at the right moment, when the Athenians, having got large sums of money
in the public treasury, which had come in to them from the mines which
are at Laureion, were intending to share it among themselves, taking
each in turn the sum of ten drachmas. Then Themistocles persuaded the
Athenians to give up this plan of division and to make for themselves
with this money two hundred ships for the war, meaning by that the war
with the Eginetans: for this war having arisen 130 proved in fact the
salvation of Hellas at that time, by compelling the Athenians to become
a naval power. And the ships, not having been used for the purpose for
which they had been made, thus proved of service at need to Hellas.
These ships then, I say, the Athenians had already, having built them
beforehand, and it was necessary in addition to these to construct
others. They resolved then, when they took counsel after the oracle was
given, to receive the Barbarian invading Hellas with their ships in full
force, following the commands of the god, in combination with those of
the Hellenes who were willing to join them.
145. These oracles had been given before to the Athenians: and when
those Hellenes who had the better mind about Hellas 131 came together to
one place, and considered their affairs and interchanged assurances with
one another, then deliberating together they thought it well first of
all things to reconcile the enmities and bring to an end the wars which
they had with one another. Now there were wars engaged 132 between
others also, and especially between the Athenians and the Eginetans.
After this, being informed that Xerxes was with his army at Sardis, they
determined to send spies to Asia to make observation of the power of
the king; and moreover they resolved to send envoys to Argos to form an
alliance against the Persian, and to send others to Sicily to Gelon
the son of Deinomenes and also to Corcyra, to urge them to come to the
assistance of Hellas, and others again to Crete; for they made it their
aim that if possible the Hellenic race might unite in one, and that they
might join all together and act towards the same end, since dangers were
threatening all the Hellenes equally. Now the power of Gelon was said to
be great, far greater than any other Hellenic power.
146. When they had thus resolved, they reconciled their enmities and
then sent first three men as spies to Asia. These having come to Sardis
and having got knowledge about the king's army, were discovered, and
after having been examined by the generals of the land-army were being
led off to die. For these men, I say, death had been determined; but
Xerxes, being informed of this, found fault with the decision of the
generals and sent some of the spearmen of his guard, enjoining them, if
they should find the spies yet alive, to bring them to his presence. So
having found them yet surviving they brought them into the presence of
the king; and upon that Xerxes, being informed for what purpose they
had come, commanded the spearmen to lead them round and to show them the
whole army both foot and horse, and when they should have had their fill
of looking at these things, to let them go unhurt to whatsoever land
they desired.
147. Such was the command which he gave, adding at the same time this
saying, namely that if the spies had been put to death, the Hellenes
would not have been informed beforehand of his power, how far beyond
description it was; while on the other hand by putting to death three
men they would not very greatly have damaged the enemy; but when these
returned back to Hellas, he thought it likely that the Hellenes, hearing
of his power, would deliver up their freedom to him themselves, before
the expedition took place which was being set in motion; and thus there
would be no need for them to have the labour of marching an army against
them. This opinion of his is like his manner of thinking at other times;
133 for when Xerxes was in Abydos, he saw vessels which carried corn
from the Pontus sailing out through the Hellespont on their way to Egina
and the Peloponnese. Those then who sat by his side, being informed that
the ships belonged to the enemy, were prepared to capture them, and were
looking to the king to see when he would give the word; but Xerxes asked
about them whither the men were sailing, and they replied: "Master, to
thy foes, conveying to them corn": he then made answer and said: "Are we
not also sailing to the same place as these men, furnished with corn as
well as with other things necessary? How then do these wrong us, since
they are conveying provisions for our use?"
