The Good Book by A. C. Grayling

Author:A. C. Grayling [Grayling, A. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: 2011-04-05T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 75

1. Meanwhile the Greek fleet lay at Artemisium, two hundred and seventy ships not counting the penteconters, under the command of the Spartan Eurybiades, son of Eurycleides.

2. A Spartan had been appointed admiral because the allies recognised that if a Lacedaemonian did not take the command, they would break up the fleet, for never would they serve under the Athenians.

3. From the outset, even before the embassy went to Sicily to solicit alliance, there had been a talk of entrusting the Athenians with the command at sea;

4. But the allies were averse to the plan, so the Athenians did not press it, for there was nothing they had so much at heart as the salvation of Greece,

5. And they knew that, if they quarrelled among themselves about the command, Greece would be defeated.

6. In this they were right, for internal strife is a thing as much worse than war carried on by a united people, as war itself is worse than peace.

7. When the Greek fleet arrived at Artemisium, and saw the number of Persian ships at anchor near Aphetae,

8. And the abundance of Xerxes’ troops everywhere, they were full of alarm at what they saw,

9. And began to speak of drawing back from Artemisium towards the inner parts of their country.

10. When the Euboeans heard this, they went to Eurybiades, and begged him to wait while they removed their families to safety.

11. But he refused, so they went to Themistocles, the Athenian commander, to whom they gave a bribe of thirty talents, on his promise that the fleet would remain and risk a battle in defence of Euboea.

12. Themistocles succeeded in keeping the fleet by giving Eurybiades five talents out of the thirty, which he gave as if they came from himself;

13. And having in this way persuaded the admiral, he approached Adeimantus, the son of Ocytus, the Corinthian leader,

14. Who was the only remonstrant now, and who still threatened to sail away from Artemisium and not wait for the other captains.

15. Themistocles said to him, ‘Would you forsake us? By no means! I will pay you better for remaining than the Persian would for leaving your friends,’

16. And immediately sent on board Adeimantus’ ship a present of three talents of silver.

17. So these two captains were won by gifts, and came over to the views of Themistocles, who was thereby able to gratify the Euboeans.

18. He made his own gain on the occasion; for he kept the rest of the money, and no one knew of it. The commanders who took the gifts thought that the sums were furnished by Athens.

19. So it came to pass that the Greeks stayed at Euboea and there gave battle to the enemy. Now the battle took place as follows.

20. The barbarians reached Aphetae early in the afternoon, and then saw, as they had previously heard reported, that a fleet of Greek ships, few in number, lay at Artemisium.

21. At once they were eager to engage, fearing that the Greeks would flee, and hoping to capture them before they could escape.

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