CHAPTER II.
NEWS FROM THE FLEET.
I anticipated the course of my story when I spoke of the first prizebeing adjudged to the comedy exhibited by Aristophanes. There werevarious competing plays--how many we do not know, but the titles andauthors of two that won the second and third prizes have beenpreserved--and all those had of course to be performed before a decisioncould be made. Two or three days at least must have passed before theexhibition was at an end.
The next competitor had certainly reason to complain of his ill-luck.Just before the curtain fell for the opening scene of his comedy anincident occurred which made the people little disposed to listen toanything more that day. The spectators had just settled themselves intheir places, when a young officer hastily made his way up to the benchwhere the magistrates were seated, and handed a roll to the president.The occurrence was very unusual. It was reckoned almost an impiety todisturb the festival of Bacchus with anything of business; only mattersof the very gravest importance could be allowed to do it. The entranceof the young man, happening as it did, just in the pause of expectationbefore the new play began, had been generally observed. Every one couldsee from his dress that he was a naval officer, and many knew him asone of the most promising young men in Athens. "News from the fleet,"was the whisper that ran through the theatre, and there were few amongthe thousands there assembled to whom news from the fleet did not meanthe life or death of father, brother, or son. The president glanced atthe document put into his hands, and whispering a few words to themessenger, pointed to a seat by his side. All eyes were fastened uponhim. (The magistrates, it may be explained, occupied one of the front orlowest rows of seats, and were therefore more or less in view of thewhole theater, which was arranged in the form of a semicircle, with tierupon tier of benches rising upon the slope of the hill on the side ofwhich the building was constructed.) When a moment afterwards, thecurtain was withdrawn, scarcely a glance was directed to the stage. Theaction and the dialogue of the new piece were absolutely lost upon whatshould have been an audience, but was a crowd of anxious citizens,suddenly recalled from the shows of the stage to the realities of life.
The president now carefully read the document and passed it on to hiscolleagues. Some whispered consultations passed between them. When atthe end of the first act a change of scenery caused a longer pause thanusual the president quietly left the theatre, taking the bearer of thedespatch with him. Some of the other magistrates followed him, the restremaining behind because it would have been unseemly to leave theofficial seats wholly untenanted while the festival was still going on.This proceeding increased the agitation of the people, because itemphasized the importance of the news that had arrived. Some slippedaway, unable to sit quietly in their places and endure the suspense, andvaguely hoping to hear something more outside. Among those that remainedthe buzz of conversation grew louder and louder. Only a few verydetermined play-goers even pretended to listen to what was going on uponthe stage. Meanwhile the unfortunate author, to whom, after all, thefate of his play was not less urgent a matter than the fate of the city,sat upon his prompter's stool--the author not uncomonly did the duty ofprompter--and heartily cursed the bad luck which had distracted in sodisastrous a way the attention of his audience.
When at last, to the great relief of everyone concerned, the performancewas brought to a conclusion, the young officer told his story,supplementing the meagre contents of the despatch which he had brought,to a full conclave of magistrates, assembled in one of the senate-roomsof the Prytaneum or Town-hall of Athens. I may introduce him to myreaders as Callias, the hero of my story.
Many of the details that follow had already been given by Callias, butas he had to repeat them for the benefit of the magistrates who hadstopped behind in the theatre, I may as well put them all together.
"We know," said the president, "that Conon was beaten in a battle in theharbor of Mitylene. So much we heard from Hippocles, a very patrioticperson by the way, though he is an alien. He has a very swift yacht thatcan outstrip any war-ship in Greece, and often gives us very valuableintelligence. Do you know him?"
"Yes," said Callias, flushing with pleasure, for indeed he knew andrespected Hippocles greatly, "I know him very well."
THE THEATER OF DIONYSUS AT THE PRESENT DAY.]
"Well, to go on," resumed the president. "So much we know, but no more.Tell us exactly how Conon fared in the battle."
"Sir," answered the young man, "he lost thirty ships."
"And the crews," asked the president.
"They escaped; happily they were able to get to land."
"Thank Athene for that;" and a murmur of relief ran round the meeting."And the other forty--he had seventy, I think, in all?" Callias noddedassent.
"What happened to the forty?"
"They were hauled up under the walls when the day went against us."
"Now tell us exactly what has been going on since."
"The Spartans blockaded the harbor, having some of their ships within,and some without. Our general saw that it was only a matter of time whenhe should have to surrender. The Spartans had four times as many ships,the ships not, perhaps, quite as good as his, but the crews, I amafraid, somewhat better."
"Shade of Themistocles," murmured one of the magistrates, "that itshould come to this--the Spartan crews 'somewhat better' than ours. ButI am afraid that it is only too true."
"He could not break through; and could not stand a long siege. Mitylenewas fairly well provisioned for its ordinary garrison, but here wereseventy crews added all of a sudden to the number. He sent someofficers--I had the honor of being one of them--and we found that bysparing everything to the very utmost, we might hold out for fiveweeks. The only chance was to send news to Athens. You might help us, wethought."
"We might; we _must_, I say. But how it is to be done is another matter.Tell us how you got here?"
"The general took the two fastest ships in his squadron, manned themwith the very best rowers that he could find, practised the crews forfour days in the inner harbor, and then set about running the blockadewith them. The Spartans, you see, had grown a little careless. We hadn'tmade any attempt to get out, and Conon got a Lesbian freedman to desertto the Spartans with a story that we were meaning to surrender. This putthem off their guard still more. They got into a way of leaving theirships at noon, to take their meal and their siesta afterwards on shore.We made a dart at an unguarded place between two of their blockadingships and we got through. I don't think that we lost a single man. Bythe time that the crews of the blockading galleys regained their vesselswe were well out of bow-shot. Our instructions were to separate, when wegot outside the harbor. We did not do this at once because we hadplanned a little trick which might, we hoped, help to put the enemy offthe scent. The ship that I was in was really the swifter of the two.This was, of course, the reason why I was put into it. But as long as wekept together we made believe that we were the slower. When they cameout after us--they had manned half-a-dozen ships or so as quickly asthey could--we separated. My ship, which you will understand, was reallythe faster of the two, was put about the north as if making forHellespont; the other kept on its course, straight for Athens. TheSpartans told off their best ships to follow the latter which theythought that they had the better chance of catching. And of course, asit was headed this way, it seemed the more important of the two."
"I suppose that they overtook it," said the president, "or it would havebeen here before this."
"Well, we soon outstripped the two galleys that were told to look afterus. When we were well out of sight, we headed westward again, took acircuit round the north side of Lemnos, and got here without seeinganother enemy."
"How long is it since you left Mitylene?"
"About five days."
"But how long did Conon think he could hold out?"
"About forty days; perhaps more, if the men were put on short rations."
"You have done well, my son," said the president kindly, "and Athenswill n
ot forget it. We will consult together, though there is small needof consulting, I take it. The relief _must_ be sent. Is it not sogentlemen?"
His colleagues nodded assent.
"But there are things to be talked over. We must decide how much we cansend, and that cannot be done upon the spot. But there is a matter thatcan be settled at once. Conon must be told that he is going to berelieved. Now, who will tell him? Will you?"
"Certainly, if you see fit to give me the order."
"And how?"
"I would consult with Hippocles."
"Excellent!" cried the president. "He is just the man to help us. Youwill go and see him, and then report to me. Come to me to-night; it willnot matter how late it is; I shall be waiting for you."
Callias saluted, and withdrew.
Callias: A Tale of the Fall of Athens Page 2