148. The spies then, having thus looked at everything and after that
having been dismissed, returned back to Europe: and meanwhile those
of the Hellenes who had sworn alliance against the Persian, after the
sending forth of the spies proceeded to send envoys next to Argos. Now
the Argives report that the matters concerning themselves took place
as follows:--They were informed, they say, at the very first of the
movement which was being set on foot by the Barbarian against Hellas;
and having been informed of this and perceiving that the Hellenes would
endeavour to get their alliance against the Persians, they had sent
messengers to inquire of the god at Delphi, and to ask how they should
act in order that it might be best for themselves: because lately there
had been slain of them six thousand men by the Lacedemonians and by
Cleomenes the son of Anaxandrides, 134 and this in fact was the reason
that they were sending to inquire: and when they inquired, the Pythian
prophetess made answer to them as follows:
"Thou to thy neighbours a foe, by the gods immortal beloved,
Keep thou thy spear 135 within bounds, and sit well-guarded behind it:
Guard well the head, and the head shall preserve the limbs and the body."
Thus, they say, the Pythian prophetess had replied to them before this;
and afterwards when the messengers of the Hellenes came, as I said, to
Argos, they entered the Council-chamber and spoke that which had been
enjoined to them; and to that which was said the Council replied that
the Argives were ready to do as they were requested, on condition that
they got peace made with the Lacedemonians for thirty years and that
they had half the leadership of the whole confederacy: and yet by
strict right (they said) the whole leadership fell to their share, but
nevertheless it was sufficient for them to have half.
149. Thus they report that the Council made answer, although the oracle
forbade them to make the alliance with the Hellenes; and they were
anxious, they say, that a truce from hostilities for thirty years should
be made, although they feared the oracle, in order, as they allege, that
their sons might grow to manhood in these years; whereas if a truce did
not exist, they had fear that, supposing another disaster should come
upon them in fighting against the Persian in addition to that which had
befallen them already, they might be for all future time subject to
the Lacedemonians. To that which was spoken by the Council those of the
envoys who were of Sparta replied, that as to the truce they would refer
the matter to their public assembly, 136 but as to the leadership they
had themselves been commissioned to make reply, and did in fact say
this, namely that they had two kings, while the Argives had one; and it
was not possible to remove either of the two who were of Sparta from the
leadership, but there was nothing to prevent the Argive king from having
an equal vote with each of their two. Then, say the Argives, they could
not endure the grasping selfishness of the Spartans, but chose to
be ruled by the Barbarians rather than to yield at all to the
Lacedemonians; and they gave notice to the envoys to depart out of the
territory of the Argives before sunset, or, if not, they would be dealt
with as enemies.
150. The Argives themselves report so much about these matters: but
there is another story reported in Hellas to the effect that Xerxes
sent a herald to Argos before he set forth to make an expedition against
Hellas, and this herald, they say, when he had come, spoke as follows:
"Men of Argos, king Xerxes says to you these things:--We hold that
Perses, from whom we are descended, was the son of Perseus, the son of
Danae, and was born of the daughter of Kepheus, Andromeda; and according
to this it would seem that we are descended from you. It is not fitting
then that we should go forth on an expedition against those from whom we
trace our descent, nor that ye should set yourselves in opposition to us
by rendering assistance to others; but it is fitting that ye keep still
and remain by yourselves: for if things happen according to my mind,
I shall not esteem any people to be of greater consequence than you."
Having heard this the Argives, it is said, considered it a great matter;
and therefore at first they made no offer of help nor did they ask for
any share; but afterwards, when the Hellenes tried to get them on their
side, then, since they knew well that the Lacedemonians would not give
them a share in the command, they asked for this merely in order that
they might have a pretext for remaining still.
151. Also some of the Hellenes report that the following event, in
agreement with this account, came to pass many years after these
things:--there happened, they say, to be in Susa the city of Memnon 137
envoys of the Athenians come about some other matter, namely Callias the
son of Hipponicos and the others who went up with him; and the Argives
at that very time had also sent envoys to Susa, and these asked
Artoxerxes the son of Xerxes, whether the friendship which they had
formed with Xerxes still remained unbroken, if they themselves desired
to maintain it, 138 or whether they were esteemed by him to be enemies;
and king Artoxerxes said that it most certainly remained unbroken, and
that there was no city which he considered to be more his friend than
Argos.
