the history-第154章

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hespians　who　were　present　in　the　camp；　for　eighteen　hundred　Thespians；　being　the　whole　number　left；　were　likewise　with　the　army；　but　these　men　were　without　arms。　Such　was　the　array　of　the　Greek　troops　when　they　took　post　on　the　Asopus。　　　　　The　barbarians　under　Mardonius；　when　the　mourning　for　Masistius　was　at　an　end；　and　they　learnt　that　the　Greeks　were　in　the　Plataean　territory；　moved　likewise　towards　the　river　Asopus；　which　flows　in　those　parts。　On　their　arrival　Mardonius　marshalled　them　against　the　Greeks　in　the　following　order：…　Against　the　Lacedaemonians　he　posted　his　Persians；　and　as　the　Persians　were　far　more　numerous　he　drew　them　up　with　their　ranks　deeper　than　common；　and　also　extended　their　front　so　that　part　faced　the　Tegeans；　and　here　he　took　care　to　choose　out　the　best　troops　to　face　the　Lacedaemonians；　whilst　against　the　Tegeans　he　arrayed　those　on　whom　he　could　not　so　much　depend。　This　was　done　at　the　suggestion　and　by　the　advice　of　the　Thebans。　Next　to　the　Persians　he　placed　the　Medes；　facing　the　Corinthians；　Potidaeans；　Orchomenians；　and　Sicyonians；　then　the　Bactrians；　facing　the　Epidaurians；　Troezenians；　Lepreats；　Tirynthians；　Mycenaeans；　and　Phliasians；　after　them　the　Indians；　facing　the　Hermionians；　Eretrians；　Styreans；　and　Chalcidians；　then　the　Sacans；　facing　the　Ambraciots；　Anactorians；　Leucadians；　Paleans；　and　Eginetans；　last　of　all；　facing　the　Athenians；　the　Plataeans；　and　the　Megarians；　he　placed　the　troops　of　the　Boeotians；　Locrians；　Malians；　and　Thessalians；　and　also　the　thousand　Phocians。　The　whole　nation　of　the　Phocians　had　not　joined　the　Medes；　on　the　contrary；　there　were　some　who　had　gathered　themselves　into　bands　about　Parnassus；　and　made　expeditions　from　thence；　whereby　they　distressed　Mardonius　and　the　Greeks　who　sided　with　him；　and　so　did　good　service　to　the　Grecian　cause。　Besides　those　mentioned　above；　Mardonius　likewise　arrayed　against　the　Athenians　the　Macedonians　and　the　tribes　dwelling　about　Thessaly。　　　　　I　have　named　here　the　greatest　of　the　nations　which　were　marshalled　by　Mardonius　on　this　occasion；　to　wit；　all　those　of　most　renown　and　account。　Mixed　with　these；　however；　were　men　of　divers　other　peoples；　as　Phrygians；　Thracians；　Mysians；　Paeonians；　and　the　like；　Ethiopians　again；　and　Egyptians；　both　of　the　Hermotybian　and　Calascirian　races；　whose　weapon　is　the　sword；　and　who　are　the　only　fighting　men　in　that　country。　These　persons　had　formerly　served　on　board　the　fleet　of　Xerxes；　but　Mardonius　disembarked　them　before　he　left　Phalerum；　in　the　land　force　which　Xerxes　brought　to　Athens　there　were　no　Egyptians。　The　number　of　the　barbarians；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　was　three　hundred　thousand；　that　of　the　Greeks　who　had　made　alliance　with　Mardonius　is　known　to　none；　for　they　were　never　counted：　I　should　guess　that　they　mustered　near　fifty　thousand　strong。　The　troops　thus　marshalled　were　all　foot　soldiers。　As　for　the　horse；　it　was　drawn　up　by　itself。　　　　　When　the　marshalling　of　Mardonius'　troops　by　nations　and　by　maniples　was　ended；　the　two　armies　proceeded　on　the　next　day　to　offer　sacrifice。　