ared himself to deserve the first prize for
valour, and Themistokles to deserve the second. However, the
Lacedaemonians brought him home with them to Sparta, and gave Eurybiades
the first prize for valour, but Themistokles that for wisdom, a crown of
olive-leaves. They also gave him the best chariot in their city, and
sent three hundred of their young men to escort him out of the country.
It is also related that at the next Olympian games, when Themistokles
appeared upon the race-course, all the spectators took no further
interest in the contests, but passed the whole day in admiring and
applauding him, and in pointing him out to such as were strangers; so
that he was delighted, and said to his friends that he had now received
his reward for all his labours on behalf of Greece.

XVIII. He was by nature excessively fond of admiration, as we may judge
from the stories about him which have been preserved. Once, when he was
made admiral of the Athenian fleet, he put off all the necessary
business of his office until the day appointed for sailing, in order
that he might have a great many dealings with various people all at
once, and so appear to be a person of great influence and importance.
And when he saw the corpses floating in the sea with gold bracelets and
necklaces, he himself passed them by, but pointed them out to a friend
who was following, saying, "Do you pick them up and keep them; for you
are not Themistokles." A beautiful youth, named Antiphates, regarded him
coolly at first, but eventually became submissive to him because of his
immense reputation. "Young man," said Themistokles, "it has taken some
time, but we have at length both regained our right minds." He used to
say that the Athenians neither admired nor respected him, but used him
like a plane-tree under which they took shelter in storm, but which in
fair weather they lopped and stripped of its leaves. Once when a citizen
of Seriphos said to him that he owed his glory, not to himself but to
his city, he answered, "Very true; I should not have become a great man
if I had been a Seriphian, nor would you if you had been an Athenian."
When one of his fellow-generals, who thought that he had done the state
good service, was taking a haughty tone, and comparing his exploits with
those of Themistokles, he said, "The day after a feast, once upon a
time, boasted that it was better than the feast-day itself, because on
that day all men are full of anxiety and trou