152. Now whether Xerxes did indeed send a herald to Argos saying that
which has been reported, and whether envoys of the Argives who had gone
up to Susa inquired of Artoxerxes concerning friendship, I am not able
to say for certain; nor do I declare any opinion about the matters in
question other than that which the Argives themselves report: but I know
this much, that if all the nations of men should bring together into one
place the evils which they have suffered themselves, desiring to make
exchange with their neighbours, each people of them, when they had
examined closely the evils suffered by their fellows, would gladly carry
away back with them those which they had brought. 139 Thus it is not the
Argives who have acted most basely of all. I however am bound to report
that which is reported, though I am not bound altogether to believe
it; and let this saying be considered to hold good as regards every
narrative in the history: for I must add that this also is reported,
namely that the Argives were actually those who invited the Persian to
invade Hellas, because their war with the Lacedemonians had had an evil
issue, being willing to suffer anything whatever rather than the trouble
which was then upon them.
153. That which concerns the Argives has now been said: and meanwhile
envoys had come to Sicily from the allies, to confer with Gelon, among
whom was also Syagros from the Lacedemonians. Now the ancestor of this
Gelon, he who was at Gela as a settler, 140 was a native of the island
of Telos, which lies off Triopion; and when Gela was founded by the
Lindians of Rhodes and by Antiphemos, he was not left behind. Then in
course of time his descendants became and continued to be priests of the
mysteries of the Earth goddesses, 141 an office which was acquired by
Telines one of their ancestors in the following manner:--certain of the
men of Gela, being worsted in a party struggle, had fled to Mactorion,
the city which stands above Gela: these men Telines brought back to Gela
from exile with no force of men but only with the sacred rites of these
goddesses; but from whom he received them, or whether he obtained them
for himself, 142 this I am not able to say; trusting in these
however, he brought the men back from exile, on the condition that his
descendants should be priests of the mysteries of the goddesses. To me
it has caused wonder also that Telines should have been able to perform
so great a deed, considering that which I am told; for such deeds, I
think, are not apt to proceed from every man, but from one who has a
brave spirit and manly vigour, whereas Telines is said by the dwellers
in Sicily to have been on the contrary a man of effeminate character and
rather poor spirit.
154. He then had thus obtained the privilege of which I speak: and when
Cleander the son of Pantares brought his life to an end, having been
despot of Gela for seven years and being killed at last by Sabyllos a
man of Gela, then Hippocrates succeeded to the monarchy, who was
brother of Cleander. And while Hippocrates was despot, Gelon, who was a
descendant of Telines the priest of the mysteries, was spearman of the
guard 143 to Hippocrates with many others and among them Ainesidemos the
son of Pataicos. Then after no long time he was appointed by reason
of valour to be commander of the whole cavalry; for when Hippocrates
besieged successively the cities of Callipolis, Naxos, Zancle, Leontini,
and also Syracuse and many towns of the Barbarians, in these wars Gelon
showed himself a most brilliant warrior; and of the cities which I
just now mentioned, not one except Syracuse escaped being reduced to
subjection by Hippocrates: the Syracusans however, after they had been
defeated in battle at the river Eloros, were rescued by the Corinthians
and Corcyreans; these rescued them and brought the quarrel to a
settlement on this condition, namely that the Syracusans should deliver
up Camarina to Hippocrates. Now Camarina used in ancient time to belong
to the men of Syracuse.
155. Then when it was the fate of Hippocrates also, after having been
despot for the same number of years as his brother Cleander, to be
killed at the city of Hybla, whither he had gone on an expedition
against the Sikelians, then Gelon made a pretence of helping the sons
of Hippocrates, Eucleides and Cleander, when the citizens were no longer
willing to submit; but actually, when he had been victorious in a battle
over the men of Gela, he robbed the sons of Hippocrates of the power and
was ruler himself. After this stroke of fortune Gelon restored those of
the Syracusans who were called "land-holders," 144 after they had been
driven into exile by the common people and by their own slaves, who
were called Kyllyrians, 145 these, I say, he restored from the city of
Casmene to Syracuse, and so got possession of this last city also, for
the common people of Syracuse, when Gelon came against them, delivered
up to him their city and themselves.
