the history-第145章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


n　he　settled　at　Tegea　in　Arcadia；　from　which　place　he　made　his　many　offerings　of　statues　to　the　shrine　at　Olympia。　　　　　This　account　of　the　Rhegians　and　the　Tarentines　is　a　digression　from　the　story　which　I　was　relating。　To　return…　the　Praesians　say　that　men　of　various　nations　now　flocked　to　Crete；　which　was　stript　of　its　inhabitants；　but　none　came　in　such　numbers　as　the　Grecians。　Three　generations　after　the　death　of　Minos　the　Trojan　war　took　place；　and　the　Cretans　were　not　the　least　distinguished　among　the　helpers　of　Menelaus。　But　on　this　account；　when　they　came　back　from　Troy；　famine　and　pestilence　fell　upon　them；　and　destroyed　both　the　men　and　the　cattle。　Crete　was　a　second　time　stript　of　its　inhabitants；　a　remnant　only　being　left；　who　form；　together　with　fresh　settlers；　the　third　〃Cretan〃　people　by　whom　the　island　has　been　inhabited。　These　were　the　events　of　which　the　Pythoness　now　reminded　the　men　of　Crete；　and　thereby　she　prevented　them　from　giving　the　Greeks　aid；　though　they　wished　to　have　gone　to　their　assistance。　　　　　The　Thessalians　did　not　embrace　the　cause　of　the　Medes　until　they　were　forced　to　do　so；　for　they　gave　plain　proof　that　the　intrigues　of　the　Aleuadae　were　not　at　all　to　their　liking。　No　sooner　did　they　hear　that　the　Persian　was　about　to　cross　over　into　Europe　than　they　despatched　envoys　to　the　Greeks　who　were　met　to　consult　together　at　the　Isthmus；　whither　all　the　states　which　were　well　inclined　to　the　Grecian　cause　had　sent　their　delegates。　These　envoys　on　their　arrival　thus　addressed　their　countrymen：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Greece；　it　behoves　you　to　guard　the　pass　of　Olympus；　for　thus　will　Thessaly　be　placed　in　safety；　as　well　as　the　rest　of　Greece。　We　for　our　parts　are　quite　ready　to　take　our　share　in　this　work；　but　you　must　likewise　send　us　a　strong　force：　otherwise　we　give　you　fair　warning　that　we　shall　make　terms　with　the　Persians。　For　we　ought　not　to　be　left；　exposed　as　we　are　in　front　of　all　the　rest　of　Greece；　to　die　in　your　defence　alone　and　unassisted。　If　however　you　do　not　choose　to　send　us　aid；　you　cannot　force　us　to　resist　the　enemy；　for　there　is　no　force　so　strong　as　inability。　We　shall　therefore　do　our　best　to　secure　our　own　safety。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　declaration　of　the　Thessalians。　　　　　Hereupon　the　Greeks　determined　to　send　a　body　of　foot　to　Thessaly　by　sea；　which　should　defend　the　pass　of　Olympus。　Accordingly　a　force　was　collected；　which　passed　up　the　Euripus；　and　disembarking　at　Alus；　on　the　coast　of　Achaea；　left　the　ships　there；　and　marched　by　land　into　Thessaly。　Here　they　occupied　the　defile　of　Tempe；　which　leads　from　Lower　Macedonia　into　Thessaly　along　the　course　of　the　Peneus；　having　the　range　of　Olympus　on　the　one　hand　and　Ossa　upon　the　other。　In　this　place　the　Greek　force　that　had　been　collected；　amounting　to　about　10；000　heavy…armed　men；　pitched　their　camp；　and　here　they　were　joined　by　the　Thessalian　cavalry。　The　commanders　were；　on　the　part　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　Evaenetus；　the　son　of　Carenus；　who　had　been　chosen　out　of　the　Polemarchs；　but　did　not　belong　to　the　blood　royal；　and　on　the　part　of　the　Athenians　Themistocles；　the　son　of　Neocles。　They　did　not　however　maintain　their　station　for　more　than　a　few　days；　since　envoys　came　from　Alexander；　the　son　of　Amyntas；　the　Macedonian；　and　counselled　them　to　decamp　from　Tempe；　telling　them　that　if　they　remained　in　the　pass　they　would　be　trodden　under　foot　by　the　invading　army；　whose　numbers　they　recounted；　and　likewise　the　multitude　of　their　ships。　So　when　the　envoys　thus　counselled　them；　and　the　counsel　seemed　to　be　good；　and　the　Macedonian　who　sent　it　friendly；　they　did　even　as　he　advised。　In　my　opinion　what　chiefly　wrought　on　them　was　the　fear　that　the　Persians　might　enter　by　another　pass；　whereof　they　now　heard；　which　led　from　Upper　Macedonia　into　Thessaly　through　the　territory　of　the　Perrhaebi；　and　by　the　town　of　Gonnus…　the　pass　by　which　soon　afterwards　the　army　of　Xerxes　actually　made　its　entrance。　The　Greeks　therefore　went　back　to　their　ships　and　sailed　away　to　the　Isthmus。　　　　　