BATTLE OF SALAIHS.- RETREAT OF XERXES. 125 if thou wilt not stay, thou wilt bring Hellas to ruin.i For with us, all our means of war are contained in our ships. Be thou yet persuaded by me. If not, we Athenians shall migrate with our families on board, just as we are, to Siris in Italy, which is ours from of old, and which the prophecies announce that we are one day to colonize. You chiefs then, when bereft of allies like us, will hereafter recollect what I am now saying." Eurybiades had before been nearly convinced by the impres- sive pleading of Themistokles. But this last downright menace clenched his determination, and probably struck dumb even the Corinthian and Peloponnesian opponents : for it was but too plain, that without the Athenians the fleet was powerless. He did not however put the question again to vote, but took upon himself to rescind the previous resolution and to issue orders for staying at Salamis to fight. In this order all acquiesced, willing or unwilling ;2 the succeeding dawn saw them preparing for fight instead of for retreat, and invoking the protection and compan- ionship of the ^akid heroes of Salamis, — Telamon and Ajax ; they even sent a trireme to ^gina to implore -Sakus himself and the remaining ^akids. It seems to have been on this same day, also, that the resolution of fighting at Salamis was taken by Xerxes, whose fleet was seen in motion, towards the close of the day, preparing for attack the next morning. But the Peloponnesians, though not venturing to disobey tht orders of the Spartan admiral, still retained unabated their for- mer fears and reluctance, which began again after a short interval to prevail over the formidable menace of Themistokles, and were further strengthened by the advices from the Isthmus. The messengers from that quarter depicted the trepidation and af- fright of their absent brethren while constructing their cross wall at that point, to resist the impending land invasion. Why were ' Ilerodot. viii, 61, 62. li) el fievieig avrov, koI /uevuv eaeai dvrjp ayai96f • el Se fi//, uvarpETpeig rrjv 'EA?.uc5a. All the best commentators treat this as an elliptical phrase, — some such ■words as cuaeig ttjv 'EAAaJa or /ca/lwf av ixoi, being understood aftei uyadog. I adopt their construction, not without doubts whether it be the true one
- Herodot. viii, 64. OiiTu fzev ol wepl '2,a7.anlva, eneai, aKpo(3oXccauevoi,
hrei re 'Evpvl3ia6if eSo^e, avrov napeaKevd^ovro (if vnvfiaxv<^ovTEg.
