Read The Etruscan for Free Online

brutal and merciless man whom we would kill if we dared.”
    But as they spoke they laughed, and the food tasted good to them even though it was not rich like that served on the ships of Miletus. They pointed out their commander who in appearance was no different from them, merely a large, bearded and very dirty man.
    Dorieus went to him, clanking his leg guards, waving the plumes on his helmet and flashing his silver-ornamented shield.
    “Dionysius, commander of the Phocaean ships, hire me and my friend to fight the Persians with you.”
    Dionysius roared with laughter. “If I had the money I would certainly hire you to be my ship’s emblem, for your bold appearance would be enough to frighten the Persians. I myself have only a leather helmet and breastplate and I do not fight for money but for my city’s and my own glory. It is true that, in addition to glory, I hope to seize a few Persian ships for their loot. Otherwise my men will kill me and throw me overboard, which they threaten to do daily.”
    “Don’t anger my friend,” I said. “He is slow to laughter. Nowadays a heavily armored marine is paid five and even ten drachmas a day.”
    Dionysius retorted, “I also am slow to laughter, perhaps even more so than your friend. But these days I have learned to laugh readily. More Persian gold is circulating in this camp than I would have believed possible. We drink and gorge ourselves, dance and sing, boast and argue, and even I, a gruff man, have learned to amuse my men. But the craziest thing I have yet heard is that you two apparently experienced warriors are volunteering to join my forces although I have neither striped sails nor bracelets on my arms.”
    “We are looking at the matter as soldiers,” said Dorieus. “With or without wages we would rather fight on a vessel whose oars obey the wishes of the commander than serve on a ship whose crew willfully chooses its own leaders. I am not familiar with naval warfare, but on the basis of what I have seen at Lade today you are the only true sailor.”
    Dionysius listened and took a liking to us. Dorieus and I both had our pay and some Persian gold with which we bought several armfuls of sacrificial meat from Poseidon’s altar for the crew, as well as some-wine, much to Dionysius’ amazement.
    “We are Phocaeans,” he told us that night, “and as such we live and die on the sea. Our forefathers established a colony in Massilia, far beyond the western sea. Our fathers learned the art of naval warfare while fighting the Tyrrhenians in the west, but did not return to teach us their skill. Thus we have had to learn for ourselves.”
    To prove his point he suddenly ordered the alert to be blown on the conchs. The men, awakened from their deep sleep, stumbled to the ships and in the darkness untied the masts, raised and wedged them into place and unfurled the sails before I had time to clamber onto the deck. Despite their speed Dionysius flailed at them with a length of rope, cursed and roared and called them snails.
    The din awakened all the other camps on the island, alerts were sounded and the rumor spread that the Persians were coming. Many wept in fear and attempted to conceal themselves in the bushes. The commanders shouted orders in vain and the confusion on the island was even greater than it had been during the day. When it became known that Dionysius had blown on the conchs merely to train his men to act in the darkness, the commanders came at us with bared weapons and threats to kill us if we again disturbed their sleep. But Dionysius’ men ran toward them with taut ropes over which they stumbled, losing their shields and swords. Had not the men been so sleepy, a full war might have broken out among the lonians.
2.
    Naval warfare is merciless warfare and no land battle can be compared to it. Having experienced it, I will not speak too harshly of the ships of Miletus and its allies, for they were undeniably excellent and their crews fearless. After they