EUROPE. taeans assisted the Athenians with all their forces at CHAP. IV. Marathon;' they manned several of the Athenian ships at Artemisium; but were prevented by an accident from fighting at Salamis. They furnished 600 hoplites at the battle of Plataea.*

General description of

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The city of Plataea was situated on the slope of the Plate Mount Cithaeron, where its terraces descend into an territory. the great plain of Thebes. The Plataeans, intrenched behind their native crags, had early defended themselves from the encroachments of Thebes, and separated their state from the Boeotian confederacy. Close behind the mountain wall of Cithacron, was the friendly territory of Attica, ever ready to succour in the hour of need. The fortunes of Plataea were thus naturally united with those of Athens. Both had shared the glory and danger of Marathon; and both fought side by side at the great battle of Plataca; whilst the Thebans appeared as traitors in the ranks of the Persian invaders.

View of the

battle.

An idea of the country may be obtained by a due scene of the consideration of the following prominent features. First, the range of Cithaeron, gradually sloping towards the north in a succession of terraces to the great plain of Thebes. Next, the river Oëroe, which runs away to the west; and, farther north, at the bottom of the slope, the river Asopus, which runs away to the east. Lastly, the city of Plataea, which was situated in the west, on the river Oëroe; and the towns of Hysiae and Erythrae, which stood in the east, on the slope of Cithaeron, and near the Asopus. The circumstances of the battle may be clearly understood, by remembering that the Greek forces occupied three distinct positions to the south of the Asopus at three different periods; whilst the Persians remained, for the most part, to the north of the river Asopus, where they possessed a fortified camp, from whence they made temporary advances against the enemy.

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2 viii. 1.

3 viii. 44.

1 vi. 108. 4 ix. 28. The geographical difficulties in Herodotus's description of Plataea have induced us to go more minutely into the details.

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CHAP. IV.

1st position.

Mardonius had posted his army on the river EUROPE, Asopus in the Theban territory,' beginning at Erythrae and stretching along by Hysiae to the terri- Plan of the tory of Plataea. He also fortified an area of 10 battle. stadia square with wooden walls and towers; but the front of this area, of course, occupied a much less space than the extended front of the army.* Meantime the Greek allies had passed over Mount Cithaeron to Erythrae, where they learnt that the enemy were encamped on the Asopus. Accordingly they formed opposite, in the Theban territory at the foot of Cithaeron, and this was their first position.5 Here they were charged by the Persian cavalry; but the latter were defeated and obliged to return to their camp.

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tion.

The Greeks at length determined to remove into 2nd posithe Plataean territory, where they would be better supplied with water. Accordingly, they marched along the foot of Mount Cithaeron westward to the fountain Gargaphia, and the precinct of the hero

1 ix. 15. Comp. vi. 108.

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2 It is difficult to decide whether the first position of the army of Mardonius was on the northern or southern bank of the Asopus. The words of Herodotus indicate a position south of the Asopus. In the second position, however, we find the Persians north of the Asopus, (ix. 40, 59,) without any mention of his having previously crossed the river, and the fortified camp was evidently on the northern bank. Kiepert and Grote place the first position on the southern bank, and the fortified camp on the opposite side.

4 ix. 15.

5 ix. 19.

6 ix. 23.

3 ix. 15, 70. * Bobrik has here made an unfortunate error, by confounding the Persians with the Greeks.

Col. Leake has identified the fountain Gargaphia with a fountain at the source of a streamlet flowing into the Asopus, and incased in an artificial basin covered with squared stones of ancient fabric. Mr. Grote objects to this identification on the ground that the Greek right, if stationed at this point, would be farther from the Asopus than is consistent with the description of Herodotus. Mr. Grote also, in copying Kiepert's plan of the battle of Plataea, has moved the second Greek position much nearer to the river. Kiepert, however, fixed the position according to Herodotus's own measurement, viz. 10 stadia from the island.

The question stands thus. It will presently be seen that in this second position the river flowed between the rival armies, (ix. 40, 59,) the Persians being on the northern bank and the Greeks on the southern. The Greeks were evidently close to the river-side, for each army could see and distinguish the particular nations which composed the other, and each could see the changes from right to left of the opposing line (ix-47). Moreover, all the Greek army, except the Spartans, were so near the Asopus as to be able to draw their water from it, (ix. 49,) until the Per

EUROPE. Androcrates; and here they formed in line, nation by CHAP. IV. nation, and encamped on the right or southern bank of the Asopus, on slight elevations and the level plain. This was their second position. When Mardonius heard of this movement, he marched his army to the same part of the Asopus, but on the left or opposite bank, and thus the river divided the rival armies.2 From this new position Mardonius at night sent some cavalry to the passes of Cithaeron, called Three Heads by the Boeotians, but Oak Heads by the Athenians. These passes were in the rear of the Greeks, and the detachment of cavalry was enabled to intercept the supplies of men and provisions which came through Attica from the Peloponnesus.

3rd position.

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After ten days the Persian cavalry drove the Greek position farther back from the Asopus, and choked up the fountain Gargaphia. The Greek generals being thus deprived of water, determined on retreating to a spot called the ISLAND, but which is more properly a peninsula. This supposed island sian cavalry hindered them. On the other hand, Herodotus says, that the Greeks were posted at a distance of 10 stadia from the island, (ix. 51,) whereas, by a modern measurement of the country, we find that the river-bank must be 20 stadia from the island. Mr. Grote, as a historian relying upon the general account, places the Greek army close to the river-bank; Kiepert, as a hydrographer, and implicitly following the measurement of 10 stadia, places the Greek army half way between the island and river.

Mr. Grote has nothing to interfere with his view, but the plain measurement of 10 stadia. Herodotus, however, is always a very doubtful authority for exact measurement. He generally preferred round numbers for the sake of the memory of his readers, and frequently his estimates of distances are exceedingly loose and inaccurate. In the present narrative of the battle of Plataea 10 stadia is a perfect hobby. Everything is 10 stadia. The island was 10 stadia from Gargaphia, and also 10 stadia from Asopus (ix. 51). Pausanias, however, marched 10 stadia from Gargaphia towards the island, and found himself not there, but at Argiopius and the river Moloeis (ix. 56, 57). The Heraeum was 10 stadia beyond the island, and therefore 20 stadía from Gargaphia (ix. 52). The fortified camp was 10 stadia on every side (ix. 15); and it was for 10 days that the Greeks continued to be posted in this second position (ix. 41). I would therefore adopt Mr. Grote's view in preference to Kiepert's.

1 ix. 25, 30.

2 ix. 31. Comp. 40, 59.

Not the detachment at the passes of Cithaeron, but the great body of cavalry, who were still with Mardonius on the Asopus.

4 This place, which Herodotus indicates as being before the city of Plataea, and at a distance of 10 stadia from the Asopus as well as from Gargaphia, is nothing more than a level meadow intersected by several