Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
92. Thus did the Eginetans to one another: and when the Athenians came,
they fought against them with seventy ships, and being worsted in
the sea-fight they called to their assistance the same whom they had
summoned before, namely the Argives. These would no longer come to their
help, having cause of complaint because the ships of Egina compelled
by Cleomenes had put in to the land of Argos and their crews had landed
with the Lacedemonians; with whom also had landed men from ships of
Sikyon in this same invasion: and as a penalty for this there was laid
upon them by the Argives a fine of a thousand talents, five hundred
for each State. The Sikyonians accordingly, acknowledging that they had
committed a wrong, had made an agreement to pay a hundred talents and be
free from the penalty; the Eginetans however did not acknowledge their
wrong, but were more stubborn. For this reason then, when they made
request, none of the Argives now came to their help at the charge of the
State, but volunteers came to the number of a thousand; and their
leader was a commander named Eurybates, a man who had practised the five
contests. 82 Of these men the greater number never returned back,
but were slain by the Athenians in Egina; and the commander himself,
Eurybates, fighting in single combat 83 killed in this manner three men
and was himself slain by the fourth, Sophanes namely of Dekeleia.
93. The Eginetans however engaged in contest with the Athenians in
ships, when these were in disorder, and defeated them; and they took of
them four ships together with their crews.
94. So the Athenians were at war with the Eginetans; and meanwhile the
Persian was carrying forward his design, since he was put in mind ever
by his servant to remember the Athenians, and also because of the
sons of Peisistratos were near at hand and brought charges continually
against the Athenians, while at the same time Dareios himself wished to
take hold of this pretext and subdue those nations of Hellas which
had not given him earth and water. Mardonios then, since he had fared
miserably in his expedition, he removed from his command; and appointing
other generals to command he despatched them against Eretria and
Athens, namely Datis, who was a Mede by race, and Artaphrenes the son
of Artaphrenes, a nephew of the king: and he sent them forth with the
charge to reduce Athens and Eretria to slavery and to bring the slaves
back into his presence..
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