the history-第157章

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e　plain。　　　　　As　for　Amompharetus；　at　first　he　did　not　believe　that　Pausanias　would　really　dare　to　leave　him　behind；　he　therefore　remained　firm　in　his　resolve　to　keep　his　men　at　their　post；　when；　however；　Pausanias　and　his　troops　were　now　some　way　off；　Amompharetus；　thinking　himself　forsaken　in　good　earnest；　ordered　his　band　to　take　their　arms；　and　led　them　at　a　walk　towards　the　main　army。　Now　the　army　was　waiting　for　them　at　a　distance　of　about　ten　furlongs；　having　halted　upon　the　river　Moloeis　at　a　place　called　Argiopius；　where　stands　a　temple　dedicated　to　Eleusinian　Ceres。　They　had　stopped　here；　that；　in　case　Amompharetus　and　his　band　should　refuse　to　quit　the　spot　where　they　were　drawn　up；　and　should　really　not　stir　from　it；　they　might　have　it　in　their　power　to　move　back　and　lend　them　assistance。　Amompharetus；　however；　and　his　companions　rejoined　the　main　body；　and　at　the　same　time　the　whole　mass　of　the　barbarian　cavalry　arrived　and　began　to　press　hard　upon　them。　The　horsemen　had　followed　their　usual　practice　and　ridden　up　to　the　Greek　camp；　when　they　discovered　that　the　place　where　the　Greeks　had　been　posted　hitherto　was　deserted。　Hereupon　they　pushed　forward　without　stopping；　and；　as　soon　as　they　overtook　the　enemy；　pressed　heavily　on　them。　　　　　Mardonius；　when　he　heard　that　the　Greeks　had　retired　under　cover　of　the　night；　and　beheld　the　place；　where　they　had　been　stationed；　empty；　called　to　him　Thorax　of　Larissa；　and　his　brethren；　Eurypylus　and　Thrasideius；　and　said：…　　　　　〃O　sons　of　Aleuas！　what　will　ye　say　now；　when　ye　see　yonder　place　empty？　Why；　you；　who　dwell　in　their　neighbourhood；　told　me　the　Lacedaemonians　never　fled　from　battle；　but　were　brave　beyond　all　the　rest　of　mankind。　Lately；　however；　you　yourselves　beheld　them　change　their　place　in　the　line；　and　here；　as　all　may　see；　they　have　run　away　during　the　night。　Verily；　when　their　turn　came　to　fight　with　those　who　are　of　a　truth　the　bravest　warriors　in　all　the　world；　they　showed　plainly　enough　that　they　are　men　of　no　worth；　who　have　distinguished　themselves　among　Greeks…　men　likewise　of　no　worth　at　all。　However；　I　can　readily　excuse　you；　who；　knowing　nothing　of　the　Persians；　praised　these　men　from　your　acquaintance　with　certain　exploits　of　theirs；　but　I　marvel　all　the　more　at　Artabazus；　that　he　should　have　been　afraid　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　have　therefore　given　us　so　dastardly　a　counsel；…　bidding　us；　as　did；　break　up　our　camp；　and　remove　to　Thebes；　and　there　allow　ourselves　to　be　besieged　by　the　Greeks…　advice　whereof　I　shall　take　care　to　inform　the　king。　But　of　this　hereafter。　Now　we　must　not　allow　them　to　escape　us；　but　must　pursue　after　them　till　we　overtake　them；　and　then　we　must　exact　vengeance　for　all　the　wrongs　which　have　been　suffered　at　their　hands　by　the　Persians。〃　　　　　When　he　had　so　spoken；　he　crossed　the　Asopus；　and　led　the　Persians　forward　at　a　run　directly　upon　the　track　of　the　Greeks；　whom　he　believed　to　be　in　actual　flight。　He　could　not　see　the　Athenians；　for；　as　they　had　taken　the　way　of　the　plain；　they　were　hidden　from　his　sight　by　the　hills；　he　therefore　led　on　his　troops　against　the　Lacedaemonians　and　the　Tegeans　only。　