OF THE FLIGHT OF XERXES.
When King Xerxes perceived what damage his ships had suffered he
resolved that he would flee without delay to Persia. Yet, to hide this
purpose, he made as if he would carry on the war, making a mound across
the channel that is between Salamis and the mainland, and doing other
things. But though he deceived others he did not deceive Mardonius.
In the meanwhile he sent a messenger to Susa, whither he had before
sent the tidings of how he was master of Athens, and as before the
people had rejoiced, strewing myrtle boughs in the streets, and burning
incense, and feasting and making merry, so now they were greatly
troubled, rending their garments, and making much ado with weeping and
wailing. Nor was it for the damage of the ship that they lamented, but
for fear lest the King himself should suffer harm. Nor would they be
comforted till he came back in safety.
Now when Mardonius saw that the King purposed to flee, fearing lest he
should suffer punishment for that he had advised the marching against
Greece, he made this resolve, that either he would himself conquer
Greece--and this indeed he hoped to do--or perish honorably. Wherefore
he said to Xerxes, “Trouble not thyself overmuch, O master, for this
loss that has befallen us; for these fellows, whom thou thinkest to
have conquered us, will not dare to stand against us. And, if we wish,
we may deal with them without delay, or, if we will, we may wait
awhile. But if, O King, thou art minded to depart straightway, hear my
counsel. Make not thy Persians a laughing-stock to the Greeks. For if
the Phœnicians and Egyptians and the like have played the coward, yet
have not the Persians so done. Depart then, therefore, if thou art so
minded, but let me choose out three hundred thousand men of the army,
with whom I may conquer these Greeks.”
Xerxes when he heard these words was very glad, and made answer to
Mardonius that he would deliberate about these things. And because
before Artemisia only had perceived what should be done, he sent
for her, and when she was come, sent away his other counselors, and
inquired of her what he should do, setting before her the counsel of
Mardonius. To this she made answer in these words: “I counsel thee to
depart straightway, O King. And if Mardonius promises to conquer Greece
for thee, let him stay behind and do it. For if he succeed, thine will
be the gain; and if he fail, there will follow no great damage, so that
thou and thy house be safe. For of a surety, so long as these remain,
the Greeks will often be in peril of their lives. And if they prevail
over this Mardonius, he is nothing more than thy slave.” This counsel
seemed very good to the King, being altogether to his mind, and if
all the men and women in the world had counseled him to remain, hardly
would he have done it, so terrified was he. He commended therefore
Artemisia, and sent her on to Ephesus with certain of his children in
her charge, in which charge was joined also one Hermotimus of Pedasus.
The people of Pedasus say that when a mischance is about to befall any
of their neighbors the priestess of Athene in their city has a beard,
and that this has happened twice.
The next day Xerxes commanded the ships to sail with all speed to the
Hellespont, that they might guard the bridges against his coming. So
they departed; and sailing by Cape Zoster, where certain rocks jut out
from the land, they took the rocks for ships, and fled far away. But
afterward, when they knew the truth, they gathered themselves together
again.
For awhile the Greeks, seeing the army of the barbarians in the same
place, supposed that the ships also remained, and made ready for
battle. But when they knew the truth, they pursued after them; but
having sailed as far as Andros, and not seeing them, they held a
council of war. Then Themistocles would have had them make with all
speed for the Hellespont that they might break down the bridges, but
Eurybiades was of the contrary opinion, saying, “There can no worse
thing befall the Greeks than that we should break down the bridges. For
if the Persians be thus cut off and driven to remain, see what will
follow. If they be quiet they must come to ruin, for their host will
perish of hunger; but if they bestir themselves they will conquer all
Europe, city by city, and for food they will have our harvests. Now,
indeed, because his ships have been vanquished, he is minded to depart;
and this we should suffer him to do. Only when he has departed, we may,
if we will, strive with him for the mastery of his own country.”
To this counsel the other leaders of the Peloponnesians consented. And
when Themistocles saw that he could not persuade them, he changed his
purpose, and said to the Athenians, for these were vexed beyond all
the rest that the Persians were suffered to escape, “Often have I seen
with my own eyes or heard from others that men having been worsted and
driven to despair have recovered their own and become conquerors in
their turn. Now we have found great good fortune, saving ourselves and
Greece from this mighty host of men. Let us therefore be content and
not pursue them when they flee. For we have not done this of our own
might. The Gods and the heroes have done it, having jealousy that one
man should be lord both of Asia and Europe, and he, too, a destroyer of
images and temples, and that scourged the sea and threw fetters into
it. Let us, therefore, now that the barbarians have departed, return
each man to his home and sow our land, and in the spring will we sail
to the Hellespont!”
