Athenaze Greek Readings

“And meanwhile the generals of the Greeks, having come together in Salamis, were so afraid that they wanted to flee away to the Peloponnesus; but Themistocles, having stood up in the council, said that even now they were (are) able to defeat the enemy; for fighting in the narrows the barbarians would not (will not) be able to use their numbers; so they must force them to join battle there.

“But when he learned (having learned) that the Greeks were winning and the barbarians fleeing away, he stood up and tore his robes. For he was in the greatest difficulty; for having lost his fleet he was no longer able to supply food for his land (foot) army, which was (being) very large. So he ordered his generals to lead the land (foot) army to Asia by land, and he himself fled away, lamenting.

So thus having finished his story, the sailor lay down on the deck, and Dicaeopolis and Philip were silent, wondering at all that he had said. And finally Philip said, “How bravely the Greeks were fighting! How brilliantly the Athenians were leading their allies! But you, what were you doing after the war? Having become a merchant were you sailing in merchant ships?” And he said, “No, for the war did not end, but it was still necessary to be fighting against the barbarians for a long time. For all the islands and all Ionia were still being held by the barbarians.”