y did not persuade him, they
went elsewhere and persuaded Themistocles the commander of the Athenians
by a payment of thirty talents, the condition being that the fleet
should stay and fight the sea-battle in front of Euboea.

5. Themistocles then caused the Hellenes to stay in the following
manner:--to Eurybiades he imparted five talents of the sum with the
pretence that he was giving it from himself; and when Eurybiades had
been persuaded by him to change his resolution, Adeimantos son of
Okytos, the Corinthian commander, was the only one of all the others who
still made a struggle, saying that he would sail away from Artemision
and would not stay with the others: to him therefore Themistocles said
with an oath: "Thou at least shalt not leave us, for I will give thee
greater gifts than the king of the Medes would send to thee, if thou
shouldest desert thy allies." Thus he spoke, and at the same time he
sent to the ship of Adeimantos three talents of silver. So these all 5
had been persuaded by gifts to change their resolution, and at the same
time the request of the Euboeans had been gratified and Themistocles
himself gained money; and it was not known that he had the rest of the
money, but those who received a share of this money were fully persuaded
that it had come from the Athenian State for this purpose.

6. Thus they remained in Euboea and fought a sea-battle; and it came to
pass as follows:--when the Barbarians had arrived at Aphetai about the
beginning of the afternoon, having been informed even before they came
that a few ships of the Hellenes were stationed about Artemision and now
seeing them for themselves, they were eager to attack them, to see if
they could capture them. Now they did not think it good yet to sail
against them directly for this reason,--for fear namely that the
Hellenes, when they saw them sailing against them, should set forth to
take flight and darkness should come upon them in their flight; and so
they were likely (thought the Persians) 6 to get away; whereas it was
right, according to their calculation, that not even the fire-bearer 7
should escape and save his life.

7. With a view to this then they contrived as follows:--of the whole
number of their ships they parted off two hundred and sent them round
to sail by Caphereus and round Geriastos to the Euripos, going outside
Skiathos so that they might not be sighted by the enemy as they sailed
round Euboea: and their purpose was tha