a smaller history of greece-第14部分

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heir　fleet　was　ranged　behind　them　on　the　beach。　　The　Athenians　occupied　the　rising　ground　above　the　plain；　and　extended　from　one　side　of　the　plain　to　the　other。　　This　arrangement　was　necessary　in　order　to　protect　their　flanks　by　the　mountains　on　each　side；　and　to　prevent　the　cavalry　from　passing　round　to　attack　them　in　rear。　　But　so　large　a　breadth　of　ground　could　not　be　occupied　with　a　small　a　number　of　men　without　weakening　some　portion　of　the　line。　　Miltiades；　therefore；　drew　up　the　troops　in　the　centre　in　shallow　files；　and　resolved　to　rely　for　success　upon　the　stronger　and　deeper　masses　of　his　wings。　　The　right　wing；　which　was　the　post　of　honour　in　a　Grecian　army；　was　commanded　by　the　Polemarch　Callimachus；　the　hoplites　were　arranged　in　the　order　of　their　tribes；　so　that　the　members　of　the　same　tribe　fought　by　each　other's　side；　and　at　the　extreme　left　stood　the　Plataeans。

Miltiades；　anxious　to　come　to　close　quarters　as　speedily　as　possible；　ordered　his　soldiers　to　advance　at　a　running　step　over　the　mile　of　ground　which　separated　them　from　the　foe。　　Both　the　Athenian　wings　were　successful；　and　drove　the　enemy　before　them　towards　the　shore　and　the　marshes。　　But　the　Athenian　centre　was　broken　by　the　Persians；　and　compelled　to　take　to　flight。　Miltiades　thereupon　recalled　his　wings　from　pursuit；　and　charged　the　Persian　centre。　　The　latter　could　not　withstand　this　combined　attack。　　The　rout　now　became　general　along　the　whole　Persian　line；　and　they　fled　to　their　ships；　pursued　by　the　Athenians。

The　Persians　lost　6400　men　in　this　memorable　engagement：　　of　the　Athenians　only　192　fell。　　The　aged　tyrant　Hippias　is　said　to　have　perished　in　the　battle；　and　the　brave　Polemarch　Callimachus　was　also　one　of　the　slain。　　The　Persians　embarked　and　sailed　away　to　Asia。　　Their　departure　was　hailed　at　Athens　with　one　unanimous　burst　of　heartfelt　joy。　　Marathon　became　a　magic　word　at　Athens。　The　Athenian　people　in　succeeding　ages　always　looked　back　upon　this　day　as　the　most　glorious　in　their　annals；　and　never　tired　of　hearing　its　praises　sounded　by　their　orators　and　poets。　　And　they　had　reason　to　be　proud　of　it。　　It　was　the　first　time　that　the　Greeks　had　ever　defeated　the　Persians　in　the　field。　　It　was　the　exploit　of　the　Athenians　alone。　　It　had　saved　not　only　Athens　but　all　Greece。　　If　the　Persians　had　conquered　at　Marathon；　Greece　must；　in　all　likelihood；　have　become　a　Persian　province；　the　destinies　of　the　world　would　have　been　changed；　and　oriental　despotism　might　still　have　brooded　over　the　fairest　countries　of　Europe。

The　one　hundred　and　ninety…two　Athenians　who　had　perished　in　the　battle　were　buried　on　the　field；　and　over　their　remains　a　tumulus　or　mound　was　erected；　which　may　still　be　seen　about　half　a　mile　from　the　sea。

Shortly　after　the　battle　Miltiades　requested　of　the　Athenians　a　fleet　of　seventy　ships；　without　telling　them　the　object　of　his　expedition；　but　only　promising　to　enrich　the　state。　　Such　unbounded　confidence　did　the　Athenians　repose　in　the　hero　of　Marathon；　that　they　at　once　complied　with　his　demand。　　This　confidence　Miltiades　abused。　　In　order　to　gratify　a　private　animosity　against　one　of　the　leading　citizens　of　Paros；　he　sailed　to　this　island　and　laid　siege　to　the　town。　　The　citizens　repelled　all　his　attacks；　and　having　received　a　dangerous　injury　on　his　thigh；　he　was　compelled　to　raise　the　siege　and　return　to　Athens。　Loud　was　the　indignation　against　Miltiades　on　his　return。　　He　was　accused　by　Xanthippus；　the　father　of　Pericles；　of　having　deceived　the　people；　and　was　brought　to　trial。　　His　wound　had　already　begun　to　show　symptoms　of　gangrene。　　He　was　carried　into　court　on　a　couch；　and　there　lay　before　the　assembled　judges；　while　his　friends　pleaded　on　his　behalf。　　They　could　offer　no　excuse　for　his　recent　conduct；　but　they　reminded　the　Athenians　of　the　services　he　had　rendered；　and；　begged　them　to　spare　the　victor　of　Marathon。　　The　judges　were　not　insensible　to　this　appeal；　and　instead　of　condemning　him　to　death　as　the　accuser　had　demanded；　they　commuted　the　penalty　to　a　fine　of　fifty　talents。　　Miltiades　was　unable　immediately　to　raise　this　sum　and　died　soon　afterwards　of　his　wound。　　The　fine　was　subsequently　paid　by　his　son　Cimon。　The　melancholy　end　of　Miltiades　must　not　blind　us　to　his　offence。　He　had　grossly　abused　the　public　confidence；　and　deserved　his　punishment。　　The　Athenians　did　not　forget　his　services　at　Marathon；　and　it　was　their　gratitude　towards　him　which　alone　saved　him　from　death。