The　Grecian　sacrifice　was　offered　by　Tisamenus；　the　son　of　Antiochus；　who　accompanied　the　army　as　soothsayer：　he　was　an　Elean；　and　belonged　to　the　Clytiad　branch　of　the　Iamidae；　but　had　been　admitted　among　their　own　citizens　by　the　Lacedaemonians。　Now　his　admission　among　them　was　on　this　wise：…　Tisamenus　had　gone　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　god　concerning　his　lack　of　offspring；　when　it　was　declared　to　him　by　the　Pythoness　that　he　would　win　five　very　glorious　combats。　Misunderstanding　the　oracle；　and　imagining　that　he　was　to　win　combats　in　the　games；　Tisamenus　at　once　applied　himself　to　the　practice　of　gymnastics。　He　trained　himself　for　the　Pentathlum；　and；　on　contending　at　Olympia；　came　within　a　little　of　winning　it；　for　he　was　successful　in　everything；　except　the　wrestling…match；　which　was　carried　off　by　Hieronymus　the　Andrian。　Hereon　the　Lacedaemonians　perceived　that　the　combats　of　which　the　oracle　spoke　were　not　combats　in　the　games；　but　battles：　they　therefore　sought　to　induce　Tisamenus　to　hire　out　his　services　to　them；　in　order　that　they　might　join　him　with　their　Heracleid　kings　in　the　conduct　of　their　wars。　He　however；　when　he　saw　that　they　set　great　store　by　his　friendship；　forthwith　raised　his　price；　and　told　them；　〃If　they　would　receive　him　among　their　citizens；　and　give　him　equal　rights　with　the　rest；　he　was　willing　to　do　as　they　desired；　but　on　no　other　terms　would　they　ever　gain　his　consent。〃　The　Spartans；　when　they　heard　this；　at　first　thought　it　monstrous；　and　ceased　to　implore　his　aid。　Afterwards；　however；　when　the　fearful　danger　of　the　Persian　war　hung　over　their　heads；　they　sent　for　him　and　agreed　to　his　terms；　but　Tisamenus　now；　perceiving　them　so　changed；　declared；　〃He　could　no　longer　be　content　with　what　he　had　asked　before：　they　must　likewise　make　his　brother　Hagias　a　Spartan；　with　the　same　rights　as　himself。〃　　　　　In　acting　thus　he　did　but　follow　the　example　once　set　by　Melampus；　at　least　if　kingship　may　be　compared　with　citizenship。　For　when　the　women　of　Argos　were　seized　with　madness；　and　the　Argives　would　have　hired　Melampus　to　come　from　Pylos　and　heal　them　of　their　disease；　he　demanded　as　his　reward　one…half　of　the　kingdom；　but　as　the　Argives　disdained　to　stoop　to　this；　they　left　him　and　went　their　way。　Afterwards；　however；　when　many　more　of　their　women　were　seized；　they　brought　themselves　to　agree　to　his　terms；　and　accordingly　they　went　again　to　him；　and　said　they　were　content　to　give　what　he　required。　Hereon　Melampus；　seeing　them　so　changed；　raised　his　demand；　and　told　them；　〃Except　they　would　give　his　brother　Bias　one…third　of　the　kingdom　likewise；　he　would　not　do　as　they　wished。〃　So；　as　the　Argives　were　in　a　strait；　they　consented　even　to　this。　　　　　In　like　manner　the　Spartans；　as　they　were　in　great　need　of　Tisamenus；　yielded　everything：　and　Tisamenus　the　Elean；　having　in　this　way　become　a　Spartan　citizen；　afterwards；　in　the　capacity　of　soothsayer；　helped　the　Spartans　to　gain　five　very　glorious　combats。　He　and　his　brother　were　the　only　men　whom　the　Spartans　ever　admitted　to　citizenship。　