herodotus

work, were yet dismayed, not fearing so much for themselves as forPeloponnesus. For some time then they spoke of it in private, one manstanding by another, and they marvelled at the ill-counsel ofEurybiades; but at last it broke out publicly. A meeting accordinglywas held, and much was spoken about the same points as before, somesaying that they ought to sail away to Peloponnesus and run the riskin defence of that, and not stay and fight for a land which had beencaptured by the enemy, while the Athenians, Eginetans and Megariansurged that they should stay there and defend themselves. 75. ThenThemistocles, when his opinion was like to be defeated by thePeloponnesians, secretly went forth from the assembly, and having goneout he sent a man to the encampment of the Medes in a boat, charginghim with that which he must say: this man's name was Sikinnos, and hewas a servant of Themistocles and tutor to his children; and afterthese events Themistocles entered him as a Thespian citizen, when theThespians were admitting new citizens, and made him a wealthy man. Heat this time came with a boat and said to the commanders of theBarbarians these words: "The commander of the Athenians sent meprivately without the knowledge of the other Hellenes (for, as itchances, he is disposed to the cause of the king, and desires ratherthat your side should gain the victory than that of the Hellenes), toinform you that the Hellenes are planning to take flight, having beenstruck with dismay; and now it is possible for you to execute a mostnoble work, if ye do not permit them to flee away: for they are not ofone mind with one another and they will not stand against you infight, but ye shall see them fighting a battle by sea with oneanother, those who are disposed to your side against those who arenot." 76. He then having signified to them this, departed out of theway; and they, thinking that the message deserved credit, landed firsta large number of Persians in the small island of Psyttaleia, whichlies between Salamis and the mainland; and then, as midnight came on,they put out the Western wing of their fleet to sea, circling roundtowards Salamis, and also those stationed about Keos and Kynosura putout their ships to sea; and they occupied all the passage with theirships as far as Munychia. And for this reason they put out theirships, namely in order that the Hellenes might not even be permittedto get away, but being cut off in Salamis might pay the penalty forthe contests at Artemision: and they disembarked men of the Persianson the small island called Psyttaleia for this reason, namely thatwhen the fight should take place, these might save the men of one sideand destroy those of the other, since there especially it was likelythat the men and the wrecks of ships would be cast up on shore, forthe island lay in the way of the sea-fight which was to be. Thesethings they did in silence, that the enemy might not have informationof them.