expected that an army would come from the Peloponnesus to assist them, they remained in Attica; but when they had recourse to delay and extreme tardiness, and Mardonius was advancing and reported to be in Boeotia, they then removed all their effects, and themselves crossed over to Salamis: they also sent ambassadors to Lacedæmon, partly to blame the Lacedæmonians, because they had allowed the barbarian to invade Attica, and had not gone out with them to meet him in Boeotia; and partly to remind them of what the Persian had promised to give them, if they would change sides; and to forewarn them, that unless they assisted the Athenians, they would themselves find some means of escape. 7. At that time the Lacedæmonians were employed in celebrating a festival, and it was the Hyacinthia with them; and they deemed it of the greatest importance to attend to the service of the deity. At the same time they were busied in building the wall at the Isthmus, and it had already received the breast-works.

When the ambassadors from the Athenians arrived at Lacedæmon, bringing with them ambassadors from Megara and Platea, they went before the ephori, and spoke as follows: (1.) "The Athenians have sent us to tell you, that the king of the Medes in the first place offers to restore our country; and, secondly, is willing to make us his allies on fair and equal terms, without fraud or deceit; he is also willing to give us another territory, in addition to our own, whatever we ourselves may choose. We, however, reverencing the Grecian Jupiter, and thinking it disgraceful to betray Greece, have not acceded to, but rejected his offers; though we are unjustly treated, and betrayed by the Greeks, and know that it is more for our own interest to come to terms with the Persian, than to continue the war; still we will never willingly come to terms with him. (2.) Thus sincerely we have acted towards the Greeks. But you, who were then in the utmost consternation lest we should come to terms with the Persian, when you were clearly assured of our resolution, that we will never betray Greece, and because your wall drawn across the Isthmus is now nearly completed, no longer show any regard for the Athenians. For having agreed to advance with us to meet the Persian in Boeotia, you have betrayed us, and have allowed the barbarian to invade Attica. Hitherto the Atheni

ans are angry with you, for you have not acted in a becoming manner; and now they exhort you to send out forces with us with all expedition, that we may receive the barbarian in Attica; for since we have missed Boeotia, the Thriasian plain in our own territory is the most convenient place to give battle in." 8. When the ephori had heard this message, they put off their answer to the next day, and on the next day to the morrow. This they did for ten days, putting them off from day to day. During this time they proceeded with the wall at the Isthmus, all the Peloponnesians using the utmost diligence; and it was nearly completed. I can give no reason why, when Alexander the Macedonian went to Athens, they took such pains to prevent the Athenians from siding with the Mede, and then took no trouble about it, except that the Isthmus was now fortified, and they thought they had no further need of the Athenians; whereas, when Alexander arrived in Attica, the wall was not yet built, but they were working at it, being in great dread of the Persians.

9. At length, the answer and march of the Spartans happened in the following manner.1 On the day preceding that on which the last audience was to take place, Chileus of Tegea, who had the greatest influence in Lacedæmon of any stranger, was informed by the ephori of all that the Athenians had said. Chileus, having heard it, spoke to them as follows: "The case is thus, O ephori; if the Athenians are not united with us, but are allied to the barbarian, although a strong wall has been carried across the Isthmus, wide doors leading into the Peloponnesus are open to the Persian; therefore give heed, before the Athenians come to any other determination which may bring ruin on Greece." 10. He, then, gave them this advice; and they, taking his remark into consideration, forthwith, without saying any thing to the ambassadors who had come from the cities, while it was still night, sent out five thousand Spartans, appointing seven helots to attend each, and committing the conduct of them to Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus. The command properly belonged to Pleistarchus, son of Leonidas; but he was still a boy, and the former his guardian and cousin. For Cleombrotus, the father of Pausanias, and son to Anaxandrides, was no longer living, but having led back the 1 Literally, "the following manner of the answer and march took place."

army that had built the wall, from the Isthmus, he died shortly afterwards. Cleombrotus led back the army from the Isthmus for this reason; as he was sacrificing against the Persians, the sun darkened in the heavens. Pausanias chose as his colleague Euryanax, son of Dorieus, who was a man of the same family. These forces, accordingly, marched from Sparta with Pausanias. 11. The ambassadors, when they came, knowing nothing of the march of the troops, went to the ephori, being resolved themselves also to depart severally to their own cities; and having come into their presence, they spoke as follows: "You, O Lacedæmonians, remaining here, celebrate the Hyacinthia, and divert yourselves, while you are betraying the allies. But the Athenians, being injured by you, and destitute of allies, will make peace with the Persian on such terms as they can. And having made peace, it is evident that we shall become the king's allies, and shall march with them against whatever country they shall lead us; and then you will learn what the consequence will be to yourselves." When the ambassadors had thus spoken, the ephori said with an oath, "that those who had set out against the foreigners, were already at Oresteum;" for they call the barbarians foreigners. The ambassadors asked what was meant; and on inquiry, learnt the whole truth, so that, being much surprised, they followed after them with all possible expedition; and with them, five thousand chosen heavy-armed troops of the neighbouring Lacedæmonians did the same. 12. They then hastened towards the Isthmus. But the Argives, as soon as they heard that the troops with Pausanias had left Sparta, sent a herald to Attica, having looked out the best of their couriers, for they had before promised Mardonius to prevent the Spartans from going out. He, when he arrived at Athens, spoke as follows: "Mardonius, the Argives have sent me to inform you, that the youth of Lacedæmon are marched out, and that the Argives were unable to prevent them from going out. Under these circumstances take the best advice you can." He, having spoken thus, went home again.

