Men of Old Greece (Yesterday's Classics) by Hall Jennie

Author:Hall, Jennie [Hall, Jennie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History
ISBN: 9781599152707
Publisher: Yesterday's Classics
Published: 2010-11-09T22:01:40.830000+00:00

ONE OF THE TEMPLES OF POSEIDON

"But Persia!" said Demipho. "Shall we be able to hold out against her? King Xerxes builds a bridge a mile long. He sets his slaves to work, and in a few months he has dug a trench from sea to sea for his ships to sail through. His army has been three years coming together. He has said that he will not rest until he has burned Athens. What can we do against such a king?"

"Themistocles will find a way," replied Milon.

"True," Demipho answered. "What can he not do? He has built a fleet and has turned farmers and merchants into sailors."

The two young men were walking along a country road. Before them stood up the steep Acropolis hill, with its temples. Other hills clustered around it. The houses lay among them. The young men came to the foot of the Pnyx. Streams of men were pouring toward it. All were talking excitedly. The words "Persians," "Xerxes," were spoken often. They all walked up the hill and showed little tickets to the keeper of the gate. Those tickets of sheepskin told that the men who held them had a right to go to the meetings of Athens. So they all passed in.

After the sacrifice, Themistocles went upon the platform to speak.

"Men of Athens," he said, "the Great King is coming. He sits on his throne and sees his army drill. He waits only for the great bridge to be finished. Then he will cross the water into Greece. Again he has sent for earth and water. Some of our neighbors have given them to him. But most Greeks are still freemen. They have sent the messengers home empty-handed. What are those Greek freemen to do? There are a hundred cities and more in Greece. Every one stands alone, a jealous foe of every other. But can they stand so against Persia and her million soldiers? We have enemies in Ægina and in Sparta. Our hearts have been hot with anger against both. But would you have Persians make slaves of Spartans? Would you have Athens safe and see Delphi burned or see Persians run at Olympia? We are all Greeks and brothers. Shall we not stand shoulder to shoulder against Persia? I propose a meeting of all the lovers of Greece. Let it be at Corinth, in the middle of Greece. I move that we send messengers to every city, telling them of this plan."

The men of Athens voted for that motion.

On the day set, the wisest men from those Greek cities came together at Corinth. Themistocles spoke:

"The first thing to say is that we are all friends. There are men here from cities that were once foes of Athens. We are foes no longer. We have enough of them in the Persian camp. This is no time to remember little things. There is only one thing to remember,—Greece."

And those men vowed that all quarrels should stop. Men talked kindly together who had not long ago raised spear against each other.

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