156. So after he had received Syracuse into his power, he made less
account of Gela, of which he was ruler also in addition, and he gave
it in charge to Hieron his brother, while he proceeded to strengthen
Syracuse. So forthwith that city rose and shot up to prosperity; for in
the first place he brought all those of Camarina to Syracuse and made
them citizens, and razed to the ground the city of Camarina; then
secondly he did the same to more than half of the men of Gela, as he had
done to those of Camarina: and as regards the Megarians of Sicily, when
they were besieged and had surrendered by capitulation, the well-to-do
men 146 of them, though they had stirred up war with him and expected
to be put to death for this reason, he brought to Syracuse and made them
citizens, but the common people of the Megarians, who had no share in
the guilt of this war and did not expect that they would suffer any
evil, these also he brought to Syracuse and sold them as slaves to be
carried away from Sicily: and the same thing he did moreover to the men
of Euboia in Sicily, making a distinction between them: and he dealt
thus with these two cities because he thought that a body of commons was
a most unpleasant element in the State.
157. In the manner then which has been described Gelon had become a
powerful despot; and at this time when the envoys of the Hellenes had
arrived at Syracuse, they came to speech with him and said as follows:
"The Lacedemonians and their allies sent us to get thee to be on our
side against the Barbarian; for we suppose that thou art certainly
informed of him who is about to invade Hellas, namely that a Persian
is designing to bridge over the Hellespont, and to make an expedition
against Hellas, leading against us out of Asia all the armies of the
East, under colour of marching upon Athens, but in fact meaning to bring
all Hellas to subjection under him. Do thou therefore, seeing that 147
thou hast attained to a great power and hast no small portion of Hellas
for thy share, being the ruler of Sicily, come to the assistance of
those who are endeavouring to free Hellas, and join in making her free;
for if all Hellas be gathered together in one, it forms a great body,
and we are made a match in fight for those who are coming against us;
but if some of us go over to the enemy and others are not willing to
help, and the sound portion of Hellas is consequently small, there is at
once in this a danger that all Hellas may fall to ruin. For do not thou
hope that if the Persian shall overcome us in battle he will not come
to thee, but guard thyself against this beforehand; for in coming to
our assistance thou art helping thyself; and the matter which is wisely
planned has for the most part a good issue afterwards."
158. The envoys spoke thus; and Gelon was very vehement with them,
speaking to them as follows: "Hellenes, a selfish speech is this, with
which ye have ventured to come and invite me to be your ally against the
Barbarian; whereas ye yourselves, when I in former time requested of you
to join with me in fighting against an army of Barbarians, contention
having arisen between me and the Carthaginians, and when I charged you
to exact vengeance of the men of Egesta for the death of Dorieos the son
of Anaxandrides, 148 while at the same time I offered to help in setting
free the trading-places, from which great advantages and gains have
been reaped by you,--ye, I say, then neither for my own sake came to my
assistance, nor in order to exact vengeance for the death of Dorieos;
and, so far as ye are concerned, all these parts are even now under the
rule of Barbarians. But since it turned out well for us and came to a
better issue, now that the war has come round and reached you, there has
at last arisen in your minds a recollection of Gelon. However, though I
have met with contempt at your hands, I will not act like you; but I am
prepared to come to your assistance, supplying two hundred triremes
and twenty thousand hoplites, with two thousand horsemen, two thousand
bowmen, two thousand slingers and two thousand light-armed men to run
beside the horsemen; and moreover I will undertake to supply corn for
the whole army of the Hellenes, until we have finished the war. These
things I engage to supply on this condition, namely that I shall be
commander and leader of the Hellenes against the Barbarian; but on any
other condition I will neither come myself nor will I send others."
