the history-第151章

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and　meet　the　Persian　in　Boeotia；　but　when　the　time　came；　ye　were　false　to　your　word；　and　looked　on　while　the　barbarian　host　advanced　into　Attica。　At　this　time；　therefore；　the　Athenians　are　angered　with　you；　and　justly；…　for　ye　have　not　done　what　was　right。　They　bid　you；　however；　make　haste　to　send　forth　your　army；　that　we　may　even　yet　meet　Mardonius　in　Attica。　Now　that　Boeotia　is　lost　to　us；　the　best　place　for　the　fight　within　our　country；　will　be　the　plain　of　Thria。〃　　　　　The　Ephors；　when　they　had　heard　this　speech；　delayed　their　answer　till　the　morrow；　and　when　the　morrow　came；　till　the　day　following。　And　thus　they　acted　for　ten　days；　continually　putting　off　the　ambassadors　from　one　day　to　the　next。　Meanwhile　the　Peloponnesians　generally　were　labouring　with　great　zeal　at　the　wall；　and　the　work　nearly　approached　completion。　I　can　give　no　other　reason　for　the　conduct　of　the　Lacedaemonians　in　showing　themselves　so　anxious；　at　the　time　when　Alexander　came；　that　the　Athenians　should　not　join　the　Medes；　and　now　being　quite　careless　about　it；　except　that　at　the　former　time　the　wall　across　the　Isthmus　was　not　complete；　and　they　worked　at　it　in　great　fear　of　the　Persians；　whereas　now　the　bulwark　had　been　raised；　and　so　they　imagined　that　they　had　no　further　need　of　the　Athenians。　　　　　At　last　the　ambassadors　got　an　answer；　and　the　troops　marched　forth　from　Sparta；　under　the　following　circumstances。　The　last　audience　had　been　fixed　for　the　ambassadors；　when；　the　very　day　before　it　was　to　be　given；　a　certain　Tegean；　named　Chileus；　a　man　who　had　more　influence　at　Sparta　than　any　other　foreigner；　learning　from　the　Ephors　exactly　what　the　Athenians　had　said；　addressed　these　words　to　them…　〃The　case　stands　thus；　O　ye　Ephors！　If　the　Athenians　are　not　our　friends；　but　league　themselves　with　the　barbarians；　however　strong　our　wall　across　the　Isthmus　may　be；　there　will　be　doors　enough；　and　wide　enough　open　too；　by　which　the　Persian　may　gain　entrance　to　the　Peloponnese。　Grant　their　request　then；　before　they　make　any　fresh　resolve；　which　may　bring　Greece　to　ruin。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　counsel　which　Chileus　gave：　and　the　Ephors；　taking　the　advice　into　consideration；　determined　forthwith；　without　speaking　a　word　to　the　ambassadors　from　the　three　cities；　to　despatch　to　the　Isthmus　a　body　of　five　thousand　Spartans；　and　accordingly　they　sent　them　forth　the　same　night；　appointing　to　each　Spartan　a　retinue　of　seven　Helots；　and　giving　the　command　of　the　expedition　to　Pausanias　the　son　of　Cleombrotus。　The　chief　power　belonged　of　right　at　this　time　to　Pleistarchus；　the　son　of　Leonidas；　but　as　he　was　still　a　child　Pausanias；　his　cousin；　was　regent　in　his　room。　For　the　father　of　Pausanias；　Cleombrotus；　the　son　of　Anaxandridas；　no　longer　lived；　he　had　died　a　short　time　after　bringing　back　from　the　Isthmus　the　troops　who　had　been　employed　in　building　the　wall。　A　prodigy　had　caused　him　to　bring　his　army　home；　for　while　he　was　offering　sacrifice　to　know　if　he　should　march　out　against　the　Persian；　the　sun　was　suddenly　darkened　in　mid　sky。　