the history-第149章

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nd　called　to　his　presence　Demaratus　the　son　of　Ariston；　who　still　remained　with　the　army。　When　he　appeared；　Xerxes　told　him　all　that　he　had　heard；　and　questioned　him　concerning　the　news；　since　he　was　anxious　to　understand　the　meaning　of　such　behaviour　on　the　part　of　the　Spartans。　Then　Demaratus　said…　　　　　〃I　spake　to　thee；　O　king！　concerning　these　men　long　since；　when　we　had　but　just　begun　our　march　upon　Greece；　thou；　however；　didst　only　laugh　at　my　words；　when　I　told　thee　of　all　this；　which　I　saw　would　come　to　pass。　Earnestly　do　I　struggle　at　all　times　to　speak　truth　to　thee；　sire；　and　now　listen　to　it　once　more。　These　men　have　come　to　dispute　the　pass　with　us；　and　it　is　for　this　that　they　are　now　making　ready。　'Tis　their　custom；　when　they　are　about　to　hazard　their　lives；　to　adorn　their　heads　with　care。　Be　assured；　however；　that　if　thou　canst　subdue　the　men　who　are　here　and　the　Lacedaemonians　who　remain　in　Sparta；　there　is　no　other　nation　in　all　the　world　which　will　venture　to　lift　a　hand　in　their　defence。　Thou　hast　now　to　deal　with　the　first　kingdom　and　town　in　Greece；　and　with　the　bravest　men。〃　　　　　Then　Xerxes；　to　whom　what　Demaratus　said　seemed　altogether　to　surpass　belief；　asked　further　〃how　it　was　possible　for　so　small　an　army　to　contend　with　his？〃　　　　　〃O　king！〃　Demaratus　answered；　〃let　me　be　treated　as　a　liar；　if　matters　fall　not　out　as　I　say。〃　　　　　But　Xerxes　was　not　persuaded　any　the　more。　Four　whole　days　he　suffered　to　go　by；　expecting　that　the　Greeks　would　run　away。　When；　however；　he　found　on　the　fifth　that　they　were　not　gone；　thinking　that　their　firm　stand　was　mere　impudence　and　recklessness；　he　grew　wroth；　and　sent　against　them　the　Medes　and　Cissians；　with　orders　to　take　them　alive　and　bring　them　into　his　presence。　Then　the　Medes　rushed　forward　and　charged　the　Greeks；　but　fell　in　vast　numbers：　others　however　took　the　places　of　the　slain；　and　would　not　be　beaten　off；　though　they　suffered　terrible　losses。　In　this　way　it　became　clear　to　all；　and　especially　to　the　king；　that　though　he　had　plenty　of　combatants；　he　had　but　very　few　warriors。　The　struggle；　however；　continued　during　the　whole　day。　　　　　Then　the　Medes；　having　met　so　rough　a　reception；　withdrew　from　the　fight；　and　their　place　was　taken　by　the　band　of　Persians　under　Hydarnes；　whom　the　king　called　his　〃Immortals〃：　they；　it　was　thought；　would　soon　finish　the　business。　But　when　they　joined　battle　with　the　Greeks；　'twas　with　no　better　success　than　the　Median　detachment…　things　went　much　as　before…　the　two　armies　fighting　in　a　narrow　space；　and　the　barbarians　using　shorter　spears　than　the　Greeks；　and　having　no　advantage　from　their　numbers。　The　Lacedaemonians　fought　in　a　way　worthy　of　note；　and　showed　themselves　far　more　skilful　in　fight　than　their　adversaries；　often　turning　their　backs；　and　making　as　though　they　were　all　flying　away；　on　which　the　barbarians　would　rush　after　them　with　much　noise　and　shouting；　when　the　Spartans　at　their　approach　would　wheel　round　and　face　their　pursuers；　in　this　way　destroying　vast　numbers　of　the　enemy。　Some　Spartans　likewise　fell　in　these　encounters；　but　only　a　very　few。　At　last　the　Persians；　finding　that　all　their　efforts　to　gain　the　pass　availed　nothing；　and　that；　whether　they　attacked　by　divisions　or　in　any　other　way；　it　was　to　no　purpose；　withdrew　to　their　own　quarters。　　　　　During　these　assaults；　it　is　said　that　Xerxes；　who　was　watching　the　battle；　thrice　leaped　from　the　throne　on　which　he　sate；　in　terror　for　his　army。　　　　　Next　day　the　combat　was　renewed；　but　with　no　better　success　on　the　part　of　the　barbarians。　The　Greeks　were　so　few　that　the　barbarians　hoped　to　find　them　disabled；　by　reason　of　their　wounds；　from　offering　any　further　resistance；　and　so　they　once　more　attacked　them。　But　the　Greeks　were　drawn　up　in　detachments　according　to　their　cities；　and　bore　the　brunt　of　the　battle　in　turns…　all　except　the　Phocians；　who　had　been　stationed　on　the　mountain　to　guard　the　pathway。　So；　when　the　Persians　found　no　difference　between　that　day　and　the　preceding；　they　again　retired　to　their　quarters。　　　　　