Callias: A Tale of the Fall of Athens

by Alfred John Church

  CHAPTER V.

  RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.

  Hippocles, who was a ship builder as well as a merchant, put allavailable hands to work on the alterations which he proposed to make inthe _Skylark_. To disguise her effectually was a more difficult thingthan Hermione had imagined when she had suggested this idea. To disguiseher beyond all risk of discovery was probably impossible, a landsmanmight be deceived by different colored paint, and a nautical observer,if he did not give more than a casual glance, by an altered rigging. Butthe lines of the ship would remain. These Hippocles endeavored toconceal by a false and much broader bow which was ingeniously fitted onto the true hull, and which made her look anything but the fast sailerthat she really was. Heavy bulwarks were substituted for the light onesthat had been a familiar feature of the _Skylark_. Altogether she wasmetamorphosed in a fairly satisfactory way from a smart yacht into aclumsy merchantman. As the venturous owner intended to time his arrivalfor the night, and to do his errand before day-break, he hoped that thedisguise would save her as long as it should be wanted.

  So much energy did the workmen, stimulated by their master's presenceand by his liberal promises of renumeration, throw into their work, thatby the evening of the seventh day the _Skylark_ was ready for sea inher new dress, disguised beyond recognition, except by very skilful eyesindeed. The dockyard had been strictly closed against all visitors whilethe work was in progress, and the men had been lodged within its walls,so that no hint of what was going on might leak out. Hippocles had paida daily visit to his home, and did not conceal from his daughter that hewas busy in carrying out her suggestions. So frank, indeed, was he, andso cheerful in manner, that the girl was fairly thrown off her guard.Not a suspicion crossed her mind, that her father was meditating adesperate enterprise in which the chances were certainly rather againsthis life than otherwise, nor did she realize the extraordinary hastewith which the work was being pressed on, though she was generally awarethat a good deal of expedition was being used. Hence she was taken bysurprise, when on the eighth day instead of her father's usual visit,timed so that he might share her noon-day meal, a written message wasdelivered to her, to the effect that her father was suddenly called awayfrom Athens on business of importance, and that he could not be certainof the day of his return. The surprise almost overwhelmed her, chieflybecause she felt that this unusual hurry on the part of her father wassignificant of the perilous nature of the enterprise. It was only herunusual fortitude, backed by the feeling that she herself must notdeviate from doing her duty, that enabled her to bear up at all.

  Meanwhile Hippocles was on his way to the scene of action. The _Skylark_crossed the AEgean without meeting with any misadventure. She wasoverhauled, indeed, when about half her journey was accomplished by anAthenian cruiser, and her owner had the satisfaction of finding that sofar his disguise was successful. The Athenian captain was anacquaintance of his own (indeed there were few prominent people in thecity to whom he was not known) and had actually been on board the_Skylark_ more than once; but he did not recognize either Hippocles orhis vessel. In fact he was about to carry her off as a prize whenHippocles, still without discovering himself, produced the pass withwhich he had been provided under the seal of the Athenian authorities.His arrival at Mitylene was happily timed in more ways than one. By astroke of that good fortune which is proverbially said to help the boldit so happened that there was a violent north-east wind blowing. Thiswas a wind from which the harbor of Mitylene afforded little or noshelter. In fact, when it was blowing, most sailors preferred to be outon the open sea. Hippocles accordingly found everything in commotion.The blockading ships, which moored as they were across the mouth of theharbor, felt the full force of the wind, were anxious about theirmoorings, and had little attention to give to any strange ship. The_Skylark_ was in fact hardly noticed in the darkness and confusion, andactually got beyond the line of the blockading galleys, and as far asthe admiral's ship, without being challenged. For a few moments hethought of boldly pushing on to the inner part of the harbor, where, ashas been said, the remainder of the Athenian fleet was lying hauled upunder the walls; but when he was hailed by a voice from a Spartan ship,one of two that lay almost directly in his way, he abandoned the idea."Anaxilaus, merchant of Cos, to see the admiral, on business ofimportance," was his reply to the challenge. At the last moment hedropped his anchor. A few minutes afterward, he came on board theadmiral's galley and reported himself to that officer.

