e the answer that "the
trophy of Miltiades would not let him sleep." And when others were
of opinion that the battle of Marathon would be an end to the war,
Themistocles thought that it was but the beginning of far greater
conflict, and for these, to the benefit of Greece, he kept himself in
continual readiness, and his city also in proper training, foreseeing
from far before what would happen.

And, first of all, the Athenians being accustomed to divide amongst
themselves the revenue proceeding from the silver mines at Laurium, he
was the only man that durst propose to the people that this distribution
should cease, and that with the money, ships should be built to make
war against the Aeginetans, who were the most flourishing people in all
Greece, and by the number of their ships held the sovereignty of the
sea; and Themistocles thus, little by little, turned and drew the city
down towards the sea, in the belief that, whereas by land they were not
a match for their next neighbors, with their ships they might be able to
repel the Persian and command Greece; thus, as Plato says, from steady
soldiers he turned them into mariners and seamen tossed about the sea,
and gave occasion for the reproach against him, that he took away from
the Athenians the spear and the shield, and bound them to the bench
and the oar. He was well liked by the common people, would salute every
particular citizen by his own name, and always showed himself a
just judge in questions of business between private men; he said to
Simonides, the poet of Ceos, who desired something of him when he was
commander of the army that was no reasonable, "Simonides, you would
be no good poet if you wrote false measure, nor should I be a good
magistrate if for favor I made false law."

Gradually growing to be great, and winning the favor of the people,
he at last gained the day with his faction over that of Aristides, and
procured his banishment by ostracism. When the kind of Persia was now
advancing against Greece, and sent messengers into Greece, with an
interpreter, to demand earth and water, as an acknowledgement of
subjection, Themistocles, by the consent of the people, seized upon
the interpreter, and put him to death, for presuming to publish the
barbarian orders and decrees in the Greek language; and having taken
upon himself the command of the Athenian forces, he immediately
endeavored to persuade the citizens to leave the city, and to embark
upon their