Acting
promptly, he ordered his allies to leave the field before it was too
late, but he, with his devoted band of three hundred, were to remain,
in accordance of a Spartan law which forbade a Spartan soldier ever to
retreat from the presence of an enemy. The seven hundred Thespians
remained with him, and the whole band was cut down, but not without
inflicting fearful loss upon the enemy.
[Illustration: THERMOPYLAE (Map)]
21. While the passage of Thermopylae was disputed, he Greek fleet
advanced and took position in the strait of Artemisium, to prevent the
Persian fleet from advancing farther into Greek waters. During the
battle the fleets were also engaged in an indecisive conflict. A
storm, however, arose and destroyed two hundred of the Persian ships.
When Thermopylae fell there was no longer reason for defending
Artemisium, and the Greek fleet returned to defend the approach to
Athens at the strait of Salamis.
22. Athens was now at the mercy of the conqueror. The Spartan army
moved off to defend their own city. It was now that the wisdom of
Themistocles showed itself. "The Athenians had no hope of being able
to defend Athens, and resolved to abandon the town, and to remove
their wives and children out of Attica to a place of safety. The whole
population, men, women, and children, sorrowfully left their homes,
and streamed down to the sea-shore, carrying what they could with
them.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25