159. Hearing this Syagros could not contain himself but spoke these
words: "Deeply, I trow, would Agamemnon son of Pelops lament, 149 if he
heard that the Spartans had had the leadership taken away from them by
Gelon and by the Syracusans. Nay, but make thou no further mention of
this condition, namely that we should deliver the leadership to thee;
but if thou art desirous to come to the assistance of Hellas, know that
thou wilt be under the command of the Lacedemonians; and if thou dost
indeed claim not to be under command, come not thou to our help at all."
160. To this Gelon, seeing that the speech of Syagros was adverse, set
forth to them his last proposal thus: "Stranger from Sparta, reproaches
sinking into the heart of a man are wont to rouse his spirit in anger
against them; thou however, though thou hast uttered insults against me
in thy speech, wilt not bring me to show myself unseemly in my reply.
But whereas ye so strongly lay claim to the leadership, it were fitting
that I should lay claim to it more than ye, seeing that I am the leader
of an army many times as large and of ships many more. Since however
this condition is so distasteful to you, 150 we will recede somewhat
from our former proposal. Suppose that ye should be leaders of
the land-army and I of the fleet; or if it pleases you to lead the
sea-forces, I am willing to be leader of those on land; and either ye
must be contented with these terms or go away without the alliance which
I have to give."
161. Gelon, I say, made these offers, and the envoy of the Athenians,
answering before that of the Lacedemonians, replied to him as follows:
"O king of the Syracusans, it was not of a leader that Hellas was in
want when it sent us to thee, but of an army. Thou however dost not set
before us the hope that thou wilt send an army, except thou have the
leadership of Hellas; and thou art striving how thou mayest become
commander of the armies of Hellas. So long then as it was thy demand to
be leader of the whole army of the Hellenes, it was sufficient for us
Athenians to keep silence, knowing that the Lacedemonian would be able
to make defence even for us both; but now, since being repulsed from the
demand for the whole thou art requesting to be commander of the naval
force, we tell that thus it is:--not even if the Lacedemonian shall
permit thee to be commander of it, will we permit thee; for this at
least is our own, if the Lacedemonians do not themselves desire to have
it. With these, if they desire to be the leaders, we do not contend;
but none others beside ourselves shall we permit to be in command of
the ships: for then to no purpose should we be possessors of a
sea-force larger than any other which belongs to the Hellenes, if, being
Athenians, we should yield the leadership to Syracusans, we who boast of
a race which is the most ancient of all and who are of all the Hellenes
the only people who have not changed from one land to another; to whom
also belonged a man whom Homer the Epic poet said was the best of all
who came to Ilion in drawing up an army and setting it in array. 151
Thus we are not justly to be reproached if we say these things."
162. To this Gelon made answer thus: "Stranger of Athens, it would seem
that ye have the commanders, but that ye will not have the men to be
commanded. Since then ye will not at all give way, but desire to
have the whole, it were well that ye should depart home as quickly as
possible and report to the Hellenes that the spring has been taken out
of their year." Now this is the meaning of the saying:--evidently the
spring is the noblest part of the year; and so he meant to say that
his army was the noblest part of the army of the Hellenes: for Hellas
therefore, deprived of his alliance, it was, he said, as if the spring
had been taken out of the year. 152
163. The envoys of the Hellenes, having thus had conference with Gelon,
sailed away; and Gelon upon this, fearing on the one hand about the
Hellenes, lest they should not be able to overcome the Barbarian, and
on the other hand considering it monstrous and not to be endured that
he should come to Peloponnesus and be under the command of the
Lacedemonians, seeing that he was despot of Sicily, gave up the thought
of this way and followed another: for so soon as he was informed that
the Persian had crossed over the Hellespont, he sent Cadmos the son of
Skythes, a man of Cos, with three fifty-oared galleys to Delphi, bearing
large sums of money and friendly proposals, to wait there and see how
the battle would fall out: and if the Barbarian should be victorious,
he was to give him the money and also to offer him earth and water
from those over whom Gelon had rule; but if the Hellenes should be
victorious, he was bidden to bring it back.