*62 G R E 
Wiien the Giecian commanders obferved that the 
^nemy prepared to venture another engagement at fea, 
tliey alFembled to deliberate whether they fhould con- 
tinne in the ftrait between Salamis and Attica, or pro- 
■ceed tnrthernp the gulf tov/ards the Corinthian ifthmus. 
T he latter propofal was generally approved by the con¬ 
federates of Peloponnefiis, who anxionfly defired, in 
the prefent emergency, to approach as near as pofUble 
to their refpeefive cities. But the experienced wifdoni 
■of Mnefiphilifs readily difeerned, that fliould tlie Greeks 
lail Irom Salamis, it would be iinpoHible to prevent the 
^general difjterlion of their armament. He therefore ex- 
liorted Themidocles, toendeavour, by all meanspolJible, 
to prevent this fatal meafure ; and particularly to per- 
faade the .Spartan admiral, Euribiades, to alter his pre¬ 
lent intention.. Themiftocles readily embraced the opi¬ 
nion of his friend ; and addrelling himfelf to Euribiades, 
faul, “The fate of Greece depends on the decilion of 
tite prefent moment, and that decifion on you ; if you 
relolve to fail to the ifthmtis, we muft abandon Salamis, 
Megara, and ^gina ; we lhall be<onipelled to fight in 
an open fea, where the enemy may fiuly avail them- 
felves of their fuperior numbers ; and, as the Perfian 
army will certainly attend the motions of their fleet, 
we (hall draw their combined lirength towards the Gre¬ 
cian peninfula, our laft and only retreat. But if you 
determine to retain the fliips in their prefent Itation, the 
Perfians will find it impofiible, in a narrow channel, to 
attack us at once with their whole force : we fhall pre- 
lerve Megara and Salahiis, and ^e (hall eftedlually de¬ 
fend Peloponncfus; for tb.e barbarians being, as I firmly 
trud:, defeated in a nav'al engagement, will not pene¬ 
trate further than Attica, but return home with dif- 
grace.” Tlte finnnefs of his fpeech fliook the refolu- 
tion of the confederates ; and it was determined by the 
majority to continue at Salamis. 
This'rel'olution was no fooner formed, than a velTel 
arriving from the ifthmus brought advice that the for¬ 
tifications there were almoft completed ; if the fleet re¬ 
tired to the neighbouring fliore, tlie Tailors might, even 
after a defeat at fea, take refuge beliind their walls ; 
but if conquered near the coafts of Salamis, they would 
be tor ever ieparated from their families and friends, 
and confined, without hope or refoun e, within the nar¬ 
row limits of a barren iflaiid. Left this information 
Ihonld, as there was much reafon to fear, again difeon- 
■cert his meal'ures, Themiftocles determined to prevent 
the Greeks from the poflibility of acting upon it, There 
lived in his family a man named Sicimis, who at prefent 
itccompanied him. Me was originally a (lave, and em- 
ployed in the education of his cliildien ; but by the 
generonty of his patron, had acquired the,rank of citi¬ 
zen, with confiderable riches. The firmnefs and fide¬ 
lity of this man rendered him a proper inftrument for 
executing a ftratagem, whicli concealed, under the malk 
of treac iiei) , the enthufiafm of public virtue. Having 
received Lis inftruCtions from Themiftocles, he pri¬ 
vately lailed to the Perfian fleet, and obtaining admif- 
iion into the prefence of Xerxes, declared “ That he 
had been feiit by the captain of the Athenians, who 
could no longer endure the inlolence of his countrymen, 
to acquaint the great king, that the Greeks, feized with 
conftei nation at the near approach of danger, had deter¬ 
mined to make ihtir efcape under cover of the night ; 
that now it was liic time for the Perfians to atchieve 
the moft glorious of all their exploits, and, by inter¬ 
cepting the flight of their enemies, acconiplilh their 
deftrublion at once.” The deceit was believed; the 
wiioie day, and the greateft part of the fucceeding night, 
the Perfians employed in fecuring the feveral pali'ages 
between the illands and tlie adjacent coalf. 
