Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners/Part IV/XVI

by George L. Bennett

Layout 2

XVI.—THE SECOND EXPEDITION AGAINST GREECE.

Preparations.

188.—Not even then did Darius desist from the enterprise. For both his attendants kept reminding him to remember the Athenians, and he himself desired to subdue the Greeks. So, after removing Mardonius, who had managed the business badly, from his government, he put Datis and Artaphemes in command of new forces, giving them orders to subdue Athens and Eretria, and to bring thence the slaves they took (lit. the captured slaves) into his presence. These being named (as) generals, enrolled large forces on arriving at the sea—ships also which Darius had got ready the year before, were added for bringing the horses across. The horses having been put on board, and all the infantry forces having been ordered to embark, they set out with 600 triremes.

The voyage.

189.—They held a couise across the Icarian Sea, being especially afraid, as it seems to me, of the voyage round the mountain, in which they had suffered great loss the year before. When after sailing across the Icarian Sea they came to Naxos, all the Naxians fled to the mountains. But the Persians, after reducing to slavery all they could catch (lit. those, whomsoever they might have caught), burnt both the temple and the city. After doing this they proceeded to sail against the remaining

Delos is spared.

190.—Meanwhile (lit while these things are being done), the Delians also left their island and fly to Tenos. But Datis, on arriving in the neighbourhood of Delos with his host, did not allow the fleet to touch at the island; and after ascertaining whither the Delians had betaken themselves, he sent a herald, and made the following proclamation to them: ‘Why do ye retire in flight, ye holy men 1 do not consider me a very wicked man. This has been ordered to me by the Great King, not to injure the country in which these two gods were bom, nor its inhabitants. Wherefore return to your abodes.’ After saying this, he piled 300 talents of frankincense on the altar, and burnt them.

The fulfilmetit of an old prophecy.

191.—After the departure of the Persians from this place, Delos was greatly disturbed and trembled: (a thing) which happened neither before that time, as the Delians affirm, nor afterwards as far as my time. And the god indeed caused this portent, to signify the evils that were overhanging mankind. Now, it is well known that more evils assailed Greece in the reigns of Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes, than during the other twenty generations which existed before Darius. 80 it was not without a reason that Delos was greatly disturbed. It is also

written as follows in a prophecy: ‘And Delos shall I move, though it be hitherto immovable.’ Moreover these three names have their meaning in the Greek language. Darius (means) a ruler; Xerxes, a warrior; Artaxerxes, a great warrior.

State of affairs at Eretria.

192.—But the men of Eretria, when they knew that they were being sought by the Persians, begged the Athenians to send auxiliary forces. So forces were at once sent as an assistance to them. But among the men of Eretria there was no sound counsel Those who had summoned the Athenians were themselves divided between two opinions: for some intended to abandon the city and betake themselves to the higher ground of Euboea: but others, hoping for private gain from the Persians, were preparing to betray the city. On ascertaining this, one of their chiefs begged the Athenians to return home, lest they should perish together with the men of Eretria. So all returned at once to Athens, and escaped the danger.

The taking of Eretria.

193.—But the Persians on arriving at Eretria, having disembarked their forces, attacked the city. The townsmen, indeed, did not dare to sally forth and fight, but it was their care to defend the city, since the opinion that the city should not be abandoned had prevailed. Now, while the wall was being vigorously assailed, many fell on both sides in six days: but on the seventh day some of the citizens betrayed the city to the Persians. And they having entered the city, spoiled the temple and burnt it, repaying this punishment on account of the temple burnt at Sardis; but they, carried off the inhabitants into slavery, as Darius had ordered.

The Persians land in Attica.

194.—After subduing Eretria, the Persians sailed to Attica. And since Marathon was the place best suited for cavalry in the whole of Attica, Hippias, who was formerly tyrant of Athens, ordered them to disembark their forces. He had lived for a long time at the court of Darius, having been expelled from the kingdom by his own citizens. Having ascertained this, the Athenians also went forth themselves to Marathon to meet the enemy. Now, ten generals led them, and of these Miltiades, of whom we have before spoken, was the tenth.

The mission of Phidippides and apparition of the god Pan.

195.—Then, indeed, the herald Phidippides, who was very swift of foot (lit. in running) was sent to Sparta. And, as he himself relates, the god Pan met him, and addressing Phidippides hy name, he bade him bring woid to the Athenians that they had no care for him, although he was most frendly to Athens, and already had often deserved well of them, and in the future also was likely to deserve well of them. So when the war was finished, the Athenians built a temple to Pan and appeased him with annual sacrifices.

Spartan superstition.

196.—Then Phidippides on the day after the day on which he had started from Athens, came to Sparta. Having assembled the chief men he addressed them thus: ‘The Athenians beg of you to come to their assistance (lit. for an assistance to them). Do not allow the most ancient state among the Greeks to be reduced to slavery by the barbarians. For Eretria also has already been sent under the yoke, and a distinguished state has perished.’ When this was said the Spartans resolved indeed to send auxiliary troops for the Athenians, but they were unable to do this at once, since they were unwilling to act against the law. For it was the ninth day of the month. Now, they used to affirm that on the ninth day, and before the moon was full, they would not march forth.

