Plutarch's lives for boys and girls : being selected lives freely retold . ocles, in order to test theopinion of Aristides, proposed to him that they shouldset sail to the Hellespont and destroy the bridge ofboats across that strait by which Xerxes had crossedfrom Asia into Europe and by which he could aloneretreat. Aristides by no means agreed with this plan. Hitherto, said he, we have had to do with a slothfulfoe steeped in luxury, but if we shut him up in Europenecessity will drive him to fight desperately. So,awakened by danger, and taught by his past errors,he may yet win victory with his
Plutarch's lives for boys and girls : being selected lives freely retold . ocles, in order to test theopinion of Aristides, proposed to him that they shouldset sail to the Hellespont and destroy the bridge ofboats across that strait by which Xerxes had crossedfrom Asia into Europe and by which he could aloneretreat. Aristides by no means agreed with this plan. Hitherto, said he, we have had to do with a slothfulfoe steeped in luxury, but if we shut him up in Europenecessity will drive him to fight desperately. So,awakened by danger, and taught by his past errors,he may yet win victory with his vast land , instead of breaking down that bridge, weshould rather build him another one, if by so doingwe may hasten his departure. This indeed was thereal opinion of Themistocles, and he set about tocontrive means to hasten the Persian kings retreat. He therefore sent one of Xerxes servants, who hadbeen taken prisoner, with a message to the king sayingthat the Greeks intended to sail to the Hellespont tobreak down the bridge, and that Themistocles, who. I THEMISTOCLES 37 was really his friend, advised him to hasten into Asiawith all speed before they could do so. Further, themessage said that Themistocles, in order to providetime for the safe passage of the Hellespont, would byevery means seek to delay the pursuit by the Grecianfleet. This message filled Xerxes with terror at his owndanger, and he retired from Europe with the greatestpossible speed. Not even envy could refuse to admit that the chiefcredit for the wonderful success at Salamis was due toThemistocles. The Spartans indeed awarded the prizeof valour to their own admiral, Eurybiades, but toThemistocles they assigned the award of they crowned with the oHve wreath. Moreover,they presented the Athenian with the finest chariot intheir city, and when he departed ordered three hundredof their youths to attend him to the borders of their state. At the next Olympic games the attention of thespec
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