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ee　a　memorial　of　the　belief　I　hold…　the　rather　that　thou　mayest　have　timely　warning　thyself；　and　so　be　able　to　provide　for　thy　own　safety。　Seest　thou　these　Persians　here　feasting；　and　the　army　which　we　left　encamped　yonder　by　the　river…side？　Yet　a　little　while；　and　of　all　this　number　thou　wilt　behold　but　a　few　surviving！〃　　　　　As　he　spake；　the　Persian　let　fall　a　flood　of　tears：　whereon　Thersander；　who　was　astonished　at　his　words；　replied…　〃Surely　thou　shouldest　say　all　this　to　Mardonius；　and　the　Persians　who　are　next　him　in　honour〃…　but　the　other　rejoined…　〃Dear　friend；　it　is　not　possible　for　man　to　avert　that　which　God　has　decreed　shall　happen。　No　one　believes　warnings；　however　true。　Many　of　us　Persians　know　our　danger；　but　we　are　constrained　by　necessity　to　do　as　our　leader　bids　us。　Verily　'tis　the　sorest　of　all　human　ills；　to　abound　in　knowledge　and　yet　have　no　power　over　action。〃　All　this　I　heard　myself　from　Thersander　the　Orchomenian；　who　told　me　further；　that　he　mentioned　what　had　happened　to　divers　persons；　before　the　battle　was　fought　at　Plataea。　　　　　When　Mardonius　formerly　held　his　camp　in　Boeotia；　all　the　Greeks　of　those　parts　who　were　friendly　to　the　Medes　sent　troops　to　join　his　army；　and　these　troops　accompanied　him　in　his　attack　upon　Athens。　The　Phocians　alone　abstained；　and　took　no　part　in　the　invasion；　for；　though　they　had　espoused　the　Median　cause　warmly；　it　was　very　much　against　their　will；　and　only　because　they　were　compelled　so　to　do。　However；　a　few　days　after　the　arrival　of　the　Persian　army　at　Thebes；　a　thousand　of　their　heavy…armed　soldiers　came　up；　under　the　command　of　Harmocydes；　one　of　their　most　distinguished　citizens。　No　sooner　had　these　troops　reached　Thebes；　than　some　horsemen　came　to　them　from　Mardonius；　with　orders　that　they　should　take　up　a　position　upon　the　plain；　away　from　the　rest　of　the　army。　The　Phocians　did　so；　and　forthwith　the　entire　Persian　cavalry　drew　nigh　to　them：　whereupon　there　went　a　rumour　through　the　whole　of　the　Greek　force　encamped　with　the　Medes；　that　Mardonius　was　about　to　destroy　the　Phocians　with　missiles。　The　same　conviction　ran　through　the　Phocian　troops　themselves；　and　Harmocydes；　their　leader；　addressed　them　thus　with　words　of　encouragement…　〃Phocians〃　said　he；　〃'tis　plain　that　these　men　have　resolved　beforehand　to　take　our　lives；　because　of　the　accusations　of　the　Thessalians；　as　I　imagine。　Now；　then；　is　the　time　for　you　all　to　show　yourselves　brave　men。　'Tis　better　to　die　fighting　and　defending　our　lives；　than　tamely　to　allow　them　to　slay　us　in　this　shameful　fashion。　Let　them　learn　that　they　are　barbarians；　and　that　the　men　whose　death　they　have　plotted　are　Greeks！〃　　　　　Thus　spake　Harmocydes；　and　the　Persian　horse；　having　encircled　the　Phocians；　charged　towards　them；　as　if　about　to　deal　out　death；　with　bows　bent；　and　arrows　ready　to　be　let　fly；　nay；　here　and　there　some　did　even　discharge　their　weapons。　But　the　Phocians　stood　firm；　keeping　close　one　to　another；　and　serrying　their　ranks　as　much　as　possible：　whereupon　the　horse　suddenly　wheeled　round　and　rode　off。　