204 HISTORICAL TALES.

envoys of life were in time; but barely in time.
Those who bore the message of death had reached
port and placed their dread order in the hands of
the Athenian commander, and he was already taking
steps for the fearful massacre, when the second tri-
reme dashed into the waters of that island harbor,
and the cheers of exultation of its rowers met the
ears of the imperilled populace.

So near was Mitylene to destruction that the
breaking of an oar would have been enough to
doom six thousand men to death. So near as this
was Athens to winning the execration of mankind,
by the perpetration of an enormity which barbarians
might safely have performed, but for which Athens
could never have been forgiven. The thousand pris-
oners sent to Athens—the leading spirits of the re-
volt—were, it is true, put to death, but this merci-
less cruelty, as it would be deemed to-day, has been
condoned in view of the far greater slaughter of the
innocent from which Athens so narrowly escaped.