A T H 



^'.ipsrior genius for war, and inr.atc love of glory. In the 

 feoond fpriiig after the cruel punifliment of the lonians, 

 Mardoiiius approached the European coaft. with an arma- 

 ment fufiicii-nt to infpire terror into Greece. The rich 

 illand of Thafus, wliofe golden mines yielded a revenue of 

 near three hundred talents, fubmitted to his fleet ; while 

 his land forces added the barbarous province of Macedon 

 to the Perfian empire. But having fteered fonthward from 

 Thafus, the whole armament was overtaken and almoft 

 deftroyed by a violent ftorm, while endeavouring to double 

 the promontory of mount Athos, which is connefted with 

 the Macedonian fhore by a narrow neck of land, but forms 

 a long and lofty ridge in the fea. Three hundred veflels 

 weredafiied againll the rocks ; twenty thoufand men perilhed 

 in the waves. This difa'.ler totally defeated the dcfign of 

 the expedition ; and Mardonius having recovered the Ihat- 

 tcred remains of his fleet and army, returned to the court 

 ef Perfia, where by flattering the pride, he averted the 

 rcfentment of Darius ; while he reprefentcd, that the Per- 

 fian forces, invincible by the power of man, had yielded to 

 the fury of the elements. The addrefs of Mardonius rtfcued 

 him from punifliment ; but his misfortunes removed him 

 from the command of Lower Alia. Two generals were 

 appointed in his room, of whom Datis, a Mede, was the 

 more diHinguiflied by his age and experience, while Arta- 

 phernes, a Perfian, was the more confpicuous for his rank 

 and nobihty, being defcended of the royal blood. That 

 his lieutenants might appear with a degree of fplendor 

 fuitable to the majelly of Perfia, Darius alTembled an army 

 of 500,000 m.en, confifting of the flower of the provincial 

 troops of his empire. The preparation of an adequate 

 iiumbe-r of tranfports and fliips of war oceafioned but a 

 ihort delay. The maritime provinces of the empire, Eijypt, 

 Phoenicia, and the coalls of the Euxine and Egean fcas, 

 were commanded to fit out, with all pofllble expedition, 

 their .whole naval ilrength ; the old veffcls were repaired, 

 many new ones were built ; and in the courfe of the fame 

 year in which the preparations c^mmer.ced, a fleet of fix 

 hundred fail were ready to put to fea. This immenfe arma- 

 ment the Perfian generals were ordered to employ in ex- 

 tending their conqnefts on the fide of Europe, in fubduing 

 the republics of Greece, and more particularly in cballifing 

 the infolence of the Eretrians and Athenians, the only 

 nations which had confpired with the revolt of the lonians, 

 and affilled that rebellious people in the deilruftion of 

 Sardis. With refpecl to the other nations wliich might be 

 reduced by his arms, the orders of Darius were general, 

 and the particular treatment of the vanquiflied was left to 

 the difcretion of his lieutenants ; but concerning the Athe- 

 nians and Eretrians, he gave the moll pofitive commands 

 that their territories fliould be laid wafte, their houfes and 

 temples burnt or demoliftied, and their perfons carried in 

 captivity to the eailern extremities of his empire. Secure of 

 tfTcfting this purpofe, his generals were furniflied with a 

 great number of chains for confining the Grecian prifoncrs ; 

 a haughty prefumption (to ufe the language cf antiquity), 

 in the fuperiority of man over the power of fortune, which 

 on this, as on other occafions, was punifhed by the juft 

 vengeance of heaven. (B. C. 490.) The Perfian fleet en- 

 joyed a profperous voyage to the ifle of Samos, from 

 whence they were ready to proceed to the Athenian coaft. 

