n of the army who were there, hearing these things
became afraid, expecting that they would certainly perish, to such
troubles had they come; for before they had had even breathing space
after the shipwreck and the storm which had arisen off Mount Pelion,
there had come upon them a hard sea-fight, and after the sea-fight a
violent storm of rain and strong streams rushing to the sea and crashing
thunder.

13. These then had such a night as I have said; and meanwhile those of
them who had been appointed to sail round Euboea experienced the very
same night, but against them it raged much more fiercely, inasmuch as it
fell upon them while they were making their course in the open sea. And
the end of it proved distressful 11 to them; for when the storm and
the rain together came upon them as they sailed, being then off the
"Hollows" of Euboea, 12 they were borne by the wind not knowing by what
way they were carried, and were cast away upon the rocks. And all this
was being brought about by God in order that the Persian force might be
made more equal to that of the Hellenes and might not be by very much
the larger.

14. These then, I say, were perishing about the Hollows of Euboea, and
meanwhile the Barbarians at Aphetai, when day had dawned upon them, of
which they were glad, were keeping their ships quiet, and were satisfied
in their evil plight to remain still for the present time; but to the
Hellenes there came as a reinforcement three-and-fifty Athenian ships.
The coming of these gave them more courage, and at the same time they
were encouraged also by a report that those of the Barbarians who had
been sailing round Euboea had all been destroyed by the storm that had
taken place. They waited then for the same time of day as before, and
then they sailed and fell upon some Kilikian ships; and having destroyed
these, they sailed away when the darkness came on, and returned to
Artemision.

15. On the third day the commanders of the Barbarians, being exceedingly
indignant that so small a number of ships should thus do them damage,
and fearing what Xerxes might do, did not wait this time for the
Hellenes to begin the fight, but passed the word of command and put out
their ships to sea about the middle of the day. Now it so happened that
these battles at sea and the battles on land at Thermopylai took place
on the same days; and for those who fought by sea the whole aim of the
fighting was concerned with the channel of Eurip