The dream of Hippias, and other omens.

197.—To Hippias, the son of Pisistratus, was vouchsafed the following vision. He seemed to himself to be conversing with his mother: from which dream he had understood he would return to Athens. Then, indeed, performing the duty of leader, he drew up the barbarians (who had) landed. While doing this it happened to him both to sneeze and cough with greater violence than he was wont. And since several of his teeth were loose, because he was now of (somewhat) advanced age, he cast out of his mouth one of his teeth, while coughing, on account of the violence (of the cough). And since it had fallen on to the sand, he showed great eagerness to find it But after the tooth was nowhere seen, uttering a groan, he said : ‘This land is not ours, nor shall we be able to reduce it under our power; for whatever of it belonged to me, that my tooth is holding.’

The Greeks hold a council of war.

198.—Meanwhile the Plataeans came as an assistance to the Athenians. On a council being summoned, the opinions of the generals were divided in two ways; some being unwilling that a battle should be fought (lit. that it should be fought in a battle): but others, and among these Miltiades, thinking that they ought to fight. So when ten generals had spoken, the eleventh remained to vote, he who had been chosen polemarch. Now Callimachus was then polemarch, and Miltiades addressed him as follows.

The speech of Miltiades.

199.—‘It lies (lit is situated) with you now, Callimachus, whether you wish to reduce Athens to slavery, or to leave a memorial of thyself for all ages, by freeing your native land. For we have never been brought into such peril. If we shall be defeated by the Persians, it has been decided what we shall have to suffer after being delivered up to Hippias; but if this state shall have come off successful, I assert that it will be the first of Grecian states. So I shall now tell you how this can be done. The opinions of us generals, who are ten (in number), are divided into two parts: some thinking we should fight, others that we should not. If you be added to my opinion, you will have a free country, and the first state of all Greece; but if you vote for those who advise against battle, you will have the opposite to those advantages which I have mentioned.’

Preparations for the conflict.

200.—Having said this Miltiades won over Callimachus to his opinion; and the vote of the polemarch being added it was agreed that a battle should be fought. Then each of those who among the generals had given it as their opinion that they should fight, gave his turn to Miltiades, when the day came on which he ought to command. Then the Athenians were led out to battle, drawn up as follows: the polemarch, Callimachus, commanded the right wing: for it was then a law among the Athenians that the polemarch should command the right wing. On the left wing stood the Plataeans.

The battle of Marathon.

201.—The line of battle having been thus set in order, when favourable omens had been reported after the victims had been slain, the Athenians, on the signal for battle being given, advanced at a run against the enemy. Then, indeed, the Persians, when they saw the foe coming against them at a run, prepared themselves to receive them. For they said, ‘that the Athenians were mad, and were rushing to destruction, since they (lit. who) were so few, and had neither cavalry nor archers.’ But the Athenians having joined battle (lit. hands) fought a fight worthy of being recorded. For they were the first of all the Greeks who dared to make an attack on the Persians, and were the first to endure the sight of (lit. to see) the uniform of the Medes; since before that day even the name of the Medes had inspired the Greeks with panic. In the centre of the line the barbarians prevailed; who victorious in that part, broke through the line and pursued the fugitives. But on either wing victory remained with the Athenians and Plataeans. And these indeed, letting go the barbarians they had put to flight, attacked those who had broken through their line, and from these also carried off the victory. Then, indeed, they pursued the Persians (when) put to flight, until, coming down to the sea, they attacked their very ships.

The losses on both sides.

202.—In this contest there both perished many other noble Athenians; and Callimachus, the polemarch, was slain, while fighting bravely; (so) also was one of the generals—Stesilaus. And in the same place Cynaegirus, after seizing with his hand the taffrail of a ship, fell, his hand being struck off with an axe. The Athenians, however, got possession of seven vessels. Of the Persians, there fell in the hattle of Marathon ahout 6,400; but of the Athenians, 192.

A supernatural combatant.

203.—Now there happened a wonderful thing of this sort. Epizelus, an Athenian citizen, standiiig in line of battle, and fighting bravely, was deprived of the use of his eyes, (though) neither wounded in any part of his body at close quarters, nor struck from a distance; and from that time he remained blind for the rest of his life. Moreover, they relate that he himself told this about this loss: ‘That it seemed to him that an armed man stood opposite to him, whose beard covered the whole of his shield: but that this spectre passed by him and slew the man next him.’ I have heard that Epizelus was wont to tell this story.

The Persians attempt to surprise Athens.

204.—But the barbarians sailed round Sunium with the rest of their ships, desiring to reach the city before the Athenians should have returned. But while the Persians are sailing to Sunium, the Athenians, running back to the city as fast as they could, reached it before the Persians came. But the barbarians, after keeping their fleet at sea for some time before Phalerum, which was a harbour belonging to the Athenians, sailed back to Asia. So the barbarians were again disappointed while trying to get possession of Greece.