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THE PERSIAN WARS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 95called up and was, if not ;entirely, yetin a great measure,carried into effect. What is more arduous, than in times ofgreat difficulty, when every one fears for himself, and ischiefly concerned for self-preservation, to preserve among amultitude of small states, that public spiritand union, inwhich all strength consists. The Athenians were left almostalone to repel the first invasion of Darius Hystaspes;butthe glory won at Marathon was not sufficient to awakengeneral enthusiasm, when greater danger threatened fromthe invasion of Xerxes. All the Thessalians, the Locrians,and Boeotians, except the cities of Thespise and Plateae, sentearth and water to the Persian king at the first call to submit ; although these tokens of subjection were attended bythe curses of the rest of the Greeks, and the vow that a titheof their estates should be devoted to the deity1of Delphi.Yet of the rest of the Greeks, who did not favour Persia,some were willing to assist only on condition of being appointed to conduct and command the whole; 2 others, iftheir country could be the first to be protected 3 ; others senta squadron, which was ordered to wait till it was certainwhich side would gain the victory ;4 and others pretendedthey were held back 5by the declarations of an oracle. Sotrue is the remark of Herodotus, that, however ill itmightbe taken by others, he was constrained to declare, thatGreece was indebted for its freedom to Athens. 6 Athens,with Themistocles for its leader, gave life to the courage ofthe other states ;induced them to layaside their quarrels ;yielded, where it was duty to 7yield and always relied on;Herod, vii. 132.12 Gelon of Syracuse; Herod, vii. 158. On this condition, he promised toproduce an army of 28,000 men, well equipped a fleet of 200 triremes, and asmuch ;grain as was desired. " Of truth," answered the Lacedsemonian ambasador," Agamemnon, the descendant of Pelops, would remonstrate loudly, werehe to hear that the chief command had been taken from the Spartans, byGelon the Syracusan." And when Gelon declared, that he would be contentwith the command by sea, the Athenian envoy quickly replied, " King ofSyracuse, Hellas has sent us to you, not because it needs a general, but because it needs an army.'*sThe Thessalians, who had however already surrendered.4The Corcyreeans; Herod, vii. 168.Herod, vii. 172.5The Cretans; Herod, vii. 169.6Herod, vii. 139. A noble testimony in favour of Athens, and at the same^time, of the free spirit and impartiality of Herodotus, " I must here/' says thislover of " truth, express to all Greece, an opinion, which to most men is odious ;but yet that, which to me seems the truth, I will not conceal."As at Artcmisium; Herod, viii, 3.