stokles about fighting by sea, and he was
sent with a fleet to guard the straits at Artemisium. Here the Greeks
chose the Lacedaemonians, and their general, Eurybiades, to take the
command; but the Athenians refused to submit to any other state, because
they alone furnished more ships than all the rest. Themistokles, at this
crisis perceiving the danger, gave up his claims to Eurybiades, and
soothed the wounded pride of the Athenians, telling them that if they
proved themselves brave men in the war, they would find that all the
other states in Greece would cheerfully recognise their supremacy. On
this account he seems more than any one else to deserve the credit of
having saved Greece, and to have covered the Athenians with glory by
teaching them to surpass their enemies in bravery, and their allies in
good sense. When the Persian fleet reached Aphetai, Eurybiades was
terrified at the number of ships at the mouth of the Straits, and,
learning that two hundred sail more were gone round the outside of
Euboea to take him in the rear, he at once wished to retire further into
Greece, and support the fleet by the land army in Peloponnesus, for he
regarded the Persian king's fleet as utterly irresistible at sea. Upon
this the Euboeans, who feared to be deserted by the Greeks, sent one
Pelagon with a large sum of money, to make secret proposals to
Themistokles. He took the money, Herodotus tells us, and gave it to
Eurybiades and his party. One of those who most vehemently opposed him
was Architeles, the captain of the Sacred Trireme, who had not
sufficient money to pay his crew, and therefore wished to sail back to
Athens. Themistokles stirred up the anger of his men to such a pitch
that they rushed upon him and took away his supper. At this, Architeles
was much vexed, but Themistokles sent him a basket containing bread and
meat, with a talent of silver hidden underneath it, with a message
bidding him eat his supper and pay his men the next day, but that, if he
did not, Themistokles would denounce him to his countrymen as having
received bribes from the enemy. This we are told by Phanias of Lesbos.

VIII. The battles which took place in the Straits with the Persian
ships, were indeed indecisive, but the experience gained in them was of
the greatest value to the Greeks, as they were taught by their result
that multitudes of ships and splendid ensigns, and the boastful
war-cries of barbarians, avail nothing against men who dare to