fight
hand to hand, and that they must disregard all these and boldly grapple
with their enemies. Pindar seems to have understood this when he says,
about the battle at Artemisium, that there

"The sons of Athena laid
Their freedom's grand foundation."

for indeed confidence leads to victory. This Artemisium is a promontory
of the island of Euboea, stretching northwards beyond Hestiaea; and
opposite to it is Olizon, which was once part of the dominions of
Philoktetes. There is upon it a small temple of Artemis (Diana), which
is called the "Temple towards the East." Round it stand trees and a
circle of pillars of white stone. This stone, when rubbed in the hand,
has the colour and smell of saffron. On one of these pillars were
written the following verses:

"The sons of Athens once o'ercame in fight
All Asia's tribes, on yonder sea;
They raised these pillars round Diana's shrine,
To thank her for their victory."

Even now a place is pointed out on the beach where, under a great heap
of sand, there is a deep bed of black ashes where it is thought the
wrecks and dead bodies were burned.

IX. But when the news of Thermopylae was brought to the Greeks at
Artemisium, that Leonidas had fallen, and Xerxes was in possession of
the passes, they retired further into Greece, the Athenians protecting
the rear on account of their bravery, and full of pride at their
achievements. At all the harbours and landing-places along the coast,
Themistokles, as he passed by, cut conspicuous inscriptions on stones,
some of which he found on the spot, and others which he himself set up
at all the watering-places and convenient stations for ships. In these
inscriptions he besought the Ionians, if possible, to come over to the
Athenians, who were their fathers, and who were fighting for their
liberty; and if they could not do this, to throw the barbarian army into
confusion during battle. He hoped that these writings would either bring
the Ionians over to the side of the Greeks, or make them suspected of
treason by the Persians.

Meanwhile Xerxes invaded Greece through Doris, and came into Phokis,
where he burned the city of the Phokaeans. The Greeks made no
resistance, although the Athenians begged them to make a stand in
Boeotia, and cover Attica, urging that they had fought in defence of the
whole of Greece at Artemisium. However, as no one would listen to them,
but all the rest of the Greeks determ