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he　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　the　battle　was　likely　to　go；　as　soon　as　the　two　armies　began　to　fight；　he　led　his　soldiers　forward　in　an　orderly　array；　bidding　them　one　and　all　proceed　at　the　same　pace；　and　follow　him　with　such　celerity　as　they　should　observe　him　to　use。　Having　issued　these　commands；　he　pretended　to　lead　them　to　the　battle。　But　when；　advancing　before　his　army；　he　saw　that　the　Persians　were　already　in　flight；　instead　of　keeping　the　same　order；　he　wheeled　his　troops　suddenly　round；　and　beat　a　retreat；　nor　did　he　even　seek　shelter　within　the　palisade　or　behind　the　walls　of　Thebes；　but　hurried　on　into　Phocis；　wishing　to　make　his　way　to　the　Hellespont　with　all　possible　speed。　Such　accordingly　was　the　course　which　these　Persians　took。　　　　　As　for　the　Greeks　upon　the　king's　side；　while　most　of　them　played　the　coward　purposely；　the　Boeotians；　on　the　contrary；　had　a　long　struggle　with　the　Athenians。　Those　of　the　Thebans　who　were　attached　to　the　Medes；　displayed　especially　no　little　zeal；　far　from　playing　the　coward；　they　fought　with　su