Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/216

 192 ■ fflSTORY OF GREECE. Leotychides, struck with the significance of this name), pledge thou thy faith to accompany us, — let thy companions prepare the Samians to receive us, and we will go forthwith." Engage- ments were at once exchanged, and while the other two envoys were sent forward to prepare matters in the island, Hegesistratus remained to conduct the fleet, which was farther encouraged by favorable sacrifices, and by the assurances of the prophet Dei- phonus, hired from the Corinthian colony of Apollonia.i When they reached the Heraeum near Kalami in Samos,^ and had prepared themselves for a naval engagement, they discovered that the enemy's fleet had already been withdrawn from the island to the neighboring continent. For the Persian command- ers had been so disheartened with the defeat of Salamis that they were not disposed to fight again at sea : we do not know the numbers of their fleet, but perhaps a considerable proportion of it may have consisted of Ionic Greeks, whose fidelity was now, very doubtful. Having abandoned the idea of a sea-fight, they permitted their Phenician squadron to depart, and sailed with their remaining fleet to the promontory of Mykale near Miletus.3 ' Herodot. ix, 91, 92, 95; viii, 132, 133. The prophet of Mardonius at Platsea bore the same name, and was probably the more highly esteemed for it (Herodot. ix, 37). Diodoras states the fleet as comprising two hxmdred and fifty triremes (xi, 34). The anecdotes respecting the Apolloniate Euenius, the father of Dei- phonus, will be found curious and interesting (Herodot. ix, 93, 94). Euenius, as a recompense for having been unjustly blinded 'by his countrymen, had received from the gods the grant of prophecy transmissible to his descend- ants : a new prophetic breed was thus created, alongside of the lamids, Telliads, Klytiads, etc. avTov opfiLaufiEvoL Kara to 'Hpalov to TavTy, irapeaKevdCovTo e( It is by no means certain that the Herseum here indicated is the cele- brated temple which stood near the city of Samos (iii, 80) : the words of Herodotus rather seem to indicate that another temple of Here, in some other part of the island, is intended. '* Herodotus describes the Persian position by topographical indications known to his readers, but not open to be determined by us, — GfBson, Skolopoeis, the chapel of Demeter, built by Philistus, one of the primitive colonists of Miletus, etc. (ix, 96) ; from the language of Herodotus, we may
 * Herodot. ix, 96. £~ec 6e eyevovro Tf/g 'Lafii?]; irpbg Ka2,a/ioiai, oi fiiv