by and cast stones
at the ship, the archers standing on the stern shot at them with arrows.
Then--for his sister feared to come further--Orestes leapt into the sea,
and raised her upon his shoulder and so lifted her into the ship, and
the image of the goddess with her. And Pylades cried, "Lay hold of your
oars, ye sailors, and smite the sea, for we have that for the which we
came to this land." So the sailors rowed with all their might; and while
the ship was in the harbour it went well with them, but when it was
come to the open sea a great wave took it, for a violent wind blew
against it, and drave it backwards to the shore.
And one of the guards when he saw this ran to King Thoas and told him,
and the King made haste and sent messengers mounted upon horses, to call
the men of the land that they might do battle with Orestes and his
comrade. But while he was yet sending them there appeared in the air
above his head the Goddess Athene, who spake, saying, "Cease, King
Thoas, from pursuing this man and his companions; for he hath come
hither on this errand by the command of Apollo; and I have persuaded
Poseidon that he make the sea smooth for him to depart."
And King Thoas answered, "It shall be as thou wilt, O goddess; and
though Orestes hath borne away his sister and the image, I dismiss my
anger, for who can fight against the Gods?"
So Orestes departed and came to his own country and dwelt in peace,
being set free from his madness, according to the word of Apollo.
THE STORY OF THE PERSIANS, OR THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS.
Xerxes, King of Persia, made war against the men of Greece, being
desirous to have them for his servants. For being a man of a haughty
soul, he thought to make the whole world subject to him; and against the
men of Greece he had especial wrath, seeing that in the days of King
Darius his father the Persians had fled before them. Wherefore he
gathered together a great army from all parts of his dominions, every
tribe and nation that there was in the whole land of the East, Indians,
and Arabs, and such as dwelt in the plain country of Asia, having
waggons for their houses, and Egyptians, and men from the upper parts of
Libya. But the chief strength of his army was of the Medes and Persians,
that were his own people. And for sailors he had Phoenicians, dwellers
in Tyre and Sidon, and in the coasts thereof. Also many Greeks with
him, such as inhabited the cities of Asia that are near to the Gree
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