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Themistocles gave his speech! And then he was dissed! And he snarked right back about how everyone totally needed the Athenians, who could totally take their ball and go home, SO THERE. And now we finish up this section, then get some English translation bits, and move on to rather later. As one does.
Herodotus, VIII.63
And while Themistocles was saying these things, Eurybiades changed his mind; and it seems to me* that he changed his mind mostly for fearing the Athenians would abandon them, if he led the ships to the Isthmus; for if the Athenians deserted, the remaining men would no longer be sufficient in strength. He chose this plan, to stay there and continue a sea battle.
Herodotus, VIII.64
In this way, fighting around Salamis with words as their missiles, since Eurybiades thought it best, they prepared for battling it out at sea. Morning came, and as the sun rose, an earthquake shook the land and the sea.** They decided to pray to the gods, and to appeal to the Aiakadans as allies.*** And as they had decided on these things, they did them: for they prayed to all the gods, and on the spot they appealed to Aeantan and Telamonon from Salamis, and they sent off a ship into Aeginan for Aiakon and the other Aiakadans.
[The barbarians are marching towards the Peloponnese; the people there are building a wall across the road. Meanwhile! A servant of Themistocles, Sikinnos, takes a boat over to the enemy, and says that the Greeks are all terrified and divided on whether to resist or not, and will be fighting over that matter at sea; his master is totally for the Persians, honest. So if the Persians want to come watch, or even attack, it’s a great opportunity! Attack at sea now! Good times to be had by all! So the Persians spend the night setting up people on the shore to handle any debris and men that wash up there, moving ships around to prevent the escape of the Greek fleet, and so forth, in the process getting no sleep all night.]
VIII.78
But a great word-battle occurred among the generals in Salamis; and they did not yet know that the barbarians had surrounded them with ships, but thought they were still on land, as they saw them preparing for battle during the [previous] day.
VIII.79
While the generals argued, Aristeades son of Lusimaxos, a man of Athens, crossed over from Aegina; although he was ostracized from the land, I have come to believe this, having learned of his manner: that he was the best and most just man in Athens.
This man, having approached the council, was calling out Themistocles, who was not a friend to him, but his worst enemy; but given the magnitude of the present troubles, he let those things escape his notice, and called Themistocles out, wanting to meet with him. He had heard beforehand that they were hurrying to move the ships from the Peloponnese to the Isthums. And as Themistocles came out to him, he said the following things:
“Our quarrel is enough in the common matters and all the more too much in this other matter, as to which of us will do better than the other for the homeland.^ But indeed I say it is equal to speak much or little of sailing away from the Peloponnese here. For I speak having become a witness to this, that even if Eurybiades and the Corinthian are wanting to, now it’s not such that they can sail out; for we are circled about by the enemy. So go in there and point this out to them.”
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* Herodotus, interjecting authentic Herodotus opinions in his history!
** Literally, day occurred, the sun up-went, and an earthquake occurred in the land and the sea. But I think we can assume there was some shaking involved.
*** The sons of a particular son of Zeus, Aiakon. My notes on this detail are obscure; my transcriptions of the names are likely to be awkward at best.
^ Or...something...like that. Frankly, I am guessing wildly based on a few words and another translation, because this sentence makes no sense to me.
Herodotus, VIII.63
And while Themistocles was saying these things, Eurybiades changed his mind; and it seems to me* that he changed his mind mostly for fearing the Athenians would abandon them, if he led the ships to the Isthmus; for if the Athenians deserted, the remaining men would no longer be sufficient in strength. He chose this plan, to stay there and continue a sea battle.
Herodotus, VIII.64
In this way, fighting around Salamis with words as their missiles, since Eurybiades thought it best, they prepared for battling it out at sea. Morning came, and as the sun rose, an earthquake shook the land and the sea.** They decided to pray to the gods, and to appeal to the Aiakadans as allies.*** And as they had decided on these things, they did them: for they prayed to all the gods, and on the spot they appealed to Aeantan and Telamonon from Salamis, and they sent off a ship into Aeginan for Aiakon and the other Aiakadans.
[The barbarians are marching towards the Peloponnese; the people there are building a wall across the road. Meanwhile! A servant of Themistocles, Sikinnos, takes a boat over to the enemy, and says that the Greeks are all terrified and divided on whether to resist or not, and will be fighting over that matter at sea; his master is totally for the Persians, honest. So if the Persians want to come watch, or even attack, it’s a great opportunity! Attack at sea now! Good times to be had by all! So the Persians spend the night setting up people on the shore to handle any debris and men that wash up there, moving ships around to prevent the escape of the Greek fleet, and so forth, in the process getting no sleep all night.]
VIII.78
But a great word-battle occurred among the generals in Salamis; and they did not yet know that the barbarians had surrounded them with ships, but thought they were still on land, as they saw them preparing for battle during the [previous] day.
VIII.79
While the generals argued, Aristeades son of Lusimaxos, a man of Athens, crossed over from Aegina; although he was ostracized from the land, I have come to believe this, having learned of his manner: that he was the best and most just man in Athens.
This man, having approached the council, was calling out Themistocles, who was not a friend to him, but his worst enemy; but given the magnitude of the present troubles, he let those things escape his notice, and called Themistocles out, wanting to meet with him. He had heard beforehand that they were hurrying to move the ships from the Peloponnese to the Isthums. And as Themistocles came out to him, he said the following things:
“Our quarrel is enough in the common matters and all the more too much in this other matter, as to which of us will do better than the other for the homeland.^ But indeed I say it is equal to speak much or little of sailing away from the Peloponnese here. For I speak having become a witness to this, that even if Eurybiades and the Corinthian are wanting to, now it’s not such that they can sail out; for we are circled about by the enemy. So go in there and point this out to them.”
---
* Herodotus, interjecting authentic Herodotus opinions in his history!
** Literally, day occurred, the sun up-went, and an earthquake occurred in the land and the sea. But I think we can assume there was some shaking involved.
*** The sons of a particular son of Zeus, Aiakon. My notes on this detail are obscure; my transcriptions of the names are likely to be awkward at best.
^ Or...something...like that. Frankly, I am guessing wildly based on a few words and another translation, because this sentence makes no sense to me.
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