I　cannot　say　with　certainty　whether　they　came；　at　the　prayer　of　the　Thessalians；　to　destroy　the　Phocians；　but　seeing　them　prepared　to　stand　on　their　defence；　and　fearing　to　suffer　damage　at　their　hands；　on　that　account　beat　a　retreat；　having　orders　from　Mardonius　so　to　act；　or　whether　his　sole　intent　was　to　try　the　temper　of　the　Phocians　and　see　whether　they　had　any　courage　or　no。　However　this　may　have　been；　when　the　horsemen　retired；　Mardonius　sent　a　herald　to　the　Phocians；　saying…　〃Fear　not；　Phocians…　ye　have　shown　yourselves　valiant　men…　much　unlike　the　report　I　had　heard　of　you。　Now　therefore　be　forward　in　the　coming　war。　Ye　will　not　readily　outdo　either　the　king　or　myself　in　services。〃　Thus　ended　the　affair　of　the　Phocians。　　　　　The　Lacedaemonians；　when　they　reached　the　Isthmus；　pitched　their　camp　there；　and　the　other　Peloponnesians　who　had　embraced　the　good　side；　hearing　or　else　seeing　that　they　were　upon　the　march；　thought　it　not　right　to　remain　behind　when　the　Spartans　were　going　forth　to　the　war。　So　the　Peloponnesians　went　out　in　one　body　from　the　Isthmus；　the　victims　being　favourable　for　setting　forth；　and　marched　as　far　as　Eleusis；　where　again　they　offered　sacrifices；　and；　finding　the　omens　still　encouraging；　advanced　further。　At　Eleusis　they　were　joined　by　the　Athenians；　who　had　come　across　from　Salamis；　and　now　accompanied　the　main　army。　On　reaching　Erythrae　in　Boeotia；　they　learnt　that　the　barbarians　were　encamped　upon　the　Asopus；　wherefore　they　themselves；　after　considering　how　they　should　act；　disposed　their　forces　opposite　to　the　enemy　upon　the　slopes　of　Mount　Cithaeron。　　　　　Mardonius；　when　he　saw　that　the　Greeks　would　not　come　down　into　the　plain；　sent　all　his　cavalry；　under　Masistius　（or　Macistius；　as　the　Greeks　call　him）；　to　attack　them　where　they　were。　Now　Masistius　was　a　man　of　much　repute　among　the　Persians；　and　rode　a　Nisaean　charger　with　a　golden　bit；　and　otherwise　magnificently　caparisoned。　So　the　horse　advanced　against　the　Greeks；　and　made　attacks　upon　them　in　divisions；　doing　them　great　damage　at　each　charge；　and　insulting　them　by　calling　them　women。　　　　　It　chanced　that　the　Megarians　were　drawn　up　in　the　position　most　open　to　attack；　and　where　the　ground　offered　the　best　approach　to　the　cavalry。　Finding　themselves　therefore　hard　pressed　by　the　assaults　upon　their　ranks；　they　sent　a　herald　to　the　Greek　leaders；　who　came　and　said　to　them；　〃This　is　the　message　of　the　Megarians…　We　cannot；　brothers…in…arms；　continue　to　resist　the　Persian　horse　in　that　post　which　we　have　occupied　from　the　first；　if　we　are　left　without　succours。　Hitherto；　although　hard　pressed；　we　have　held　out　against　them　firmly　and　courageously。　Now；　however；　if　you　do　not　send　others　to　take　our　place；　we　warn　you　that　we　shall　quit　our　post。〃　Such　were　the　words　of　the　herald。　Pausanias；　when　he　heard　them；　inquired　among　his　troops　if　there　were　any　who　would　volunteer　to　take　the　post；　and　so　relieve　the　Megarians。　Of　the　rest　none　were　willing　to　go；　whereupon　the　Athenians　offered　themselves；　and　a　body　of　picked　men；　three　hundred　in　number；　commanded　by　Olympiodorus；　the　son　of　Lampo；　undertook　the　service。　　　　　