When　the　commanders　of　the　other　divisions　of　the　barbarians　saw　the　Persians　pursuing　the　Greeks　so　hastily；　they　all　forthwith　seized　their　standards；　and　hurried　after　at　their　best　speed　in　great　disorder　and　disarray。　On　they　went　with　loud　shouts　and　in　a　wild　rout；　thinking　to　swallow　up　the　runaways。　　　　　Meanwhile　Pausanias　had　sent　a　horseman　to　the　Athenians；　at　the　time　when　the　cavalry　first　fell　upon　him；　with　this　message：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Athens！　now　that　the　great　struggle　has　come；　which　is　to　decide　the　freedom　or　the　slavery　of　Greece；　we　twain；　Lacedaemonians　and　Athenians；　are　deserted　by　all　the　other　allies；　who　have　fled　away　from　us　during　the　past　night。　Nevertheless；　we　are　resolved　what　to　do…　we　must　endeavour；　as　best　we　may；　to　defend　ourselves　and　to　succour　one　another。　Now；　had　the　horse　fallen　upon　you　first；　we　ourselves　with　the　Tegeans　（who　remain　faithful　to　the　Greek　cause）　would　have　been　bound　to　render　you　assistance　against　them。　As；　however；　the　entire　body　has　advanced　upon　us；　'tis　your　place　to　come　to　our　aid；　sore　pressed　as　we　are　by　the　enemy。　Should　you　yourselves　be　so　straitened　that　you　cannot　come；　at　least　send　us　your　archers；　and　be　sure　you　will　earn　our　gratitude。　We　acknowledge　that　throughout　this　whole　war　there　has　been　no　zeal　to　be　compared　to　yours…　we　therefore　doubt　not　that　you　will　do　us　this　service。〃　　　　　The　Athenians；　as　soon　as　they　received　this　message；　were　anxious　to　go　to　the　aid　of　the　Spartans；　and　to　help　them　to　the　uttermost　of　their　power；　but；　as　they　were　upon　the　march；　the　Greeks　on　the　king's　side；　whose　place　in　the　line　had　been　opposite　theirs；　fell　upon　them；　and　so　harassed　them　by　their　attacks　that　it　was　not　possible　for　them　to　give　the　succour　they　desired。　Accordingly　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　the　Tegeans…　whom　nothing　could　induce　to　quit　their　side…　were　left　alone　to　resist　the　Persians。　Including　the　light…armed；　the　number　of　the　former　was　50；000；　while　that　of　the　Tegeans　was　3000。　Now；　therefore；　as　they　were　about　to　engage　with　Mardonius　and　the　troops　under　him；　they　made　ready　to　offer　sacrifice。　The　victims；　however；　for　some　time　were　not　favourable；　and；　during　the　delay；　many　fell　on　the　Spartan　side；　and　a　still　greater　number　were　wounded。　For　the　Persians　had　made　a　rampart　of　their　wicker　shields；　and　shot　from　behind　them　stich　clouds　of　arrows；　that　the　Spartans　were　sorely　distressed。　The　victims　continued　unpropitious；　till　at　last　Pausanias　raised　his　eyes　to　the　Heraeum　of　the　Plataeans；　and　calling　the　goddess　to　his　aid；　besought　her　not　to　disappoint　the　hopes　of　the　Greeks。　　　　　As　he　offered　his　prayer；　the　Tegeans；　advancing　before　the　rest；　rushed　forward　against　the　enemy；　and　the　Lacedaemonians；　who　had　obtained　favourable　omens　the　moment　that　Pausanias　prayed；　at　length；　after　their　long　delay；　advanced　to　the　attack；　while　the　Persians；　on　their　side；　left　shooting；　and　prepared　to　meet　them。　And　first　the　combat　was　at　the　wicker　shields。　