Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/77

 POLICY OF THEMSTOKLES. 53 which the best defence would be found in a numerous and well- trained fleet. Nor could the large preparations of Darius for renewing the attack remain unknown to a vigilant observer, ex- tending as they did over so many Greeks subject to the Persian empire. Such positive warning was more than enough to stimu- late the active genius of Themistokles, who now prevailed upon his countrymen to begin Avith energy the work of maritime prep- aration, as well against uEgina as against Persia.^ Not only were two hundred new ships built, and citizens trained as sea- men, — but the important work was commenced, during the year when Themistokles was either archon or general, of form- ing and fortifying a new harbor for Athens at Peiraeus, instead of the ancient open bay of Phalerum. The latter was indeed somewhat nearer to the city, but Peii-a;us, with its three separate natural ports,^ admitting of being closed and fortified, was incom- parably superior in safety as well as in convenience. It is not too much to say, with Herodotus, — that the -^ginetan " war was the salvation of Greece, by constraining the Athenians to make themselves a maritime power."3 The whole efficiency of the resistance subsequently made to Xerxes turned upon this new movement in the organization of Athens, allowed as it was to attain tolerable completeness through a fortunate concurrence of accidents ; for the important delay of ten years, between the defeat of Marathon and the fi-esh invasion by which it was to be avenged, was in truth the result of accident. First, the revolt of Egypt ; next, the death of Darius ; thirdly, the indifference of Xerxes, at his first accession, towards Hellenic matters, — post- poned until 480 B.C., an invasion which would naturally have been undertaken in 487 or 486 B.C., and which would have found Athens at that time without her wooden walls, — the great engine of her subsequent salvation. Another accidental help, without which the new fleet could not have been built, — a considerable amount of public money, — was also by good fortune now available to the Athenians. It is ' Thacyd. i, 14. Herodot. vii, 144. 2 Thucyd. i, 93. ' Herodot. vii, 144. Ourof yap 6 ■!z62.efiog ovctclq eauae tote ttjv 'EAAada, uvayKucag ■^a?iaGaiovi ytVEa&ai ^A^ijvaiovg. Thucyd. i, 18. vavrcKol iyivovTO.