With these words he persuaded the Athenians; but he did it that he
might bind the King to him by this service, desiring to have a
refuge, if any evil should come upon him at Athens. Wherefore he sent
certain men to Attica, faithful men that would not betray him even
under torture, and among them the man Sicinnus. This Sicinnus went to
the King and said, “Themistocles the Athenian, wishing to do thee a
service, has sent me to tell thee that he has restrained the Greeks who
would have broken the bridges of the Hellespont, and that thou mayest
return at thy leisure.”
After this the Greeks laid siege to Andros. For Themistocles had
demanded money of this city for the Greeks, saying, “You must needs pay
the money, for we come bringing with us two great gods, even Persuasion
and Necessity.” But the Andrians made answer, “Well may Athens be great
and happy, seeing that it has such gods; but we have two that are
unprofitable, yet dwell with us and will not leave us, even Poverty
and Helplessness.” For this cause the Greeks besieged their city. As
for Themistocles, he ceased not to get riches for himself, without the
knowledge of the others, taking money from the islanders and others
that the fleet should not sail against them.
Meanwhile Mardonius chose out of the host such as he would have for
his army. All the Immortals he chose, save Hydarnes, who was not
willing to leave the King, and such of the Persians as wore corslets,
and the thousand horsemen, and the Medes and the Sacæ and Bactrians
and the Indians, both horse and foot. These nations he took wholly,
and out of the rest of the host he chose such as excelled in stature
or had done some valiant deed. The number was three hundred thousand
in all. This choosing was done in Thessaly; and before it was finished
there came a herald from Sparta, seeking satisfaction from the King for
the death of Leonidas and his companions, for the god at Delphi had
bidden the Spartans seek for it. The herald stood before Xerxes and
said, “King of the Medes, the Spartans and the sons of Hercules ask of
thee satisfaction for blood-guiltiness, because thou didst slay their
King Leonidas when he defended Greece.” The King laughed; but after a
while he pointed to Mardonius, who chanced to be present, and said,
“This man will give such satisfaction as is due.” And the herald said,
“I accept the satisfaction,” and so departed.
After this Xerxes, leaving Mardonius in Thessaly, made for the
Hellespont with all haste. In forty and five days he came to it, having
but a small part of his army. These had laid their hands on all the
corn in the countries through which they passed; and where corn was
wanting they had devoured the bark and the leaves of all manner of
trees, leaving nothing at all, so that many died of sundry diseases,
and some were left behind sick in the cities on the way. When they came
to the Hellespont they found the bridges broken, and crossed over in
ships as they best could. And many, when they had abundance of food and
drink, using these without measure, so died.
There is told another tale of the flight of Xerxes. He left Hydarnes,
it is said, to have charge of the army, and himself embarked on a
Phœnician ship, and so sailed to Asia. But as he sailed there fell
upon the ship a great wind from the north; and, being overladen, it
was ready to sink, for there were many Persians with the King upon the
deck. Then Xerxes cried aloud to the helmsman, saying, “Is there any
help?” And the helmsman answered, “There is no help except we be rid
of these many passengers.” Then said Xerxes to the Persians, “Let now
any that will, show that he cares for his King, for my life is in your
hands.” Then the Persians made obeisance to him and leaped into the
sea; so the ship being lightened came safe to Asia. And when Xerxes
was come to the shore he dealt thus with the helmsman. For that he had
saved the life of the King he gave him a crown of gold; but for that
he had caused the death of many Persians, he commanded that he should
be beheaded. But this story is scarcely to be believed. For why did
not the King rather send down these Persians, being the first men in
the realm, into the lower part of the ship, and cause the like number
of rowers, being Phœnicians, to leap into the sea? But in truth Xerxes
returned by way of the land, whereof we have a proof that he passed
through Abdera, and making a covenant with the people of that city,
gave them a cimeter of gold and a turban broidered with gold.
And now the Greeks were assembled at the Isthmus that they might
adjudge the prize of valor to him that of all the Greeks had shown
himself most worthy in the war. The captains then being met laid
their votes on the altar of Poseidon, a vote for the first place and a
vote for the second. Each man gave the first place to himself, but the
greater part gave the second to Themistocles. But though the captains
could not agree for jealousy, yet was Themistocles commonly reported
among the Greeks to have shown himself by far the wisest man of all
in the war. And when he went to Sparta the Spartans received him with
great honor. The prize of valor, indeed, which was a crown of olive,
they gave to Eurybiades; but the prize of wisdom and dexterity, also
a crown of olive, they gave to Themistocles. Also they gave him the
fairest chariot that was in all Sparta; and when he departed three
hundred chosen men, that are called the Knights, went with him so far
as the borders of Tegea. Nor has any man, save Themistocles only, been
so sent out of their country by the Spartans.
When he came back to Athens a certain citizen of Aphidnæ, that came
from Belbis, being his enemy, a man of no repute, reproached him,
saying, “Thou hast these honors from the Spartans for Athens’ sake, not
for thine own.” And when the man said this many times, Themistocles
answered him, “Surely I had not been so honored had I been of Belbis,
nor thou hadst thou been of Athens.”