ter of Themistocles, his boldness, and his intuitive genius for
extemporizing the best measures in every emergency--a quality which the
greatest of historians ascribes to him beyond all his contemporaries--we
may well believe that the vote of Themistocles was for prompt and
decisive action. On the vote of Aristides it may be more difficult to
speculate. His predilection for the Spartans may have made him wish to
wait till they came up; but, though circumspect, he was neither timid as
a soldier nor as a politician, and the bold advice of Miltiades may
probably have found in Aristides a willing, most assuredly it found in
him a candid, hearer.

Miltiades felt no hesitation, as to the course which the Athenian army
ought to pursue; and earnestly did he press his opinion on his brother
generals. Practically acquainted with the organization of the Persian
armies, Miltiades felt convinced of the superiority of the Greek troops,
if properly handled; he saw with the military eye of a great general the
advantage which the position of the forces gave him for a sudden attack,
and as a profound politician he felt the perils of remaining inactive,
and of giving treachery time to ruin the Athenian cause.

One officer in the council of war had not yet voted. This was
Callimachus, the War-ruler. The votes of the generals were five and
five, so that the voice of Callimachus would be decisive.

On that vote, in all human probability, the destiny of all the nations
of the world depended. Miltiades turned to him, and in simple soldierly
eloquence--the substance of which we may read faithfully reported in
Herodotus, who had conversed with the veterans of Marathon--the great
Athenian thus adjured his countrymen to vote for giving battle:

"It now rests with you, Callimachus, either to enslave Athens, or, by
assuring her freedom, to win yourself an immortality of fame, such as
not even Harmodius and Aristogiton have acquired; for never, since the
Athenians were a people, were they in such danger as they are in at this
moment. If they bow the knee to these Medes, they are to be given up to
Hippias, and you know what they then will have to suffer. But if Athens
comes victorious out of this contest, she has it in her to become the
first city of Greece. Your vote is to decide whether we are to join
battle or not. If we do not bring on a battle presently, some factious
intrigue will disunite the Athenians, and the city will be betrayed to
the M