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Updated: June 17, 2025
The first omen and a fair one.” The word ran in whispers down the benches, and every soul on the trireme rejoiced. How long did they sit thus? An æon? Would Eurybiades never draw out his line of battle? Would Adeimantus prove craven at the end? Would treachery undo Hellas to-day, as once before at Lade when the Ionian Greeks had faced the Persian fleet in vain?
The Athenians, accordingly, waived their claim to command, secretly resolving that, when the war was over, they would have their revenge for the insult and injury. A Spartan was accordingly appointed commander of the fleet. His name was Eurybiades. Things were in this state when the two fleets came in sight of each other in the strait between the northern end of Euboea and the main land.
How much more dignity, than in the modern duellist, do we find in Themistocles, the most gallant of the Greeks; who, when Eurybiades, his commander in chief, in answer to some of his remonstrances, lifted his cane over him with a menacing air, accosted him in that noble apostrophe, 'Strike, but hear! "How would a man of true discernment in such a case reply to his brutal assailant?
Strange to relate, while Pausanias was winning one battle at Platæa, the other Spartan king, Eurybiades, defeated a new Persian fleet at Myc´a-le. These two victories finished the rout of the greatest army ever seen. Mardonius fled with the remnant of his host, leaving his tents, baggage, and slaves to the Greeks, who thus got much booty.
From the strand a shout went up, a prayer more than a cheer, mothers, wives, little ones, calling it together:— “Zeus prosper you!” A roar from the fleet, the tearing of countless blades on the thole-pins answered them. Eurybiades had spoken. There was no treason. All now was in the hand of the god. Across the strait they went, and the Barbarians seemed springing to meet them.
Themistocles said nothing, but his countenance indicated that he was very strongly inclined to adopt Mnesiphilus's views. Mnesiphilus urged him to go immediately to Eurybiades, and endeavor to induce him to obtain a reversal of the decision of the council. Themistocles, without expressing either assent or dissent, took his boat, and ordered the oarsmen to row him to the galley of Eurybiades.
But Eurybiades, the Spartan leader, opposed this, saying that it was dangerous to keep Xerxes in Greece. They had best give him every chance to fly. Themistocles, who saw the wisdom of this advice, not only accepted it, but sent a message to Xerxes as to a friend advising him to make all haste, and saying that he would do his best to hold back the Greeks, who were eager to burn the bridge.
Here Themistocles was so excitedly eager that he sought to win the chiefs over to his views even before Eurybiades had formally opened the meeting and explained its object. For this he was chided by the Corinthian Adeimantus, who said, "Themistocles, those who in the public festivals rise up before the proper signal are scourged."
Themistocles seeks Eurybiades. Urges a new council. The council convened again. Themistocles rebuked. Themistocles's arguments for remaining at Salamis. Fugitives at Salamis. Views of the Corinthians. Excitement in the council. Indignation of Themistocles. Eurybiades decides to remain at Salamis. An earthquake. Advance of the Persians. Perilous situation of the Greeks.
Eurybiades, who, it will be recollected, was the commander-in-chief of all the Greek fleet, finding thus that it was impossible any longer to keep the ships together at Salamis, since a part of them would, at all events, withdraw, concluded to yield to the necessity of the case and to conduct the whole fleet to the isthmus.
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