§1.137.1ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ἀνίστησί τε αὐτὸν μετὰ τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ υἱέος, ὥσπερ καὶ ἔχων αὐτὸν ἐκαθέζετο, καὶ μέγιστον ἦν ἱκέτευμα τοῦτο, καὶ ὕστερον οὐ πολλῷ τοῖς τε Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ Ἀθηναίοις ἐλθοῦσι καὶ πολλὰ εἰποῦσιν οὐκ ἐκδίδωσιν, ἀλλ’ ἀποστέλλει βουλόμενον ὡς βασιλέα πορευθῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν θάλασσαν πεζῇ ἐς Πύδναν τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου.
Admetus, having heard this, raised him up together with his own son, just as he had been sitting holding him; and this was the most powerful form of supplication. Not much later, when the Lacedaemonians and Athenians came and made many demands, he did not surrender him, but sent him away, since he wished to travel to the King, by land to the other sea, to Pydna, the city of Alexander.
§1.137.2ἐν ᾗ ὁλκάδος τυχὼν ἀναγομένης ἐπ’ Ἰωνίας καὶ ἐπιβὰς καταφέρεται χειμῶνι ἐς τὸ Ἀθηναίων στρατόπεδον, ὃ ἐπολιόρκει Νάξον.
Finding there a merchant vessel putting out for Ionia and embarking on it, he was carried by a storm to the Athenian camp which was besieging Naxos.
καί (ἦν γὰρ ἀγνὼς τοῖς ἐν τῇ νηί) δείσας φράζει τῷ ναυκλήρῳ ὅστις ἐστὶ καὶ δι’ ἃ φεύγει, καὶ εἰ μὴ σώσει αὐτόν, ἔφη ἐρεῖν ὅτι χρήμασι πεισθεὶς αὐτὸν ἄγει·
Being afraid (for he was unknown to those on the ship), he told the skipper who he was and why he was fleeing, and said that if he did not save him, he would declare that the skipper had been bribed to carry him.
τὴν δὲ ἀσφάλειαν εἶναι μηδένα ἐκβῆναι ἐκ τῆς νεὼς μέχρι πλοῦς γένηται· πειθομένῳ δ’ αὐτῷ χάριν ἀπομνήσεσθαι ἀξίαν.
He added that their safety lay in no one leaving the ship until they could sail, and that if the skipper complied, he would return a worthy favor.
ὁ δὲ ναύκληρος ποιεῖ τε ταῦτα καὶ ἀποσαλεύσας ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα ὑπὲρ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ὕστερον ἀφικνεῖται ἐς Ἔφεσον.
The skipper did so, and after riding at anchor for a day and a night off the camp, later arrived at Ephesus.
§1.137.3καὶ ὁ Θεμιστοκλῆς ἐκεῖνόν τε ἐθεράπευσε χρημάτων δόσει (ἦλθε γὰρ αὐτῷ ὕστερον ἔκ τε Ἀθηνῶν παρὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ ἐξ Ἄργους ἃ ὑπεξέκειτο) καὶ μετὰ τῶν κάτω Περσῶν τινὸς πορευθεὶς ἄνω ἐσπέμπει γράμματα πρὸς βασιλέα Ἀρταξέρξην τὸν Ξέρξου νεωστὶ βασιλεύοντα.
Themistocles rewarded him with a gift of money (for his property which had been secretly deposited at Athens with his friends and at Argos came to him later); and journeying inland with one of the Persians of the coastal region, he sent a letter to King Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, who had recently come to the throne.
§1.137.4ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ ὅτι ‘Θεμιστοκλῆς ἥκω παρὰ σέ, ὃς κακὰ μὲν πλεῖστα Ἑλλήνων εἴργασμαι τὸν ὑμέτερον οἶκον, ὅσον χρόνον τὸν σὸν πατέρα ἐπιόντα ἐμοὶ ἀνάγκῃ ἠμυνόμην, πολὺ δ᾽ ἔτι πλείω ἀγαθά, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ μὲν ἐμοί, ἐκείνῳ δὲ ἐν ἐπικινδύνῳ πάλιν ἡ ἀποκομιδὴ ἐγίγνετο.
The letter declared: "I, Themistocles, have come to you, who of all Greeks have done the most harm to your house, so long as I was defending myself of necessity against your father when he attacked me, but still far more benefits when my retreat was secure, while his retreat conversely was fraught with danger.
καί μοι εὐεργεσία ὀφείλεται (γράψας τήν τε ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος προάγγελσιν τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως καὶ τὴν τῶν γεφυρῶν, ἣν ψευδῶς προσεποιήσατο, τότε δι’ αὑτὸν οὐ διάλυσιν), καὶ νῦν ἔχων σε μεγάλα ἀγαθὰ δρᾶσαι πάρειμι διωκόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων διὰ τὴν σὴν φιλίαν.
And a favor is due to me (writing of the warning of retreat sent from Salamis and of the non-destruction of the bridges, which he falsely claimed was due to his own influence at that time); and now I am present, having the power to do you great services, being pursued by the Greeks on account of my friendship for you.
βούλομαι δ’ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπισχὼν αὐτός σοι περὶ ὧν ἥκω δηλῶσαι. ’
I wish to wait a year and explain to you myself in person about the matters for which I have come."