the history-第196章

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　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　therefore　placed　the　dead　body　of　Masistius　upon　a　cart；　and　paraded　it　along　the　ranks　of　the　army。　Now　the　body　was　a　sight　which　well　deserved　to　be　gazed　upon；　being　remarkable　both　for　stature　and　for　beauty；　and　it　was　to　stop　the　soldiers　from　leaving　their　ranks　to　look　at　it；　that　they　resolved　to　carry　it　round。　After　this　the　Greeks　determined　to　quit　the　high　ground　and　go　nearer　Plataea；　as　the　land　there　seemed　far　more　suitable　for　an　encampment　than　the　country　about　Erythrae；　particularly　because　it　was　better　supplied　with　water。　To　this　place　therefore；　and　more　especially　to　a　spring…head　which　was　called　Gargaphia；　they　considered　that　it　would　be　best　for　them　to　remove；　after　which　they　might　once　more　encamp　in　their　order。　So　they　took　their　arms；　and　proceeded　along　the　slopes　of　Cithaeron；　past　Hysiae；　to　the　territory　of　the　Plataeans；　and　here　they　drew　themselves　up；　nation　by　nation；　close　by　the　fountain　Gargaphia；　and　the　sacred　precinct　of　the　Hero　Androcrates；　partly　along　some　hillocks　of　no　great　height；　and　partly　upon　the　level　of　the　plain。　　　　　Here；　in　the　marshalling　of　the　nations；　a　fierce　battle　of　words　arose　between　the　Athenians　and　the　Tegeans；　both　of　whom　claimed　to　have　one　of　the　wings　assigned　to　them。　On　each　side　were　brought　forward　the　deeds　which　they　had　done；　whether　in　earlier　or　in　later　times；　and　first　the　Tegeans　urged　their　claim　as　follows：…　　　　　〃This　post　has　been　always　considered　our　right；　and　not　the　right　of　any　of　the　other　allies；　in　all　the　expeditions　which　have　been　entered　into　conjointly　by　the　Peloponnesians；　both　anciently　and　in　later　times。　Ever　since　the　Heraclidae　made　their　attempt；　after　the　death　of　Eurystheus；　to　return　by　force　of　arms　into　the　Peloponnese；　this　custom　has　been　observed。　It　was　then　that　the　right　became　ours；　and　this　was　the　way　in　which　we　gained　it：…　When；　in　company　with　the　Achaeans　and　Ionians　who　then　dwelt　in　the　Peloponnese；　we　marched　out　to　the　Isthmus；　and　pitched　our　camp　over　against　the　invaders；　then；　as　the　tale　goes；　that　Hyllus　made　proclamation；　saying…　'It　needs　not　to　imperil　two　armies　in　a　general　battle；　rather　let　one　be　chosen　from　the　Peloponnesian　ranks；　whomsoever　they　deem　the　bravest；　and　let　him　engage　with　me　in　single　combat；　on　such　terms　as　shall　be　agreed　upon。'　The　saying　pleased　the　Peloponnesians；　and　oaths　were　sworn　to　the　effect　following：…　'If　Hyllus　conquer　the　Peloponnesian　champion；　the　Heraclidae　shall　return　to　their　inheritance；　if；　on　the　other　hand；　he　be　conquered；　the　Heraclidae　shall　withdraw；　lead　back　their　army；　and　engage　for　the　next　hundred　years　to　make　no　further　endeavours　to　force　their　return。〃　Hereupon　Echemus；　the　son　of　Aeropus　and　grandson　of　Phegeus；　who　was　our　leader　and　king；　offered　himself；　and　was　preferred　before　all　his　brothers…in…arms　as　champion；　engaged　in　single　combat　with　Hyllus；　and　slew　him　upon　the　spot。　For　this　exploit　we　were　rewarded　by　the　Peloponnesians　of　that　day　with　many　goodly　privileges；　which　we　have　ever　since　enjoyed；　and；　among　the　rest；　we　obtained　the　right　of　holding　the　leading　post　in　one　wing；　whenever　a　joint　expedition　goes　forth　beyond　our　borders。　With　you　then；　O　Lacedaemonians；　we　do　not　claim　to　compete；　choose　you　which　wing　ye　please；　we　yield　and　grant　you　the　preference：　but　we　maintain　that　the　command　of　the　other　wing　belongs　of　right　to　us；　now　no　less　than　formerly。　Moreover；　set　aside　this　exploit　which　we　have　related；　and　still　our　title　to　the　chief　post　is　better　than　that　of　the　Athenians：　witness　the　many　glorious　fights　in　which　we　have　been　engaged　against　yourselves；　O　Spartans！　as　well　as　those　which　we　have　maintained　with　others。　We　have　therefore　more　right　to　this　place　than　they；　for　they　have　performed　no　exploits　to　be　compared　to　ours；　whether　we　look　to　earlier　or　to　later　times。〃　　　　　Thus　spake　the　Tegeans；　and　the　Athenians　made　reply　as　follows：…　〃We　are　not　ignorant　that　our　forces　were　gathered　here；　not　for　the　purpose　of　speech…making；　but　for　battle　against　the