  It would be unjust to Callicratidas--for this was the admiral's name--todescribe him as a model Spartan. He was rather a model Greek. TheSpartans had great virtues which however, it is curious to observe,seldom survived transplantation from their native soil.[17] They werefrugal, temperate, and just; but they were narrow in their habits ofthought and their conceptions of duty. A good soldier whose efficiencywas not diminished by any vice was their ideal man. They could not enterinto any large and liberal views of life. And their views ofstatesmanship whether as regarded their own city or the whole race ingeneral were as narrow as were their notions of private virtue. Theysometimes showed a great amount of diplomatic skill, a strange contrastwith the bluntness which was their traditional characteristic, but ofwide and general views they seem to have been incapable. YetCallicratidas seems to have been an exception. We know comparativelylittle about him. He emerges from absolute obscurity at the beginning ofthe year with which my story opens, and it is only for a few months thathe plays a conspicuous part in history, but from now up to the hourwhen we see him for the last time, all his words and acts are markedwith a rare nobility.

  It was not difficult for Hippocles to invent a story which shouldaccount for his presence at Mitylene. The domestic politics of almostevery Greek state were mixed up with the great struggle that was goingon between Athens and Sparta. Everywhere the democratic party looked toAthens as its champion, the aristocratic to Sparta. This was especiallytrue of the states which were called the allies but were really thesubjects or tributaries of Athens. A turn of the political wheels thatbrought the aristocrats to the top was commonly followed by a revoltfrom the sovereign state; when, as was usually the case, they remainedunderneath, they busied themselves in plotting for a change, and theirfirst step was to open communications with the Spartan general oradmiral in command.

  In Cos the popular or pro-Athenian party was in the ascendant, and theiropponents were weak. The fact was that the Spartans were not in goodrepute there. Six years before their admiral Astyochus had plundered theisland laying hands impartially on the property of friends and of foes.Still there was a party which remained faithful to Sparta, and Hippoclespreferred to speak as their representative. His wide-spread connectionsas a merchant--and Cos had a large trade with its famous vintages andequally famous woven stuffs--gave him a knowledge of details and personsthat would have deceived a far more acute and suspicious person thanCallicratidas.

  The merchant began the conversation by offering the admiral a present ofwine, and one of those almost transparent robes of silk that were aspecialty of the island.

  "I will not be so churlish as to refuse what you have the good will tooffer me," said Callicratidas, "but you must understand that I do notaccept these things for myself. I accept no personal gifts; it is adangerous practice, and has given rise to much scandal. I shall sendthem to Sparta, and the magistrates will dispose of them as they thinkfit. What is this?" he went on, taking up the robe and holding itbetween his eyes and the lamp. "What do you use it for? for strainingthe wine?"

  Hippocles explained that it was a material for garments.

  "Garments!" exclaimed the Spartan, "why, we might as well wear aspider's web. It is not clothing at all. It neither warms nor covers. Isit possible that there are people so foolish as to spend their money onit? It is costly, I suppose?"

  "As you ask me," replied Hippocles, "I may say that it costs about twominas a yard."

  "Two minas a yard!" cried Callicratidas, whose Spartan frugality wasscandalized at such a price. "Why," he added after a
short calculation,"it is very nearly a seaman's pay for a year,[18] are there many who buysuch costly stuff?"

  "A dress of this material is the top of the fashion for ladies in Athensand Corinth."

  "What?" said the Spartan, "do women wear such things? It is incredible.I have always thought that things had changed for the worse at home, butwe have not got as far as that. And now for your business."

  Hippocles explained that there was a dissatisfied party in Cos which wasvery anxious to get rid of Athenian rule. "We are not strong enough," hewent on, "to do it of ourselves, but send on a force and we will openthe gates to you. Cos is a strong place now, since the Atheniansfortified it, and, I should think, quite worth having."

  "And if we put you in power," said the admiral, "you would begin, Isuppose, by putting all your opponents to death."

  Callicratidas was quite a different person from what Hippocles, with hisformer experience of Spartans in command, had expected to find. Hisdisinterestedness, simplicity and directness were embarrassing, and madehim not a little ashamed of the part that he was playing. He would havedearly liked to speak out of his own heart to a man who wastransparently honest and well-meaning, but in his position it wasimpossible.

  "We have, as you may suppose, sir," he said in answer to this lastsuggestion, "a great many injuries to avenge, but we should not wish todo anything that does not meet with your approval."