13. Mardonius, when he heard this, was by no means desirous to stay longer in Attica. Before he heard this, he lingered there, wishing to know from the Athenians what they would do; but he neither ravaged nor injured the Attic territory, being in expectation all along that they would come to terms. But

when he could not persuade them, being informed of the whole truth, he withdrew, before those with Pausanias reached the Isthmus, having first set fire to Athens, and if any part of the walls, or houses, or temples, happened to be standing, having thrown down and laid all in ruins. He marched out for the following reasons, because the Attic country was not adapted for cavalry; and if he should be conquered in an engagement, there was no way to escape except through a narrow pass, so that even a small number of men could intercept them. He determined therefore to retire to Thebes, and to fight near a friendly city, and in a country adapted for cavalry. 14. Mardonius accordingly retreated; and while he was yet on his march, another message came in advance, that another army had reached Megara, consisting of a thousand Lacedæmonians. When he heard this, he deliberated, wishing, if by any means he could, to take these first; therefore, wheeling round, he led his army against Megara; and his cavalry going on before scoured the Megarian territory. This was the farthest part of Europe, towards the sun-set, to which this Persian army reached. 15. After this, news came to Mardonius, that the Greeks were assembled at the Isthmus; he therefore marched back through Decelea. For the Boeotian chiefs had sent for the neighbours of the Asopians; and they conducted him along the way to Sphendale, and from thence to Tanagra; and having passed the night at Tanagra, and on the next day turned towards Scolus, he arrived in the territory of the Thebans. There he cleared the lands of the Thebans, though they sided with the Mede, not out of enmity towards them, but constrained by urgent necessity; wishing to make a fortification for his army, and in case, when he engaged, the result should not be such as he wished, he might have this as a place of refuge. His camp beginning at Erythræ, passed by Hysia and extended to the Platean territory, stretching to the river Asopus. The wall, however, was not built of this extent, but each front was about ten stades in length.

While the barbarians were employed in this task, Attaginus, son of Phrynon, a Theban, having made great preparations, invited Mardonius himself and fifty of the most eminent Persians to an entertainment; and they, being invited, came. The feast was held at Thebes. 16. The rest I heard from Thersander an Orchomenian, a man of high repute at Orcho

menus. Thersander said that he also was invited by Attaginus to this feast, and that fifty Thebans were also invited; and that he did not place each person on a separate couch, but a Persian and a Theban on each couch. When supper was over, and they were drinking freely, the Persian who was on the same couch, using the Grecian tongue, asked him of what country he was; he answered that he was an Orchomenian, whereupon the other said: "Since you are a partaker of the same table and of the same cups with me, I wish to leave with you a memorial of my opinion, in order that, being forewarned, you may be able to consider what is best for your own interest. Do you see these Persians feasting here, and the army that we left encamped near the river? Of all these you will see, after the lapse of a short time, only some few surviving." As the Persian said this, he shed abundance of tears; and he himself, being astonished at his words, said to him : "Would it not be right to tell this to Mardonius, and to those Persians who are next to him in authority ?" To this he answered: "My friend, that which is fated by the deity to happen, it is impossible for man to avert; for no one will listen to those who say what is worthy of credit. And though many of the Persians are convinced of this, we follow, being bound by necessity. The bitterest grief to which men are liable is this, when one knows much, to have no power to act." This I heard from Thersander the Orchomenian; and this besides, that he immediately told this to several persons before the battle was fought at Platæa.

17. While Mardonius encamped in Boeotia, all the rest furnished troops, and joined in the attack upon Athens, such however of the Greeks who, dwelling in these parts, sided with the Mede: but the Phocians only did not join in the attack; for they took part with the Mede very unwillingly and by necessity. But not many days after his arrival at Thebes, a thousand of their heavy-armed troops arrived; Harmocydes, a man of high repute among the citizens, commanded them. When they also arrived at Thebes, Mardonius, having sent some horsemen, ordered them to encamp by themselves in the plain; and when they had done this, the whole cavalry came up. Upon this a rumour spread through the Grecian forces, who were with the Medes, that they were going to despatch them with their javelins; this same rumour also spread among