e the direction
of a sea-fight. He intrusted the fleet to an officer, or officers, whom
he nominated, and was content himself with the conduct of operations
ashore. Occasionally the land and sea forces were assigned to distinct
commanders of co-ordinate authority--an arrangement which led naturally,
to misunderstanding and quarrel.

The tactics of a Persian fleet seem to have been of the simplest
kind Confident in their numbers, until experience had taught them the
fallaciousness of such a ground of hope, they were chiefly anxious
that their enemy should not escape. To prevent this they endeavored to
surround the ships opposed to them, advancing their line in a crescent
form, so as to enclose their adversary's wings, or even detaching
squadrons to cut off his retreat. They formed their line several ships
deep and when the hour of battle came, advanced directly at their best
speed against the enemy, endeavoring to run down his vessels by sheer
force, and never showing any acquaintance with or predilection for
manoeuvres of a skilful antagonist, who avoided or successfully
withstood this first onset, they were apt through their very numbers to
be thrown into disorder: the first line would become entangled with the
second, the second with the third, and inextricable confusion would be
the result. Confusion placed them at the mercy of their antagonist,
who, retaining complete command over his own vessels, was able to strike
theirs in vulnerable parts, and, in a short time, to cover the sea with
shattered and sinking wrecks. The loss to the Persians in men as well
as in material, was then sure to be very great; for their sailors seldom
knew how to swim, and were consequently drowned, even when the shore was
but a few yards distant.

When, from deficiency in their numbers, or distrust of their own
nautical skill in comparison with that of their enemy, the commanders of
a Persian fleet wished to avoid an engagement, a plan sometimes adopted
was to run the ships ashore upon a smooth soft beach, and, after drawing
them together, to surround them with such a rampart as could be hastily
made, and defend this rampart with the sailors. The crews of the Persian
vessels were always more or less completely armed, in order that, if
occasion arose, they might act as soldiers ashore, and were thus quite
capable of fighting effectively behind a rampart. They might count, too,
under such circumstances, upon assistance from such of their ow