ked men of the Persians on the small island called
Psyttaleia for this reason, namely that when the fight should take
place, these might save the men of one side and destroy those of the
other, since there especially it was likely that the men and the wrecks
of ships would be cast up on shore, for the island lay in the way of the
sea-fight which was to be. These things they did in silence, that the
enemy might not have information of them.

77. They then were making their preparations thus in the night without
having taken any sleep at all: and with regard to oracles, I am not able
to make objections against them that they are not true, for I do not
desire to attempt to overthrow the credit of them when they speak
clearly, looking at such matters as these which here follow:

"But when with ships they shall join the sacred strand of the goddess,
Artemis golden-sword-girded, and thee, wave-washed Kynosura,
Urged by a maddening hope, 44 having given rich Athens to plunder,
Then shall Justice divine quell Riot, of Insolence first-born, 45
Longing to overthrow all things 46 and terribly panting for bloodhshed:
Brass shall encounter with brass, and Ares the sea shall empurple,
Tinging its waves with the blood: then a day of freedom for Hellas
Cometh from wide-seeing Zeus 47 and from Victory, lady and mother." 48

Looking to such things as this, and when Bakis speaks so clearly, I do
not venture myself to make any objections about oracles, nor can I admit
them from others.

78. Now between the commanders that were at Salamis there came to be
great contention of speech and they did not yet know that the Barbarians
were surrounding them with their ships, but they thought that they were
still in their place as they saw them disposed in the day.

79. Then while the commanders were engaged in strife, there came over
from Egina Aristeides the son of Lysimachos, an Athenian who had been
ostracised by the people, a man whom I hold (according to that which
I hear of his character) to have been the best and most upright of all
Athenians. This man came into the council and called forth Themistocles,
who was to him not a friend, but an enemy to the last degree; but
because of the greatness of the present troubles he let those matters be
forgotten and called him forth, desiring to communicate with him. Now he
had heard beforehand that the Peloponnesians were pressing to take
the ships away to the Isthmus. So when Themi