  "The whole thing does not meet with my approval," said the Spartan, "Ihate these perpetual plots; I hate to see every city divided againstitself, and see the big persons in Greece hounding them on to bloodydeeds, and making our own gain out of them. I wish to all the gods thatI could do something to bring this wretched war to an end. Why shouldnot Athens and Sparta be friends as they were in the old days? Surelythat would be better than our going on flying at each others' throats aswe have been doing for now nearly twenty years past, while the Persianstands by, and laughs to see us play his game. Where should we be--youseem an honest man, by your face, though I cannot say that Iparticularly like the errand on which you have come--where should we be,I ask, if we had shown this accursed folly twenty-odd years ago, whenXerxes brought up all Asia against us? As it was we stood shoulder toshoulder, and Greece was saved. And now we have to go cap in hand, andbeg of the very Persians who are only biding their time to make slavesof us. I tell you, sir, I feel hot with shame at the thought of what Ihave had myself to put up with in this way. When I came here I found thepay-chest empty; I don't want to complain of anybody, so I won't say howthis came about; but that was the fact, it was empty; the men had had nowages for some time, and they would very soon have had no food. I askedmy officers for advice. 'You must go to Cyrus,' they said, 'Cyrus ispaymaster.'[19] It was a bitter draught to swallow, but I managed to getit down. I went to his palace at Sardis. 'Tell your master,' I said tothe slave who came to the door, a gorgeous creature whose dress I amsure I could not afford to buy, 'tell your master that Callicratidas,admiral of the Spartan fleet, is here, and wishes to speak with him.'The fellow left me standing outside, and went to deliver his message.After I had waited till my patience was almost exhausted, the man cameback, and said 'Cyrus is not at leisure to see you. He is drinking.'Well, I put up with that. 'Very good,' I said, 'I will wait till he hasdone drinking.' I thought that I would go earlier the next day, thougheven then it was scarcely an hour after noon. So I went at a time when Ithought that he could not possibly have taken to his cups, and askedagain to see him. This time they had not the grace even to make anexcuse. 'Cyrus is not at leisure to see you,' was the answer, andnothing more. That was more than I could stand, and I went away. I vowedthat day, and believe me it was not only because I had myself beeninsulted, that if I lived to go home, I would do my very best to bringSparta and Athens together again. And now, sir, as to your business. Iwill send home a report of what you say. If the authorities direct me totake any action in the matter, I shall do my best to take it witheffect, but I tell you frankly that this idea does not commend itself tome, and let me give you a bit of advice: do your best to make peace inyour city, as I shall do my best to make peace in Greece. Depend uponit, that if we don't, we shall have some one coming down upon us fromoutside. It may be the Persian, though he does not seem to me to haveimproved as a soldier; it may be the Macedonian, who is a sturdy fellow,and helps us already to fight our battles. Whoever it is he will find ushelpless with an endless quarrel and will make short work with us. Andnow good night."

  Hippocles left the Spartan admiral full of admiration for his manly andpatriotic temper, and not at all pleased that he had been obliged toplay a false part with a man so transparently honest.

  About an hour after midnight the harbor was alarmed by the cry that theship from Cos had parted from her moorings. Hippocles had takenadvantage of a temporary increase in the force of the wind to cut hiscables, and to drift toward the Athenian part of the harbor. Nobody wasable to answer the cry for help, even if it had not been purposelyraised too late. The _Skylark_ had run the blockade, and Conon knew thathe was to be relieved.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [17] The instances in which a Spartan general sent to fill some officeabroad seemed to lose all self-restraint and all sense of shame aredeplorably numerous. Pausanias, the Spartan who commanded at Plataea, andwas afterwards banished for treacherous dealings with the Persians, wasthe first conspicuous example of this national failing, as it may becalled; but it was an example often followed. The Spartan governors inallied or conquered cities were almost proverbial for profligacy,tyranny and corruption.

  [18] A seaman was paid four obols a day, the rate having been increasedby the liberality of Cyrus from three to four. Five obols went to thedrachma, and a hundred drachmas to the mina.

  [19] This was the prince commonly called the younger Cyrus, the secondof the two sons of Darius Nothus, King of Persia, by his QueenParysatis. He had come down about a year and a half before the time ofwhich I am writing to take the government of a large portion of AsiaMinor, viz: Lydia, Phrygia, and Cappadocia. He was strongly pro-Spartanin his views, and as has been explained in a previous note, hadincreased the rate furnished by the Persian treasury to the Spartanfleet. But Lysander, in his anger at being suspended in the command,had, with the selfishness, characteristic of Spartan officers, paid backto Cyrus all the money that had been furnished for the pay of thesailors.