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When we last left Themistocles, he was trying to convince all of his allies to stay and fight at Salamis (which was strategically vital), rather than fleeing back home like they’d been doing before, without actually, y’know. Pointing out that they were a bunch of idiots and cowards for fleeing back home and giving up the marvelous tactical advantage they had just there. Let’s see how it goes.
Herodotus, VIII.60A
“It is in you* now to save Greece if you stay here and fight a sea battle, and if you do not, as these men suggested, return your ships to the Isthmus. Now you’ll hear each plan in turn. On the one side, you will gather together to fight a sea battle on the open ocean, in which there is misfortune for you, since you have heavier ships and a smaller number of them; and by this you will destroy both Salamis and Megara and even Aegina, even if we’re fortunate in all other matters. And their army of infantry will follow along with their fleet, and in this way you yourselves will lead them to the Peloponnese, and endanger all of Greece.
Herodotus, VIII.60B
“But if you will do what I’m saying, you will find this much utility in those things: first, by attacking many ships with a few in a narrow place, if it should happen that the war goes reasonably, we shall prevail: for fighting in a narrow place is to our benefit, and fighting in an open spaces is to theirs. Moreover, Salamis will win, in which our women and children are stored for safety. And also there is the following thing in these plans, which is very dear to you: remaining here you will be fighting for the Peloponnese just as much as at the Isthmus, and you will not--if you understand all of this well--lead them into the Peloponnese.
Herodotus, VIII.60G
“And if what I hope for occurs and we are also victorious with the ships, the barbarians will not be present on the Isthmus by your doing, and they will not walk further through Attica, departing without order, and we will profit by Megara, Aegina, and Salamis surviving, where the oracle said we’ll get the upper hand against our enemies. For men making reasonable plans, it usually goes as they wish; for those making unreasonable plans, the god doesn’t wish to agree to those human schemes.”
Herodotus, VIII.61
When Themistocles had said these things, Adeimatos the Corinthian attacked him again, commanding him to be silent--being without a city--and [saying that] Eurybiades should not allow a man without a city to have a vote; so in this way he told Themistocles to offer an opinion when he offered a city. And he was proposing these things because Athens had been conquered and was occupied. But then Themistocles said many bad things about that man and the Corinthians, and made it clear by his own speech that there was still a land and a city greater than theirs, since [the Athenians] still had two hundred manned ships remaining; for none of the Greeks could drive off that remaining force.
Herodotus, VIII.62
When he had signified these things, he turned with his argument to Eurybiades, speaking more in another way. “If you remain here also, then by remaining you will be a good man; but if you don’t, you’ll betray Greece; for the ships carry the whole war for us. But obey me. If you will not do these things, then as soon as we’ve gathered up our inhabitants we will travel to Siris, which is in Italy, which is still ours since ancient times, and which the oracles said must be colonized by us; and you all, having been forsaken by such allies, will remember my words.”
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* Even though he’s addressing a large group of people, he’s using the singular version of the second person. Apparently it’s more personal and immediate! Me, I’m just irked at the lack of chance to practice the second person plural, which I both treasure for its lack of existence in English and always feel I need more practice in.
Herodotus, VIII.60A
“It is in you* now to save Greece if you stay here and fight a sea battle, and if you do not, as these men suggested, return your ships to the Isthmus. Now you’ll hear each plan in turn. On the one side, you will gather together to fight a sea battle on the open ocean, in which there is misfortune for you, since you have heavier ships and a smaller number of them; and by this you will destroy both Salamis and Megara and even Aegina, even if we’re fortunate in all other matters. And their army of infantry will follow along with their fleet, and in this way you yourselves will lead them to the Peloponnese, and endanger all of Greece.
Herodotus, VIII.60B
“But if you will do what I’m saying, you will find this much utility in those things: first, by attacking many ships with a few in a narrow place, if it should happen that the war goes reasonably, we shall prevail: for fighting in a narrow place is to our benefit, and fighting in an open spaces is to theirs. Moreover, Salamis will win, in which our women and children are stored for safety. And also there is the following thing in these plans, which is very dear to you: remaining here you will be fighting for the Peloponnese just as much as at the Isthmus, and you will not--if you understand all of this well--lead them into the Peloponnese.
Herodotus, VIII.60G
“And if what I hope for occurs and we are also victorious with the ships, the barbarians will not be present on the Isthmus by your doing, and they will not walk further through Attica, departing without order, and we will profit by Megara, Aegina, and Salamis surviving, where the oracle said we’ll get the upper hand against our enemies. For men making reasonable plans, it usually goes as they wish; for those making unreasonable plans, the god doesn’t wish to agree to those human schemes.”
Herodotus, VIII.61
When Themistocles had said these things, Adeimatos the Corinthian attacked him again, commanding him to be silent--being without a city--and [saying that] Eurybiades should not allow a man without a city to have a vote; so in this way he told Themistocles to offer an opinion when he offered a city. And he was proposing these things because Athens had been conquered and was occupied. But then Themistocles said many bad things about that man and the Corinthians, and made it clear by his own speech that there was still a land and a city greater than theirs, since [the Athenians] still had two hundred manned ships remaining; for none of the Greeks could drive off that remaining force.
Herodotus, VIII.62
When he had signified these things, he turned with his argument to Eurybiades, speaking more in another way. “If you remain here also, then by remaining you will be a good man; but if you don’t, you’ll betray Greece; for the ships carry the whole war for us. But obey me. If you will not do these things, then as soon as we’ve gathered up our inhabitants we will travel to Siris, which is in Italy, which is still ours since ancient times, and which the oracles said must be colonized by us; and you all, having been forsaken by such allies, will remember my words.”
---
* Even though he’s addressing a large group of people, he’s using the singular version of the second person. Apparently it’s more personal and immediate! Me, I’m just irked at the lack of chance to practice the second person plural, which I both treasure for its lack of existence in English and always feel I need more practice in.