Now；　as　the　king　was　in　great　strait；　and　knew　not　how　he　should　deal　with　the　emergency；　Ephialtes；　the　son　of　Eurydemus；　a　man　of　Malis；　came　to　him　and　was　admitted　to　a　conference。　Stirred　by　the　hope　of　receiving　a　rich　reward　at　the　king's　hands；　he　had　come　to　tell　him　of　the　pathway　which　led　across　the　mountain　to　Thermopylae；　by　which　disclosure　he　brought　destruction　on　the　band　of　Greeks　who　had　there　withstood　the　barbarians。　This　Ephialtes　afterwards；　from　fear　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　fled　into　Thessaly；　and　during　his　exile；　in　an　assembly　of　the　Amphictyons　held　at　Pylae；　a　price　was　set　upon　his　head　by　the　Pylagorae。　When　some　time　had　gone　by；　he　returned　from　exile；　and　went　to　Anticyra；　where　he　was　slain　by　Athenades；　a　native　of　Trachis。　Athenades　did　not　slay　him　for　his　treachery；　but　for　another　reason；　which　I　shall　mention　in　a　later　part　of　my　history：　yet　still　the　Lacedaemonians　honoured　him　none　the　less。　Thus　then　did　Ephialtes　perish　a　long　time　afterwards。　　　　　Besides　this　there　is　another　story　told；　which　I　do　not　at　all　believe…　to　wit；　that　Onetas　the　son　of　Phanagoras；　a　native　of　Carystus；　and　Corydallus；　a　man　of　Anticyra；　were　the　persons　who　spoke　on　this　matter　to　the　king；　and　took　the　Persians　across　the　mountain。　One　may　guess　which　story　is　true；　from　the　fact　that　the　deputies　of　the　Greeks；　the　Pylagorae；　who　must　have　had　the　best　means　of　ascertaining　the　truth；　did　not　offer　the　reward　for　the　heads　of　Onetas　and　Corydallus；　but　for　that　of　Ephialtes　of　Trachis；　and　again　from　the　flight　of　Ephialtes；　which　we　know　to　have　been　on　this　account。　Onetas；　I　allow；　although　he　was　not　a　Malian；　might　have　been　acquainted　with　the　path；　if　he　had　lived　much　in　that　part　of　the　country；　but　as　Ephialtes　was　the　person　who　actually　led　the　Persians　round　the　mountain　by　the　pathway；　I　leave　his　name　on　record　as　that　of　the　man　who　did　the　deed。　　　　　Great　was　the　joy　of　Xerxes　on　this　occasion；　and　as　he　approved　highly　of　the　enterprise　which　Ephialtes　undertook　to　accomplish；　he　forthwith　sent　upon　the　errand　Hydarnes；　and　the　Persians　under　him。　The　troops　left　the　camp　about　the　time　of　the　lighting　of　the　lamps。　The　pathway　along　which　they　went　was　first　discovered　by　the　Malians　of　these　parts；　who　soon　afterwards　led　the　Thessalians　by　it　to　attack　the　Phocians；　at　the　time　when　the　Phocians　fortified　the　pass　with　a　wall；　and　so　put　themselves　under　covert　from　danger。　And　ever　since；　the　path　has　always　been　put　to　an　ill　use　by　the　Malians。　　　　　The　course　which　it　takes　is　the　following：…　Beginning　at　the　Asopus；　where　that　stream　flows　through　the　cleft　in　the　hills；　it　runs　along　the　ridge　of　the　mountain　（which　is　called；　like　the　pathway　over　it；　Anopaea）；　and　ends　at　the　city　of　Alpenus…　the　first　Locrian　town　as　you　come　from　Malis…　by　the　stone　called　Melampygus　and　the　seats　of　the　Cercopians。　Here　it　is　as　narrow　as　at　any　other　point。　　　　　The　Persians　took　this　path；　and；　crossing　the　Asopus；　continued　their　march　through　the　whole　of　the　night；　having　the　mountains　of　Oeta　on　their　right　hand；　and　on　their　left　those　of　Trachis。　At　dawn　of　day　they　found　themselves　close　to　the　summit。　Now　the　hill　was　guarded；　as　I　have　already　said；　by　a　thousand　Phocian　men…at…arms；　who　were　placed　there　to　defend　the　pathway；　and　at　the　same　time　to　secure　their　own　country。　They　had　been　given　the　guard　of　the　mountain　path；　while　the　other　Greeks　defended　the　pass　below；　because　they　had　volunteered　for　the　service；　and　had　pledged　themselves　to　Leonidas　to　maintain　the　post。　　　　　The　ascent　of　the　Persians　became　known　to　the　Phocians　in　the　following　manner：…　During　all　the　time　that　they　were　making　their　way　up；　the　Greeks　remained　unconscious　of　it；　inasmuch　as　the　whole　mountain　was　covered　with　groves　of　oak；　but　it　happened　that　the　air　was　very　still；　and　the　leaves　which　the　Persians　stirred　with　their　feet　made；　as　it　was　likely　they　would；　a　loud　rustling；　whereupon　the　Phocians　jumped　up　and　flew　to　seize　their　arms。　In　a　moment　the　barbarians　came　in　sight；　and；　perceiving　men　arming　themselves；　were　greatly　amazed；　for　they　had　fallen　in　with　an　enemy　when　they　expected　no　op