Afterwards；　when　these　were　swept　down；　a　fierce　contest　took　Place　by　the　side　of　the　temple　of　Ceres；　which　lasted　long；　and　ended　in　a　hand…to…hand　struggle。　The　barbarians　many　times　seized　hold　of　the　Greek　spears　and　brake　them；　for　in　boldness　and　warlike　spirit　the　Persians　were　not　a　whit　inferior　to　the　Greeks；　but　they　were　without　bucklers；　untrained；　and　far　below　the　enemy　in　respect　of　skill　in　arms。　Sometimes　singly；　sometimes　in　bodies　of　ten；　now　fewer　and　now　more　in　number；　they　dashed　upon　the　Spartan　ranks；　and　so　perished。　　　　　The　fight　went　most　against　the　Greeks；　where　Mardonius；　mounted　upon　a　white　horse；　and　surrounded　by　the　bravest　of　all　the　Persians；　the　thousand　picked　men；　fought　in　person。　So　long　as　Mardonius　was　alive；　this　body　resisted　all　attacks；　and；　while　they　defended　their　own　lives；　struck　down　no　small　number　of　Spartans；　but　after　Mardonius　fell；　and　the　troops　with　him；　which　were　the　main　strength　of　the　army；　perished；　the　remainder　yielded　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　took　to　flight。　Their　light　clothing；　and　want　of　bucklers；　were　of　the　greatest　hurt　to　them：　for　they　had　to　contend　against　men　heavily　armed；　while　they　themselves　were　without　any　such　defence。　　　　　Then　was　the　warning　of　the　oracle　fulfilled；　and　the　vengeance　which　was　due　to　the　Spartans　for　the　slaughter　of　Leonidas　was　paid　them　by　Mardonius…　then　too　did　Pausanias；　the　son　of　Cleombrotus；　and　grandson　of　Anaxandridas　（I　omit　to　recount　his　other　ancestors；　since　they　are　the　same　with　those　of　Leonidas）；　win　a　victory　exceeding　in　glory　all　those　to　which　our　knowledge　extends。　Mardonius　was　slain　by　Aeimnestus；　a　man　famous　in　Sparta…　the　same　who　in　the　Messenian　war；　which　came　after　the　struggle　against　the　Medes；　fought　a　battle　near　Stenyclerus　with　but　three　hundred　men　against　the　whole　force　of　the　Messenians；　and　himself　perished；　and　the　three　hundred　with　him。　　　　　The　Persians；　as　soon　as　they　were　put　to　flight　by　the　Lacedaemonians；　ran　hastily　away；　without　preserving　any　order；　and　took　refuge　in　their　own　camp；　within　the　wooden　defence　which　they　had　raised　in　the　Theban　territory。　It　is　a　marvel　to　me　how　it　came　to　pass；　that　although　the　battle　was　fought　quite　close　to　the　grove　of　Ceres；　yet　not　a　single　Persian　appears　to　have　died　on　the　sacred　soil；　nor　even　to　have　set　foot　upon　it；　while　round　about　the　precinct；　in　the　unconsecrated　ground；　great　numbers　perished。　I　imagine…　if　it　is　lawful；　in　matters　which　concern　the　gods；　to　imagine　anything…　that　the　goddess　herself　kept　them　out；　because　they　had　burnt　her　dwelling　at　Eleusis。　Such；　then；　was　the　issue　of　this　battle。　　　　　Artabazus；　the　son　of　Pharnaces；　who　had　disapproved　from　the　first　of　the　king's　leaving　Mardonius　behind　him；　and　had　made　great　endeavours；　but　all　in　vain；　to　dissuade　Mardonius　from　risking　a　battle；　when　he　found　that　the　latter　was　bent　on　acting　otherwise　than　he　wished；　did　as　follows。　He　had　a　force　under　his　orders　which　was　far　from　inconsiderable；　amounting；　as　it　did；　to　near　forty　thousand　men。　Being　well　aware；　therefore；　how　th