 The late difafl.er which befcl the armament commanded by 

 Mardonius, dctcn-ed them, from purfuing a direct courfe 

 along the ftiores of Thrace and Macedonia ; they deter- 

 mined to fteer in a diredl line through the Cycludes, a cluf- 

 ter of feventeen fmall iflands lying oppofite to the territories 

 o£ Argos and Attica. The approach of fuch aa innu- 



A T H 



merable hoft, whofe tranfports darkened the broad furface 

 of the jCgean, ftruck terror into the unwarlike inhabitants 

 of thofe delightful iflands. Tlie Naxians took refuge in 

 their inaccefiible mountains. The natives of Delos, the 

 favourite refidence of Latona and her divine children, 

 abandoned the awful m.ajcfty of their temple, wliich was 

 overfliadowed by the rough and lofty mount Cynthus. 

 Paros, famous for its marble ; Andros, celebrated for its 

 vines ; Ceos, the birth place of the plaintive Simonides ; 

 Syros, the native country of the ingenious and philofophic 

 Pherecydcs ; los, the tomb of Homer ; the iadullrious 

 Amorgos ; as well as all the other iflands which lurrounded 

 the once facred fliores of Delos, either fpontaneoufly offered 

 the ufual acknowledgment of earth and water as a tefti- 

 mony of their friendfl'.ip, or fubmitted, after a feeble re- 

 finance, to the Perfian arms. The invade:s next proceeded 

 weftward to the ifle of Euboca, where, after almoil; a con- 

 tinued engagement of fix days, their Ilrength and numbers, 

 affiiled by the perfidy of two traitors, finally prevailed 

 over the valour and obllinacy of the Eretrians. Hitherto 

 every thing was profperous ; but a more diiUcuIt taflc re- 

 mained, in the execution of wliich the Perfians (happily 

 for Europe) experienced a fatal reverfe of fortune. After 

 the reduction of Euboea, the Athenian coafl.s feparated 

 from that ifland only by the narrow ftrait of Euripus, feem- 

 ed to incite the generals of Darius to an cafy conquell:. 

 They readily accepted the invitation, as the punifliment 

 of Athens was the main objedl which their mafter had in 

 view when he fitted out his feemingly invincible armada. 

 The meafures which they adopted for accomplifliing this 

 defign appear abundantly judicious ; the greater part of 

 the army was left to guard the iflands which they [had 

 fubdued ; the ufelefs multitude "of attendants were tranf- 

 ported to the coaft of Afia : with a hundred thoufand 

 chofen infantry, and a due proportion of horfe, the Per- 

 fian generals let fail from Euboea, and fafely anived on 

 the Marathonian fliore, a diftrift of Attica, about thirty 

 miles from the capital, confifting chiefly of level ground, 

 and therefore admitting the operations of cavalry, which 

 formed the main ftrength of the barbarian army, and with 

 which the Greeks were very poorly provided. Here the 

 Perfians pitched their camp, by the advice of Hippias the 

 baniflied king of Athens, whofe perfeCl knowledge of the 

 country, and intimate acquaintance with the affairs of 

 Greece, rendered his opinion on all occafions refpeftable. 



To combat this mighty force, the Athenians could not 

 bring the twelfth part of the number, but their handful 

 breathed the fpirit of freedom, which was paramount to a 

 countlefs multitude, the tools of defpotifm. It was firft de- 

 liberated whether they ought to await the Perfians in the 

 city, or meet their foes in the field. There are emergencies 

 in wliich the moft adventurous boldnefs is the foundeft wif- 

 dom; happily for the Athenians they had citizens able both 

 to difrover and apply this maxim. Three men then flou- 

 riflied in Athens, qualified and dellined to give new energy 

 to the ilate. Thefe were Miltiades, Ariftides, and Themi- 

 ftocles. Their charafters will heft difplay themfelves in the 

 narrative of their actions. Miltiades had long carried on 

 war in Thrace, where lie acquired a fplendid reputation ; 

 Ariftides and Themillocles, yoiingcr than himfelf, had fiom 

 their infancy nianifefted a rivalry, which would have been 

 the ruin of the ftate, had they not facrificed it on all emer- 

 gencies to the public welfare. Tlie example and harangues 

 of thefe three illuftrious citizens kindled the flames of the 

 nobleft hcroifm in the minds of the Athenians. Levies 

 were immediately made. Each of the ten tribes furniflied 

 a thoufand foot foldiers, with a commander at their head. 



