OCR Text |
Show The. third Booke ofthefort,part Z Cuar.6.§.3 an{werableto the plantation, andthe fucceffe and: endagtecable to the weake counfell wheteonit was grounded. Furthermore, thofe millions of men which he tranf iF d and yet in his owne iudgementnot fufficient, (for he gathered in marching on tf th : ftrength of Thrace & Macedon) were an argument, that hee rather hoped to feare th i Greeksby the fame ofhis numbers,than that he had any confidencein their valoutt a refolution,whom he conducted, Rorit is wifely faid of thofevncountable enuilieies 4 Cuar.d.§.ge of the Eifforie of theWorld, bringinto the' field Itis reportedsof Diewecestho!Spaitan; that when one thought ts hauetdrrifiebhimiby faying,'Thavcheflightdf the Perfian arrowes was'fo' thicke' as wouldhidethe'Sun » héahiweredolms ¥ [cis very good newes + forthen hall wee fight Inthecooled fhade.ioc ;' )Shchinorable refolation habing.as freely beemexpré ffed:in deeds; asiit was vttered in words;,caufed ‘the Rerfian to ftand im great dotibt,whenhe heard that the city of Spars Non vires habent,fedpondas, Crimpedimenta potins fant quam auxilinas':'They areove i bulke,but weakeinforcesandrather a luggage than an aide, forse Sous tacouldarme well-nighcightthoufand n1cmoftheliketemper, & that the other Laces divers Nations,{peaking diuers languages, bred the fame confufion among thePérfian commanders whenthey cameto fight, as it ‘didto the builders of Babel. when the et ftruded him in thethings of Greece, what courfewere fitteftto: betakenin his further _Befides, as it was impoflibleto marfhall fuch aworld of men inone Army, fo the cametoworke. Whereas if Xerxes had ofhis fiue millions compounded ten Ais" offifty thoufand chofen fouldiers in eachjand fent them yearly into Greecewell vi@u- alled & furnifhed, he had either preuailed by thefword,or forced themto forlake their territory, or brought them into obedience by neceffity and famine, whichcannot bee refitted. But whilexXerxes refolued to cutdowne the bankes of Greece. and to let in a fea of men yponthem, he was deceiued both ofhis owne hopes, and in their hearts whom hee imployed, and beaten by the Greekes, both by Land and Sea s yea; hee himfelfe, conducted by his feare, fled fhamefully into Afia.. A greatpart ofhis Aimy was buried in Greece : the remainder whereof, which wintred in Theflaly, andled by35 ? : ; Mardonius,who perfwaded the enterprife ted,andhimfelfe flaine. tone. was inthe Summer following vttétly defea- [ C timeas Xerxesh Fter fuch , ad tran{jported the Army oner Hell Aisi in Thrace, (leauing the defcription of his eolaee thésan gCat, and how the Riuer i ofLiflus was drunke d ty by his:i multicu i d Lak -to ee byhis cattell, with other accidents = his etic oon ae 30 A iia yithe encounters he had,& the fhamefull & incredible ouerthrowes which eer i " ft at Thermopylz, anarrowpailag ofhalfe an acre of ground, lying eae- eKPinna Smienaitaly fromeGreece ,where fometime the Phogates, which was then for the moft part ruined. Atthisenreeda=ne ofSparta,with os hundred Eacedamonian stitel antineans, one thoufand & other PeloponSoe apaaates ntreeoitand onehundred intheArcadians, whalebefides rierhditand 3 red Thebans, feuen hundred Thefpians,and all the forces (fiuch as ootthe qaccring Locrians, defended the Peel s shhiefoistegen ein uge Army ofthe Perfians. The valour ofthe Greeks appearedfo excellent see ia: atin the firft daies fight, Xerxes is faid to hanethr ee times leaped out Seer Ens papeths deftruétion of his Army by onehandfull ofthofe men,wh om Gat a che Pe veterly defpifed: and when the fecond dayes attempt vpon the ‘ad proued vaine, he was altogether ignorant how to proceedefurther, and fo migh gat knave cont inue ca, d had f nota ftun2, agate ~as ra i ke taug i a, ht him i a fecret way part of h s Army migh é > b y C | i fe t a cend the edge Oo ountains, and fet ypon the backs oO felcheae when the moft valianrof the Perfian Armyhad almoftinclo, Greeks,then did Leoxidas,Ki i : fell ofDemaratas,a:banithed king ofthe Spartats;who had alyaies well aduifed andins 10 proceedings, The.opinion ofDemaratws was, That allthe Land-forces would affemble togetherto defend the /fbmus,that freight neck ofground whichioineth Peloponnefustothe Continent. For which caufc he aduifed,, That three hundred fhips well man- ned fhould be fent vatothe Coaft of Laconia,to{poilethe country,& to hold the Lacedemoniais & their neighbours bufied at home; whileft Xerxes athis leafire hauing fubduedthe