Soon　after　the　battle　of　Marathon　a　war　broke　out　between　Athens　and　AEgina。　　This　war　is　of　great　importance　in　Grecian　history；　since　to　it　the　Athenians　were　indebted　for　their　navy；　which　enabled　them　to　save　Greece　at　Salamis　as　they　had　already　done　at　Marathon。　　AEgina　was　one　of　the　chief　maritime　powers　in　Greece；　and　accordingly　Themistocles　urged　the　Athenians　to　build　and　equip　a　large　and　powerful　fleet；　without　which　it　was　impossible　for　them　to　humble　their　rival。　　There　was　at　this　time　a　large　surplus　in　the　public　treasury；　arising　from　the　produce　of　the　silver…mines　at　Laurium。　　It　had　been　recently　proposed　to　distribute　this　surplus　among　the　Athenian　citizens；　but　Themistocles　persuaded　them　to　sacrifice　their　private　advantage　to　the　public　good；　and　to　appropriate　the　money　to　building　a　fleet　of　200　ships。

The　two　leading　citizens　of　Athens　at　this　period　were　Themistocles　and　Aristides。　　These　two　eminent　men　formed　a　striking　contrast　to　each　other。　　Themistocles　possessed　abilities　of　the　most　extraordinary　kind；　but　they　were　marred　by　a　want　of　honesty。　　Aristides　was　inferior　to　Themistocles　in　ability；　but　was　incomparably　superior　to　him　in　honesty　and　integrity。　　His　uprightness　and　justice　were　so　universally　acknowledged　that　he　received　the　surname　of　the　〃Just。〃　Themistocles　was　the　leader　of　the　democratical；　and　Aristides　of　the　conservative　party　at　Athens。　　After　three　or　four　years　of　bitter　rivalry；　the　two　chiefs　appealed　to　the　ostracism；　and　Aristides　was　banished　（B。C。　483）。　　We　are　told　that　an　unlettered　countryman　gave　his　vote　against　Aristides　at　the　ostracism；　because　he　was　tired　of　hearing　him　always　called　the　Just。



CHAPTER　VIII。

THE　PERSIAN　WARS。THE　BATTLES　OF　THERMOPYLAE；　SALAMIS；　AND　PLATAEA；　B。C。　480…479。

The　defeat　of　the　Persians　at　Marathon　served　only　to　increase　the　resentment　of　Darius。　　He　now　resolved　to　collect　the　whole　forces　of　his　empire；　and　to　lead　them　in　person　against　Athens。　For　three　years　busy　preparations　were　made　throughout　his　vast　dominions。　　In　the　fourth　year　his　attention　was　distracted　by　a　revolt　of　the　Egyptians；　and　before　he　could　reduce　them　to　subjection　he　was　surprised　by　death；　after　a　reign　of　37　years　（B。C。　485）。　　Xerxes；　the　son　and　successor　of　Darius；　had　received　the　education　of　an　eastern　despot；　and　been　surrounded　with　slaves　from　his　cradle。　　In　person　he　was　the　tallest　and　handsomest　man　amidst　the　vast　hosts　which　he　led　against　Greece；　but　there　was　nothing　in　his　mind　to　correspond　to　this　fair　exterior。　　His　character　was　marked　by　faint…hearted　timidity　and　childish　vanity。　　Xerxes　had　not　inherited　his　father's　animosity　against　Greece；　but　he　was　surrounded　by　men　who　urged　him　to　continue　the　enterprise。　　Foremost　among　these　was　Mardonius；　who　was　eager　to　retrieve　his　reputation；　and　to　obtain　the　conquered　country　as　a　satrapy　for　himself　after　subduing　Egypt　（B。C。　484）；　Xerxes　began　to　make　preparations　for　the　invasion　of　Greece。　For　four　years　the　din　of　preparation　sounded　throughout　Asia。　Troops　were　collected　from　every　quarter　of　the　Persian　empire；　and　were　ordered　to　assemble　in　Cappadocia。　　As　many　as　forty…six　different　nations　composed　the　land…force；　of　various　complexions；　languages；　dresses；　and　arms。　　Meantime　Xerxes　ordered　a　bridge　to　be　thrown　across　the　Hellespont；　that　his　army　might　march　from　Asia　into　Europe：　　and　he　likewise　gave　directions　that　a　canal　should　be　cut　through　the　isthmus　of　Mount　Athos；　in　order　to　avoid　the　necessity　of　doubling　this　dangerous　promontory；　where　the　fleet　of　Mardonius　had　suffered　shipwreck。　　The　making　of　this　canal；　which　was　about　a　mile　and　a　half　long　employed　a　number　of　men　for　three　years。

In　the　spring　of　B。C。　480　Xerxes　set　out　from　Sardis　with　his　vast　host。　　Upon　reaching　Abydos　on　the　Hellespont　the　army　crossed　over　to　Europe　by　the　bridge　of　boats。　　Xerxes　surveyed　the　scene　from　a　marble　throne。　　His　heart　swelled　within　him　at　the　sight　of　such　a　vast　assemblage　of　human　beings；　but　his　feelings　of　pride　and　pleasure　soon　gave　way　to　sadness；　and　he　burst　into　tears　at　the　reflection　that　in　a　hundred　years　not　one　of　them　would　be　alive。　　Xerxes　continued　his　march　through　Europe　along　the　coast　of　Thrace。　　Upon　arriving　at　the　spacious　plain　of　Doriscus；　which　is　traversed　by　the　river　Hebrus；　he　resolved　to　number　his　forces。　　He　found　that　the　whole　armament；　both　military　and　naval；　consisted　of　2；317；610　men。　　In　his　march　from　Doriscus　to　Thermopylae　he　received　a　still　further　accession　of　strength；　and　accordingly　when　he　reached　Thermopylae　the　land　and　sea　forces　amounted　to　2；641；610　fighting　men。　　The　attendants　are　said　to　have　been　more　in　number　than　the　fighting　men；　but　if　they　were　only　equa