The　five　combats　were　these　following：…　The　first　was　the　combat　at　Plataea；　the　second；　that　near　Tegea；　against　the　Tegeans　and　the　Argives；　the　third；　that　at　Dipaeeis；　against　all　the　Arcadians　excepting　those　of　Mantinea；　the　fourth；　that　at　the　Isthmus；　against　the　Messenians；　and　the　fifth；　that　at　Tanagra；　against　the　Athenians　and　the　Argives。　The　battle　here　fought　was　the　last　of　all　the　five。　　　　　The　Spartans　had　now　brought　Tisamenus　with　them　to　the　Plataean　territory；　where　he　acted　as　soothsayer　for　the　Greeks。　He　found　the　victims　favourable；　if　the　Greeks　stood　on　the　defensive；　but　not　if　they　began　the　battle　or　crossed　the　river　Asopus。　　　　　With　Mardonius　also；　who　was　very　eager　to　begin　the　battle；　the　victims　were　not　favourable　for　so　doing；　but　he　likewise　found　them　bode　him　well；　if　he　was　content　to　stand　on　his　defence。　He　too　had　made　use　of　the　Grecian　rites；　for　Hegesistratus；　an　Elean；　and　the　most　renowned　of　the　Telliads；　was　his　soothsayer。　This　man　had　once　been　taken　captive　by　the　Spartans；　who；　considering　that　he　had　done　them　many　grievous　injuries；　laid　him　in　bonds；　with　the　intent　to　put　him　to　death。　Thereupon　Hegesistratus；　finding　himself　in　so　sore　a　case；　since　not　only　was　his　life　in　danger；　but　he　knew　that　he　would　have　to　suffer　torments　of　many　kinds　before　his　death；…　Hegesistratus；　I　say；　did　a　deed　for　which　no　words　suffice。　He　had　been　set　with　one　foot　in　the　stocks；　which　were　of　wood　but　bound　with　iron　bands；　and　in　this　condition　received　from　without　an　iron　implement；　wherewith　he　contrived　to　accomplish　the　most　courageous　deed　upon　record。　Calculating　how　much　of　his　foot　he　would　be　able　to　draw　through　the　hole；　he　cut　off　the　front　portion　with　his　own　hand；　and　then；　as　he　was　guarded　by　watchmen；　forced　a　way　through　the　wall　of　his　prison；　and　made　his　escape　to　Tegea；　travelling　during　the　night；　but　in　the　daytime　stealing　into　the　woods；　and　staying　there。　In　this　way；　though　the　Lacedaemonians　went　out　in　full　force　to　search　for　him；　he　nevertheless　escaped；　and　arrived　the　third　evening　at　Tegea。　So　the　Spartans　were　amazed　at　the　man's　endurance；　when　they　saw　on　the　ground　the　piece　which　he　had　cut　off　his　foot；　and　yet　for　all　their　seeking　could　not　find　him　anywhere。　Hegesistratus；　having　thus　escaped　the　Lacedaemonians；　took　refuge　in　Tegea；　for　the　Tegeans　at　that　time　were　ill　friends　with　the　Lacedaemonians。　When　his　wound　was　healed；　he　procured　himself　a　wooden　foot；　and　became　an　open　enemy　to　Sparta。　At　the　last；　however；　this　enmity　brought　him　to　trouble；　for　the　Spartans　took　him　captive　as　he　was　exercising　his　office　in　Zacynthus；　and　forthwith　put　him　to　death。　But　these　things　happened　some　while　after　the　fight　at　Plataea。　At　present　he　was　serving　Mardonius　on　the　Asopus；　having　been　hired　at　no　inconsiderable　price；　and　here　he　offered　sacrifice　with　a　right　good　will；　in　part　from　his　hatred　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　in　part　for　lucre's　sake。　　　　　So　when　the　victims　did　not　allow　either　the　Persians　or　their　Greek　allies　to　begin　the　battle…　these　Greeks　had　their　own　soothsayer　in　the　person　of　Hipp