attacked the Peloponnese.
4. After the army arrived in Thessaly, Mardonius made choice of the troops that were to stay with him;
5. And, first of all, he took the whole body called the ‘Paragons’, except only their leader, Hydarnes, who refused to leave the king.
6. Next, he chose the Persians who wore breastplates, and the thousand picked horse;
7. Likewise the Medes, the Sacans, the Bactrians and the Indians, foot and horse equally.
8. These nations he took entire: from the rest of the allies he culled a few men,
9. Taking either such as were remarkable for their appearance, or else such as had performed, to his knowledge, some valiant deed.
10. The Persians furnished him with the greatest number of troops, men who were adorned with chains and armlets.
11. Next to them were the Medes, who in number equalled the Persians, but in valour fell short of them.
12. The whole army, reckoning the horsemen with the rest, amounted to 300,000 men.
13. At the time when Mardonius was