The histories of Herodotus;

63-66] PREPARATIONS AT SALAMIS 461
enemy. He, therefore, adopted this advice, to stay there and
come to a decisive engagement. Thus they at Salamis, having
skirmished in words, when Eurybiades had come to a
determination, made preparations to come to an engagement
there. Day came, and at sunrise an earthquake took place
on land and at sea. They determined to pray to the gods,
and to invoke the .^Eacidae as allies ; and as they had determined,
so they did. For having prayed to all the gods, they
forthwith, from Salamis, invoked Ajax and Telamon ; and
sent a ship to iEgina for ^Eacus and the ./Eacidae. Dicaeus,
son of Theocydes, an Athenian, and an exile at that time
esteemed by the Medes, related that when the Attic territory
was being devastated by the land forces of Xerxes, having
been deserted by the Athenians, he happened then to be with
Demaratus the Lacedaemonian in the Thriasian plain ; and he
saw a cloud of dust coming from Eleusis, as if occasioned by
about thirty thousand men : they were wondering at the cloud
of dust, from whatever it might proceed, and suddenly heard
a voice, and the voice appeared to him to be that of the mystic
Iacchus. Demaratus was unacquainted with the mysteries of
Eleusis, and asked Dicaeus what it might be that was uttered
but he said : " O Demaratus, it can not be otherwise than that
some great damage will befall the king's army. For this is
clear, since Attica is deserted, that what is uttered is supernatural,
proceeding from Eleusis to the assistance of the Athenians
and the allies. And if it should rush toward the Peloponnesus,
there will be danger to the king himself and his
army on the continent ; but if it should turn toward the ships
at Salamis, the king will be in danger of losing his naval
armament. The Athenians celebrate this feast every year to
the Mother and the Damsel, 1 and whoever wishes of them
and the other Greeks is initiated ; and the sound, which you
hear, they shout in this very festival." To this Demaratus
said : " Be silent, and tell this story to no one else ; for if
these words should be reported to the king, you would lose
your head; and neither should I nor any other human being
be able to save you. Keep quiet, therefore; and the gods
will take care of the army." He accordingly gave this advice.
But from the dust and voice there arose a cloud, and being
raised aloft it was borne toward Salamis, to the encampment
of the Greeks. Thus they understood that the fleet of Xerxes
was about to perish. This account Dicaeus, son of Theocydes,
gave, calling on Demaratus and others as witnesses.
When the men belonging to the fleet of Xerxes, having
1 Ceres and Proserpine.
;