Pausanias　took　with　him；　as　joint…leader　of　the　army；　Euryanax；　the　son　of　Dorieus；　a　member　of　his　own　family。　　　　　The　army　accordingly　had　marched　out　from　Sparta　with　Pausanias：　while　the　ambassadors；　when　day　came；　appeared　before　the　Ephors；　knowing　nothing　of　the　march　of　the　troops；　and　purposing　themselves　to　leave　Sparta　forthwith；　and　return　each　man　to　his　own　country。　They　therefore　addressed　the　Ephors　in　these　words：…　〃Lacedaemonians；　as　you　do　not　stir　from　home；　but　keep　the　Hyacinthian　festival；　and　amuse　yourselves；　deserting　the　cause　of　your　confederates；　the　Athenians；　whom　your　behaviour　wrongs；　and　who　have　no　other　allies；　will　make　such　terms　with　the　Persians　as　they　shall　find　possible。　Now　when　terms　are　once　made；　it　is　plain　that；　having　become　the　king's　allies；　we　shall　march　with　the　barbarians　whithersoever　they　choose　to　lead。　Then　at　length　you　will　perceive　what　the　consequences　will　be　to　yourselves。〃　When　the　envoys　had　spoken；　the　Ephors　declared　to　them　with　an　oath：…　〃Our　troops　must　be　at　Oresteum　by　this　time；　on　their　march　against　the　strangers。〃　（The　Spartans　say　〃strangers〃　for　〃barbarians。〃）　At　this　the　ambassadors；　quite　ignorant　of　what　had　happened；　questioned　them　concerning　their　meaning；　and　when；　by　much　questioning；　they　had　discovered　the　truth；　they　were　greatly　astonished　thereat；　and　forthwith　set　off；　at　their　best　speed；　to　overtake　the　Spartan　army。　At　the　same　time　a　body　of　five　thousand　Lacedaemonian　Perioeci；　all　picked　men　and　fully　armed；　set　forth　from　Sparta；　in　the　company　of　the　ambassadors。　　　　　So　these　troops　marched　in　haste　towards　the　Isthmus。　Meanwhile　the　Argives；　who　had　promised　Mardonius　that　they　would　stop　the　Spartans　from　crossing　their　borders；　as　soon　as　they　learnt　that　Pausanias　with　his　army　had　started　from　Sparta；　took　the　swiftest　courier　they　could　find；　and　sent　him　off　to　Attica。　The　message　which　he　delivered；　on　his　arrival　at　Athens；　was　the　following：　〃Mardonius；〃　he　said；　〃the　Argives　have　sent　me　to　tell　thee　that　the　Lacedaemonian　youth　are　gone　forth　from　their　city；　and　that　the　Argives　are　too　weak　to　hinder　them。　Take　good　heed　therefore　to　thyself　at　this　time。〃　After　thus　speaking；　without　a　word　more；　he　returned　home。　　　　　When　Mardonius　learnt　that　the　Spartans　were　on　their　march；　he　no　longer　cared　to　remain　in　Attica。　Hitherto　he　had　kept　quiet；　wishing　to　see　what　the　Athenians　would　do；　and　had　neither　ravaged　their　territory；　nor　done　it　any　the　least　harm；　for　till　now　he　had　cherished　the　hope　that　the　Athenians　would　come　to　terms　with　him。　As；　however；　he　found　that　his　persuasions　were　of　no　avail；　and　as　their　whole　policy　was　now　clear　to　him；　he　determined　to　withdraw　from　Attica　before　Pausanias　with　his　army　reached　the　Isthmus；　first；　however；　he　resolved　to　burn　Athens；　and　to　cast　down　and　level　with　the　ground　whatever　remained　standing　of　the　walls；　temples；　and　other　buildings。　His　reason　for　retreating　was；　that　Attica　was　not　a　country　where　horse　could　act　with　advantage；　and　further；　that　if　he　suffered　defeat　in　a　battle；　no　way　of　escape　was　open　to　him；　except　through　defiles；　where　a　handful　of　troops　might　stop　all　his　army。　