Selecting；　to　accompany　them；　the　whole　body　of　archers；　these　men　relieved　the　Megarians；　and　occupied　a　post　which　all　the　other　Greeks　collected　at　Erythrae　had　shrunk　from　holding。　After　the　struggle　had　continued　for　a　while；　it　came　to　an　end　on　this　wise。　As　the　barbarians　continued　charging　in　divisions；　the　horse　of　Masistius；　which　was　in　front　of　the　others；　received　an　arrow　in　his　flank；　the　pain　of　which　caused　him　to　rear　and　throw　his　rider。　Immediately　the　Athenians　rushed　upon　Masistius　as　he　lay；　caught　his　horse；　and　when　he　himself　made　resistance；　slew　him。　At　first；　however；　they　were　not　able　to　take　his　life；　for　his　armour　hindered　them。　He　had　on　a　breastplate　formed　of　golden　scales；　with　a　scarlet　tunic　covering　it。　Thus　the　blows；　all　falling　upon　his　breastplate；　took　no　effect；　till　one　of　the　soldiers；　perceiving　the　reason；　drove　his　weapon　into　his　eye　and　so　slew　him。　All　this　took　place　without　any　of　the　other　horsemen　seeing　it：　they　had　neither　observed　their　leader　fall　from　his　horse；　nor　beheld　him　slain；　for　he　fell　as　they　wheeled　round　and　prepared　for　another　charge；　so　that　they　were　quite　ignorant　of　what　had　happened。　When；　however；　they　halted；　and　found　that　there　was　no　one　to　marshal　their　line；　Masistius　was　missed；　and　instantly　his　soldiers；　understanding　what　must　have　befallen　him；　with　loud　cheers　charged　the　enemy　in　one　mass；　hoping　to　recover　the　dead　body。　　　　　So　when　the　Athenians　saw　that；　instead　of　coming　up　in　squadrons；　the　whole　mass　of　the　horse　was　about　to　charge　them　at　once；　they　called　out　to　the　other　troops　to　make　haste　to　their　aid。　While　the　rest　of　the　infantry；　however；　was　moving　to　their　assistance；　the　contest　waxed　fierce　about　the　dead　body　of　Masistius。　The　three　hundred；　so　long　as　they　fought　by　themselves；　had　greatly　the　worse　of　the　encounter；　and　were　forced　to　retire　and　yield　up　the　body　to　the　enemy；　but　when　the　other　troops　approached；　the　Persian　horse　could　no　longer　hold　their　ground；　but　fled　without　carrying　off　the　body；　having　incurred　in　the　attempt　a　further　loss　of　several　of　their　number。　They　therefore　retired　about　two　furlongs；　and　consulted　with　each　other　what　was　best　to　be　done。　Being　without　a　leader；　it　seemed　to　them　the　fittest　course　to　return　to　Mardonius。　　　　　When　the　horse　reached　the　camp；　Mardonius　and　all　the　Persian　army　made　great　lamentation　for　Masistius。　They　shaved　off　all　the　hair　from　their　own　heads；　and　cut　the　manes　from　their　war…horses　and　their　sumpter…beasts；　while　they　vented　their　grief　in　such　loud　cries　that　all　Boeotia　resounded　with　the　clamour；　because　they　had　lost　the　man　who；　next　to　Mardonius；　was　held　in　the　greatest　esteem；　both　by　the　king　and　by　the　Persians　generally。　So　the　barbarians；　after　their　own　fashion；　paid　honours　to　the　dead　Masistius。　　　　　The　Greeks；　on　the　other　hand；　were　greatly　emboldened　by　what　had　happened；　seeing　that　they　had　not　only　stood　their　ground　against　the　attacks　of　the　horse；　but　had　even　compelled　them　to　beat　a　retreat。　They　th