the history-第197章

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hat　our　forces　were　gathered　here；　not　for　the　purpose　of　speech…making；　but　for　battle　against　the　barbarian。　Yet　as　the　Tegeans　have　been　pleased　to　bring　into　debate　the　exploits　performed　by　our　two　nations；　alike　in　carlier　and　in　later　times；　we　have　no　choice　but　to　set　before　you　the　grounds　on　which　we　claim　it　as　our　heritage；　deserved　by　our　unchanging　bravery；　to　be　preferred　above　Arcadians。　In　the　first　place；　then；　those　very　Heraclidae；　whose　leader　they　boast　to　have　slain　at　the　Isthmus；　and　whom　the　other　Greeks　would　not　receive　when　they　asked　a　refuge　from　the　bondage　wherewith　they　were　threatened　by　the　people　of　Mycinae；　were　given　a　shelter　by　us；　and　we　brought　down　the　insolence　of　Eurystheus；　and　helped　to　gain　the　victory　over　those　who　were　at　that　time　lords　of　the　Peloponnese。　Again；　when　the　Argives　led　their　troops　with　Polynices　against　Thebes；　and　were　slain　and　refused　burial；　it　is　our　boast　that　we　went　out　against　the　Cadmeians；　recovered　the　bodies；　and　buried　them　at　Eleusis　in　our　own　territory。　Another　noble　deed　of　ours　was　that　against　the　Amazons；　when　they　came　from　their　seats　upon　the　Thermodon；　and　poured　their　hosts　into　Attica；　and　in　the　Trojan　war　too　we　were　not　a　whit　behind　any　of　the　Greeks。　But　what　boots　it　to　speak　of　these　ancient　matters？　A　nation　which　was　brave　in　those　days　might　have　grown　cowardly　since；　and　a　nation　of　cowards　then　might　now　be　valiant。　Enough　therefore　of　our　ancient　achievements。　Had　we　performed　no　other　exploit　than　that　at　Marathon…　though　in　truth　we　have　performed　exploits　as　many　and　as　noble　as　any　of　the　Greeks…　yet　had　we　performed　no　other；　we　should　deserve　this　privilege；　and　many　a　one　beside。　There　we　stood　alone；　and　singly　fought　with　the　Persians；　nay；　and　venturing　on　so　dangerous　a　cast；　we　overcame　the　enemy；　and　conquered　on　that　day　forty　and　six　nations！　Does　not　this　one　achievement　suffice　to　make　good　our　title　to　the　post　we　claim？　Nevertheless；　Lacedaemonians；　as　to　strive　concerning　place　at　such　a　time　as　this　is　not　right；　we　are　ready　to　do　as　ye　command；　and　to　take　our　station　at　whatever　part　of　the　line；　and　face　whatever　nation　ye　think　most　expedient。　Wheresoever　ye　place　us；　'twill　be　our　endeavour　to　behave　as　brave　men。　Only　declare　your　will；　and　we　shall　at　once　obey　you。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　reply　of　the　Athenians；　and　forthwith　all　the　Lacedaemonian　troops　cried　out　with　one　voice；　that　the　Athenians　were　worthier　to　have　the　left　wing　than　the　Arcadians。　In　this　way　were　the　Tegeans　overcome；　and　the　post　was　assigned　to　the　Athenians。　　　　　When　this　matter　had　been　arranged；　the　Greek　army；　which　was　in　part　composed　of　those　who　came　at　the　first；　in　part　of　such　as　had　flocked　in　from　day　to　day；　drew　up　in　the　following　order：…　Ten　thousand　Lacedaemonian　troops　held　the　right　wing；　five　thousand　of　whom　were　Spartans；　and　these　five　thousand　were　attended　by　a　body　of　thirty…five　thousand　Helots；　who　were　only　lightly　armed…　seven　Helots　to　each　Spartan。　The　place　next　to　themselves　the　Spartans　gave　to　the　Tegeans；　on　account　of　their　courage　and　of　the　esteem　in　which　they　held　them。　They　were　all　fully　armed；　and　numbered　fifteen　hundred　men。　Next　in　order　came　the　Corinthians；　five　thousand　strong；　and　with　them　Pausanias　had　placed；　at　their　request；　the　band　of　three　hundred　which　had　come　from　Potidaea　in　Pallene。　The　Arcadians　of　Orchomenus；　in　number　six　hundred；　came　next；　then　the　Sicyonians；　three　thousand；　then　the　Epidaurians；　eight　hundred；　then　the　Troezenians；　one　thousand；　then　the　Lepreats；　two　hundred；　the　Mycenaeans　and　Tirynthians；　four　hundred；　the　Phliasians；　one　thousand；　the　Hermionians；　three　hundred；　the　Eretrians　and　Styreans；　six　hundred；　the　Chalcideans；　four　hundred；　and　the　Ambraciots；　five　hundred。　After　these　came　the　Leucadians　and　Anactorians；　who　numbered　eight　hundred；　the　Paleans　of　Cephallenia；　two　hundred；　the　Eginetans；　five　hundred；　the　Megarians；　three　thousand；　and　the　Plataeans；　six　hundred。　Last　of　all；　but　first　at　their　extremity　of　the　line；　were　the　Athenians；　who；　to　the　number　of　eight　thousand；　occupied　the　left　wing；　under　the　command　of　Aristides；　the　son　of　Lysimachus。　　　　　All　these；　except　the　Helots…　seven　of　whom；　as　I　said；　attended　each　Spartan…　were　heavy…armed　troops；　and　they　amounted　to　thirty…eight　thousand　seven　hundred　men。　This　was　the　number　of　Hoplites；　or　heavy…armed　soldiers；　which　was　together　against　the　barbarian。　The　light…armed　troops　consisted　of　the　thirty…five　thousand　ranged　with　the　Spartans；　seven　in　attendance　upon　each；　who　were　all　well　equipped　for　war；　and　of　thirty…four　thousand　five　hundred　others；　belonging　to　the　Lacedaemonians　and　the　rest　of　the　Greeks；　at　the　rate　（nearly）　of　one　light　to　one　heavy　armed。　Thus　the　entire　number　of　the　light…armed　was　sixty…nine　thousand　five　hundred。　　　　　The　Greek　army；　therefore；　which　mustered　at　Plataea；　counting　light…armed　as　well　as　heavy…armed；　was　but　eighteen　hundred　men　short　of　one　hundred　and　ten　thousand；　and　this　amount　was　exactly　made　up　by　the　Thespians　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；　howeve