So　he　determined　to　withdraw　to　Thebes；　and　give　the　Greeks　battle　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　friendly　city；　and　on　ground　well　suited　for　cavalry。　　　　　After　he　had　quitted　Attica　and　was　already　upon　his　march；　news　reached　him　that　a　body　of　a　thousand　Lacedaemonians；　distinct　from　the　army　of　Pausanias；　and　sent　on　in　advance；　had　arrived　in　the　Megarid。　When　he　heard　it；　wishing；　if　possible；　to　destroy　this　detachment　first；　Mardonius　considered　with　himself　how　he　might　compass　their　ruin。　With　a　sudden　change　of　march　he　made　for　Megara；　while　the　horse；　pushing　on　in　advance；　entered　and　ravaged　the　Megarid。　（Here　was　the　furthest　point　in　Europe　towards　the　setting　sun　to　which　this　Persian　army　ever　penetrated。）　　　　　After　this；　Mardonius　received　another　message；　whereby　he　learnt　that　the　forces　of　the　Greeks　were　collected　together　at　the　Isthmus；　which　tidings　caused　him　to　draw　back；　and　leave　Attica　by　the　way　of　Deceleia。　The　Boeotarchs　had　sent　for　some　of　the　neighbours　of　the　Asopians；　and　these　persons　served　as　guides　to　the　army；　and　led　them　first　to　Sphendale；　and　from　thence　to　Tanagra；　where　Mardonius　rested　a　night；　after　which；　upon　the　morrow；　he　bent　his　course　to　Scolus；　which　brought　him　into　the　territory　of　the　Thebans。　And　now；　although　the　Thebans　had　espoused　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　yet　Mardonius　cut　down　all　the　trees　in　these　parts；　not　however　from　any　enmity　towards　the　Thebans；　but　on　account　of　his　own　urgent　needs；　for　he　wanted　a　rampart　to　protect　his　army　from　attack；　and　he　likewise　desired　to　have　a　place　of　refuge；　whither　his　troops　might　flee；　in　case　the　battle　should　go　contrary　to　his　wishes。　His　army　at　this　time　lay　on　the　Asopus；　and　stretched　from　Erythrae；　along　by　Hysiae；　to　the　territory　of　the　Plataeans。　The　wall；　however；　was　not　made　to　extend　so　far；　but　formed　a　square　of　about　ten　furlongs　each　way。　　　　　While　the　barbarians　were　employed　in　this　work；　a　certain　citizen　of　Thebes；　Attaginus　by　name；　the　son　of　Phrynon；　having　made　great　preparations；　gave　a　banquet；　and　invited　Mardonius　thereto；　together　with　fifty　of　the　noblest　Persians。　Now　the　banquet　was　held　at　Thebes；　and　all　the　guests　who　were　invited　came　to　it。　　　　　What　follows　was　recounted　to　me　by　Thersander；　a　native　of　Orchomenus；　a　man　of　the　first　rank　in　that　city。　Thersander　told　me　that　he　was　himself　among　those　invited　to　the　feast；　and　that　besides　the　Persians　fifty　Thebans　were　asked；　and　the　two　nations　were　not　arranged　separately；　but　a　Persian　and　a　Theban　were　set　side　by　side　upon　each　couch。　After　the　feast　was　ended；　and　the　drinking　had　begun；　the　Persian　who　shared　Thersander's　couch　addressed　him　in　the　Greek　tongue；　and　inquired　of　him　from　what　city　he　came。　He　answered；　that　he　was　of　Orchomenus；　whereupon　the　other　said…　　　　　〃Since　thou　hast　eaten　with　me　at　one　table；　and　poured　libation　from　one　cup；　I　would　fain　leave　with　thee　a　memorial　of　the　belief　I　hold…　the　rather　that　thou　mayest　have　timely　warning　thyself；　and　so