I'lie fiift intelligence of thefe operations was brouglit 
to tlie Grecian fleet by Ariilides the Athenian, wiio 
feems not to have availed liirulelf of-the general atl of 
indemnity to return from banilhinent, but who readily 
E C E. 
embraced every opportunity to ferve his country. Hav-< 
ing with difficulty efcaped from the ifle of .ffigina, the- 
generous patriot immediately communicated an account 
of what he had feen there to his rival and enemy, The¬ 
miftocles, who, meeting his generofity with equal frank- 
nefs, made him the confidant of his fecret. Their in. 
terview was as memorable as the occafion ; and, after a 
continued life of erppofition and hatred, they now firft 
agreed to fufpend their private animofities, in order to 
promote the common intereft of their country. As the 
Peloponnefian commanders were either wavering and 
irrefolute, or had determined to fet fail, Ariftides was 
defired to inform them of the arrangement which he 
had feen ; the confideration of his country, however, 
rendered his evidence fufpedted ; but the arrival of a 
veflel belonging to the ifle of Tenos confirmed liis re¬ 
port, and the Peloponnefians refolved to fight, becanfe 
it was impofiible'to fly. 
Before the dawn of day the Grecian fliips were drawn 
up in order of battle ; and the Perfians, wlio had been 
furprifed at not finding them attempt to efcape during 
night, were (till more furprifed when morning difeo- 
vered their clofe and regular arrangement. TJiemifto- 
cles delayed the attack until the ordinary breeze fhould 
fpring up, which was no lefs favourable to the expe¬ 
rience of the Giecian mariners, than dangerous to the 
unwieldinefs of the Perfian (hips. The fignal was then 
given for the Athenian line to bear down againft that of 
the Phoenicians, wliich rode on the weft, off the coaft 
of Eleufis ; while the Peloponnefians advanced againft 
the enemy’s left wing ftationed on the eaft, near the 
harbour of the Piraeus. The Perfians, confiding in their 
number, and fecure of vidlory, did not.decline the fight. 
A Phoenician galley, of uncommon fize and ftrength, 
was diftinguiftied in the front of their line by every cir- 
cumftance of naval pomp. In the eagernefs to engage, 
(lie far outftripped her companions ; but her career was 
checked by an Athenian galley which failed forth to 
meet her. The firft (hock fhattered her fculptured 
prow, the fecond buried her in the waves. The Athe¬ 
nians, encouraged by this aufpicious prelude, proceeded 
with their whole force, animating each other to the 
combat. The battle was bloody and deftruftive, and 
difputcd on the fide of the Perfians with more obflinate 
reli(lance than on any former occafion ; for, from the 
Attic coaft, feated on a lofty throne on the top of 
mount /Egialos, Xerxes obferved the feene of adiion, 
and attentively remarked, with a view to reward and 
punifh, the various behaviour of his fubjedls. The 
prefence of their prince operated on their hopes, and 
ftill more powerfully on their fears. But neither the 
hope of acquiring the favour, nor the fear of incurring 
the difplealure, of a defpot, could fiirnilh principles of 
adlion worthy of being compared with the irreliftible 
bravery of the Greeks. The foremoft (hips of the 
Phcenicians were wholly difperfed or funk. Such was 
the fate of the right wing ; while the lonians, who, on 
the left, oppofed the fleets of Peloponncfus and .^^Sgina, 
furniihed them with an opportunity to complete the 
vidlory. Many of the Afiatic Greeks, mindful of the 
advice given by Themiftocles, abandoned the intereft of 
the great king, and openly declared for their country¬ 
men ; others declined the engagement ; the remainder 
were funk or put to flight. Among thofe which efcaped 
was the fliip of queen Artemifia, who in the battle of 
Salamis difplayed fuperior courage and condudl; (he 
was clofely purfued by an Athenian galley, commanded 
by Amenias, brother of the poet Aifchylus. In this 
extremity, (Ite employed a fuccefsful but very unwar¬ 
rantable ftratagem. The neareft Perfian velTel was com. 
manded by Damafithymus, a tributary prince of Ca- 
lynda in Lycia, a man with whom Artemilia was at va¬ 
riance. VVith great dexterity (he darted the beak of 
her galley againft the Lycian velTel. Damafithymus 
was buried in the waves j and Amenias, deceived by 
this 
