. A smaller history of Greece, from the earliest times to the Roman conquest. ,when night put an end to the engagement. But notwithstandingthis loss the fleet was still formidable by its numbers. TheGreeks themselves did not regard the victory as decisive, andprepared to renew the combat. But the pusillanimity of Xerxesrelieved them from all further anxiety. He became alarmedfor his own personal safety; and his whole care was now centredon securing his retreat by land. The best troops were disembarkedfrom the ships, and marched towards the Hellespont, in order tosecure the bridge, whilst the f
. A smaller history of Greece, from the earliest times to the Roman conquest. ,when night put an end to the engagement. But notwithstandingthis loss the fleet was still formidable by its numbers. TheGreeks themselves did not regard the victory as decisive, andprepared to renew the combat. But the pusillanimity of Xerxesrelieved them from all further anxiety. He became alarmedfor his own personal safety; and his whole care was now centredon securing his retreat by land. The best troops were disembarkedfrom the ships, and marched towards the Hellespont, in order tosecure the bridge, whilst the fleet itself was ordered to makefor Asia. These dispositions of Xerxes were prompted by Mar-donius. He represented to his master that the defeat, after ail,was but slight; that having attained one of the great objects of theexpedition by the capture of Athens, he might now retire withhonour, and even with glory ; and that for the rest he (Mardonius)would undertake to complete the conquest of Greece with 300,000men. While the Persian fleet sailed towards Asia, Xerxes set out. Plan or the Battle of Snlainfs F 66 HISTORY OF GREECE. Chap. VIII on his homeward march. In Thessaly Mardonius selected the300,000 men with whom he proposed to conclude the war; but asautumn was now approaching, he resolved to postpone all furtheroperations till the spring. After forty-five days march from Attica, Xerxes again reachedthe shores of the Hellespont, with a force greatly diminished byfamine and pestilence. On the Hellespont he found his fleet, butthe bridge had been washed away by storms. Landed on theshores of Asia, the Persian army at length obtained abundanceof provisions, and contracted new maladies by the sudden changefrom privation to excess. Thus terminated this mighty butunsuccessful expedition. Greece owed its salvation to one man—Themistocles. This wasvirtually admitted by the leaders of the other Grecian states, whenthey assembled to assign the prizes of wisdom and couduct. Uponthe
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