reft; might afterward bringhis whole power vpoa them, who temainingde- ftituteoffuecour, would be too weake aloneto'make refiftance?'To this' purpofe alfo the fame Demaratns further aduifed's' that thé {aid Fleet of three hundred thips thould {eizevpon the Ilatid'thien called Cythera,now Cetigo,whichlying neer to the Coaft of Laconiasmight feruéas a fit place of Rewde=-v6us vpon all occafions,either oftheir own defenceyor efi daiiagine the enemy? wherebythat ancient{peechofChi/omthe Lacedzmonian fiotild'bee verified; that ir were better for his Country-men-to hauethat Hé drownedin the fea, than ftand fo inconueniently as forthemit did. What effect this coutifellinight haue'taken,had'it bin followed,it is not cafieto gheffe. But a contraryopition Of: Achemenes brother to King Xerxes was preferred asthe fafer. Forthe Perfian §.1IT. Ofthefights at Thermopyle and Artemifinm, his thrce hundred, feuen I ditmoniais;though inferior toithofe,were very-valiant met.Wherefore he asked coun2 a6 "coniads, King ofthe Lacedemonians,Wit fleet had b' i forely vexed with a grievous tempeft which continued three whole dayes together,wherein were loft vpon the coaft of Magtiefia foure hundred fhips of war, ‘be= fides other veffels inumerable,accordingly as 4rtabanus hadforefeen, thatifany fuch ocalainity thould overtake them, there would not be found any Harbor wide enonghto ginethem fiiccour:Therfore Achemenes perf{wadedhis brother norto difperfe his fleet; for if(faid he)after thedoffe of foure hundred fhips we fhall fend awayotherthree hundted to feck adnentuites, then will the Greeks be‘{trong enough by fea to encounterthe relt ofthe Nany,which holding altogetheris inuincible. To this counfell Yerxes yeel- ded, hoping that ‘his Land-army and'ficet houldeach ofthemftand the otherin good ftead,whileft bothheld one courfes& lay not far afunder. ‘But herein he was far decei~ ued;forabout the fanietime that his armyhad'felc the valour of the Greeks byland, his Nanielikewife' made a forrowfull proofe of theirskill & courage at fea: The Grecians flectlay at that tinieat Artemifiuinin the ftraits of Eubcea, wherethe Perfians thinking 49° Ncompaffe them, fent two hundved fayle about the Ilandto fall vpon them behinde; Vfing like ftratagém'to that which their King did practife againft Leonidas in a cafenot Volike, but withfar different fucceffe. Forthat narrow channell of the fea which diui- deth Euboea from the maine,wasinthe fame fort held bya Nailyof two hundred three- feore'& eleven faile againft the huge Perfian Armada,as the {traits of Thermopylzhad ormetly bin maintained by Leonidas till he was circumuented,as this Nauymight haue tabatwas not; The departure of thofe two hundred (hips that were fent aboutthe Iland,the caufeioftheir voyage,was too well knowne in the Perfianfleet; and foone e+ hough difClofedto the Grecks,whoferting faile by night,met them witha counter-fur- Prile,taking & finkingthirty vellels,inforcing thereft torake the Sea,wherebeing ouer- wan With foule weather,they were driuen vponthe rocks atid caft all away. Contrati- on ie 5 i ila which phone refift that worldof wel cirftrength, greatamen flauchter geathem iffuing outcalled e ter of their vamqutthetsmadefo Sovgtalche enemiesonall , thatfides they; but might wellbe Wile,the Nauy of the Greeks was increafed bythearriuall of fifty three Athenian fhips, aNd One Lemsniaz, which came totheir party inthe laft fight.As thefe new forces incoutagedthe one fide : fo the feare ofXerxes his difpleafure ftirred vp theotherto redeeme their loffe with fome notable exploit. Wherefore fetting afide their vnfortunatepolicy, their honour,& cafting themfelues into the ee ofclued in plaine fight to repaire seeangehough fo toinclofe the Greeks, who readilydid prefent them battell at Efpeciallyofthecat whomhe knew that he fhortlywas to deale« ceeee ) ¢ ftood'in great loffe to both parts. Fo elight endured. from noone tillnighr, an dended with equall fell cia to quit the place miketedpd Thefpiansswhich wereall that abode by him,refule fl ieht conees oxthem were flaine vponthe place.Xerxes hauing loftinthis a, oe hee thoufandother Souldiers & Captaines,two ofhis owne OC dt what inconuenience might befall him by thevertue offuchas had notbin prefe i ; brink: feare,whofe manhood had appeared fingu- is tryall,which caufed him very carefullyto enquire what numbers they coul bring ‘mifium. "ough more of the Perfian fhipswere funke and taken,yet thelefferloffe gether |