nassus. She advised Xerxes to march to the
isthmus of Corinth, saying that then all the ships of the Peloponnesus
would fly to defend their own homes, and the fleet of Greece would thus
be dispersed. Xerxes heard her with calmness, but declined to take her
prudent advice. The voice of the others and his own confidence
prevailed, and orders were given for the fleet to make its attack the
next day.

The almost unanimous decision of this council, over which ruled the
will of an autocratic king, was very different from that which was
reached by the Greeks, in whose council all who spoke had equal
authority. The fleet had come to Salamis to aid the flight of the
Athenians. This done, it was necessary to decide where it was best to
meet the Persian fleet. Only the Athenians, under the leadership of
Themistocles, favored remaining where they were. The others perceived
that if they were defeated here, escape would be impossible. Most of
them wished to sail to the isthmus of Corinth, to aid the land army of
the Peloponnesians, while various other plans were urged.

While the chiefs thus debated news came that Athens and the Acropolis
were in flames. At once some of the captains left the council in alarm,
and began hastily to hoist sail for flight. Those that remained voted to
remove to the isthmus, but not to start till the morning of the next
day.

Themistocles, who had done his utmost to prevent this fatal decision,
which he knew would end in the dispersal of the fleet and the triumph of
Persia, returned to his own ship sad of heart. Many of the women and
children of Athens were on the island of Salamis, and if the fleet
sailed they, too, must be removed.

"What has the council decided?" asked his friend Mnesiphilus.

Themistocles gloomily told him.

"This will be ruinous!" burst out Mnesiphilus. "Soon there will be no
allied fleet, nor any cause or country to fight for. You must have the
council meet again; this vote must be set aside; if it be carried out
the liberty of Greece is at an end."

So strongly did he insist upon this that Themistocles was inspired to
make another effort. He went at once to the ship of Eurybiades, the
Spartan who had been chosen admiral of the fleet, and represented the
case so earnestly to him that Eurybiades was partly convinced, and
consented to call the council together again.

Here Themistocles was so excitedly eager that he sought to win the
chiefs over to his views even before Eury