Such　were　the　circumstances　of　the　expedition　into　Thessaly；　they　took　place　when　the　king　was　at　Abydos；　preparing　to　pass　from　Asia　into　Europe。　The　Thessalians；　when　their　allies　forsook　them；　no　longer　wavered；　but　warmly　espoused　the　side　of　the　Medes；　and　afterwards；　in　the　course　of　the　war；　they　were　of　the　very　greatest　service　to　Xerxes。　　　　　The　Greeks；　on　their　return　to　the　Isthmus；　took　counsel　together　concerning　the　words　of　Alexander；　and　considered　where　they　should　fix　the　war；　and　what　places　they　should　occupy。　The　opinion　which　prevailed　was　that　they　should　guard　the　pass　of　Thermopylae；　since　it　was　narrower　than　the　Thessalian　defile；　and　at　the　same　time　nearer　to　them。　Of　the　pathway；　by　which　the　Greeks　who　fell　at　Thermopylae　were　intercepted；　they　had　no　knowledge；　until；　on　their　arrival　at　Thermopylae；　it　was　discovered　to　them　by　the　Trachinians。　This　pass　then　it　was　determined　that　they　should　guard；　in　order　to　prevent　the　barbarians　from　penetrating　into　Greece　through　it；　and　at　the　same　time　it　was　resolved　that　the　fleet　should　proceed　to　Artemisium；　in　the　region　of　Histiaeotis；　for；　as　those　places　are　near　to　one　another；　it　would　be　easy　for　the　fleet　and　army　to　hold　communication。　The　two　places　may　be　thus　described。　　　　　Artemisium　is　where　the　sea　of　Thrace　contracts　into　a　narrow　channel；　running　between　the　isle　of　Sciathus　and　the　mainland　of　Magnesia。　When　this　narrow　strait　is　passed　you　come　to　the　line　of　coast　called　Artemisium；　which　is　a　portion　of　Euboea；　and　contains　a　temple　of　Artemis　（Diana）。　As　for　the　entrance　into　Greece　by　Trachis；　it　is；　at　its　narrowest　point；　about　fifty　feet　wide。　This　however　is　not　the　place　where　the　passage　is　most　contracted；　for　it　is　still　narrower　a　little　above　and　a　little　below　Thermopylae。　At　Alpini；　which　is　lower　down　than　that　place；　it　is　only　wide　enough　for　a　single　carriage；　and　up　above；　at　the　river　Phoenix；　near　the　town　called　Anthela；　it　is　the　same。　West　of　Thermopylae　rises　a　lofty　and　precipitous　hill；　impossible　to　climb；　which　runs　up　into　the　chain　of　Oeta；　while　to　the　east　the　road　is　shut　in　by　the　sea　and　by　marshes。　In　this　place　are　the　warm　springs；　which　the　natives　call　〃The　Cauldrons〃；　and　above　them　stands　an　altar　sacred　to　Hercules。　A　wall　had　once　been　carried　across　the　opening；　and　in　this　there　had　of　old　times　been　a　gateway。　These　works　were　made　by　the　Phocians；　through　fear　of　the　Thessalians；　at　the　time　when　the　latter　came　from　Thesprotia　to　establish　themselves　in　the　land　of　Aeolis；　which　they　still　occupy。　As　the　Thessalians　strove　to　reduce　Phocis；　the　Phocians　raised　the　wall　to　protect　themselves；　and　likewise　turned　the　hot　springs　upon　the　pass；　that　so　the　ground　might　be　broken　up　by　watercourses；　using　thus　all　possible　means　to　hinder　the　Thessalians　from　invading　their　country。　The　old　wall　had　been　built　in　very　remote　times；　and　the　greater　part　of　it　had　gone　to　decay　through　age。　Now　however　the　Greeks　resolved　to　repair　its　breaches；　and　here　make　their　stand　against　the　barbarian。　At　this　point　there　is　a　village　very　nigh　the　road；　Alpeni　by　name；　from　which　the　Greeks　reckoned　on　getting　corn　for　their　troops。　　　　　These　places；　therefore；　seemed　to　the　Greeks　fit　for　their　purpose。　Weighing　well　all　that　was　likely　to　happen；　and　considering　that　in　this　region　the　barbarians　could　make　no　use　of　their　vast　numbers；　nor　of　their　cavalry；　they　resolved　to　await　here　the　invader　of　Greece。　And　when　news　reached　them　of　the　Persians　being　in　Pieria；　straightway　they　broke　up　from　the　Isthmus；　and　proceeded；　some　on　foot　to　Thermopylae；　others　by　sea　to　Artemisium。　　　　　The　Greeks　now　made　all　speed　to　reach　the　two　stations；　and　about　the　same　time…　the　Delphians；　alarmed　both　for　themselves　and　for　their　country；　consulted　the　god；　and　received　for　answer　a　command　to　〃pray　to　the　winds；　for　the　winds　would　do　Greece　good　service。〃　So　when　this　answer　was　given　them；　forthwith　the　Delphians　sent　word　of　the　prophecy　to　those　Greeks　who　were　zealous　for　freedom；　and；　cheering　them　thereby　amid　the　fears　which　they　entertained　with　respect　to　the　barbarian；　earned　their　everlasting　gratitude。　This　done；　they　raised　an　alta