the history-第203章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　to　the　Medes；　displayed　especially　no　little　zeal；　far　from　playing　the　coward；　they　fought　with　such　fury　that　three　hundred　of　the　best　and　bravest　among　them　were　slain　by　the　Athenians　in　this　passage　of　arms。　But　at　last　they　too　were　routed；　and　fled　away…　not；　however；　in　the　same　direction　as　the　Persians　and　the　crowd　of　allies；　who；　having　taken　no　part　in　the　battle；　ran　off　without　striking　a　blow…　but　to　the　city　of　Thebes。　　　　　To　me　it　shows　very　clearly　how　completely　the　rest　of　the　barbarians　were　dependent　upon　the　Persian　troops；　that　here　they　all　fled　at　once；　without　ever　coming　to　blows　with　the　enemy；　merely　because　they　saw　the　Persians　running　away。　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　the　whole　army　took　to　flight；　except　only　the　horse；　both　Persian　and　Boeotian。　These　did　good　service　to　the　flying　foot…men；　by　advancing　close　to　the　enemy；　and　separating　between　the　Greeks　and　their　own　fugitives。　　　　　The　victors　however　pressed　on；　pursuing　and　slaying　the　remnant　of　the　king's　army。　　　　　Meantime；　while　the　flight　continued；　tidings　reached　the　Greeks　who　were　drawn　up　round　the　Heraeum；　and　so　were　absent　from　the　battle；　that　the　fight　was　begun；　and　that　Pausanias　was　gaining　the　victory。　Hearing　this；　they　rushed　forward　without　any　order；　the　Corinthians　taking　the　upper　road　across　the　skirts　of　Cithaeron　and　the　hills；　which　led　straight　to　the　temple　of　Ceres；　while　the　Megarians　and　Phliasians　followed　the　level　route　through　the　plain。　These　last　had　almost　reached　the　enemy；　when　the　Theban　horse　espied　them；　and；　observing　their　disarray；　despatched　against　them　the　squadron　of　which　Asopodorus；　the　son　of　Timander；　was　captain。　Asopodorus　charged　them　with　such　effect　that　the　left　six　hundred　of　their　number　dead　upon　the　plain；　and；　pursuing　the　rest；　compelled　them　to　seek　shelter　in　Cithaeron。　So　these　men　perished　without　honour。　　　　　The　Persians；　and　the　multitude　with　them；　who　fled　to　the　wooden　fortress；　were　able　to　ascend　into　the　towers　before　the　Lacedaemonians　came　up。　Thus　placed；　they　proceeded　to　strengthen　the　defences　as　well　as　they　could；　and　when　the　Lacedaemonians　arrived；　a　sharp　fight　took　place　at　the　rampart。　So　long　as　the　Athenians　were　away；　the　barbarians　kept　off　their　assailants；　and　had　much　the　best　of　the　combat；　since　the　Lacedaemonians　were　unskilled　in　the　attack　of　walled　places：　but　on　the　arrival　of　the　Athenians；　a　more　violent　assault　was　made；　and　the　wall　was　for　a　long　time　attacked　with　fury。　In　the　end　the　valour　of　the　Athenians　and　their　perseverance　prevailed…　they　gained　the　top　of　the　wall；　and；　breaking　a　breach　through　it；　enabled　the　Greeks　to　pour　in。　The　first　to　enter　here　were　the　Tegeans；　and　they　it　was　who　plundered　the　tent　of　Mardonius；　where　among　other　booty　the　found　the　manger　from　which　his　horses　ate；　all　made　of　solid　brass；　and　well　worth　looking　at。　This　manger　was　given　by　the　Tegeans　to　the　temple　of　Minerva　Alea；　while　the　remainder　of　their　booty　was　brought　into　the　common　stock　of　the　Greeks。　As　soon　as　the　wall　was　broken　down；　the　barbarians　no　longer　kept　together　in　any　array；　nor　was　there　one　among　them　who　thought　of　making　further　resistance…　in　good　truth；　they　were　all　half　dead　with　fright；　huddled　as　so　many　thousands　were　into　so　narrow　and　confined　a　space。　With　such　tameness　did　they　submit　to　be　slaughtered　by　the　Greeks；　that　of　the　300；000　men　who　composed　the　army…　omitting　the　40；000　by　whom　Artabazus　was　accompanied　in　his　flight…　no　more　than　3000　outlived　the　battle。　Of　the　Lacedaemonians　from　Sparta　there　perished　in　this　combat　ninety…one；　of　the　Tegeans；　sixteen；　of　the　Athenians；　fifty…two。　　　　　On　the　side　of　the　barbarians；　the　greatest　courage　was　manifested；　among　the　foot…soldiers；　by　the　Persians；　among　the　horse；　by　the　Sacae；　while　Mardonius　himself；　as　a　man；　bore　off　the　palm　from　the　rest。　Among　the　Greeks；　the　Athenians　and　the　Tegeans　fought　well；　but　the　prowess　shown　by　the　Lacedaemonians　was　beyond　either。　Of　this　I　have　but　one　proof　to　offer…　since　all　the　three　nations　overthrew　the　force　opposed　to　them…　and　that　is；　that　the　Lacedaemonians　fought　and　conquered　the　best　troops。　The　bravest　man　by　far　on　that　day　was；　in　my　judgment；　Aristodemus…　the　same　who　alone　escaped　from　the　slaughter　of　the　three　hundred　at　Thermopylae；　and　who　on　that　account　had　endured　disgrace　and　reproach：　next　to　him　were　Posidonius；　Philocyon；　and　Amompharetus　the　Spartan。　The　Spartans；　however；　who　took　part　in　the　fight；　when　the　question　of　〃who　had　distinguished　himself　most；〃　came　to　be　talked　over　among　them；　decided…　〃that　Aristodemus；　who；　on　account　of　the　blame　which　attached　to　him；　had　manifestly　courted　death；　and　had　therefore　left　his　place　in　the　line　and　behaved　like　a　madman；　had　done　of　a　truth　very　notable　deeds；　but　that　Posidonius；　who；　with　no　such　desire　to　lose　his　life；　had　quitted　himself　no　less　gallantly；　was　by　so　much　a　braver　man　than　he。〃　Perchance；　however；　it　was　envy　that　made　them　speak　after　this　sort。　Of　those　whom　I　have　named　above　as　slain　in　this　battle；　all；　save　and　except　Aristodemus；　received　public　honours：　Aristodemus　alone　had　no　honours；　because　he　courted　death　for　the　reason　which　I　have　mentioned。　　　　　These　then　were　the　most　distinguished　of　those　who　fought　at　Plataea。　As　for　Callicrates；…　the　most　beautiful　man；　not　among　the　Spartans　only；　but　in　the　whole　Greek　camp；…　he　was　not　killed　in　the　battle；　for　it　was　while　Pausanias　was　still　consulting　the　victims；　that　as　he　sat　in　his　proper　place　in　the　line；　an　arrow　struck　him　on　the　side。　While　his　comrades　advanced　to　the　fight；　he　was　borne　out　of　the　ranks；　very　loath　to　die；　as　he　showed　by　the　words　which　he　addressed　to　Arimnestus；　one　of　the　Plataeans；…　〃I　grieve；〃　said　he；　〃not　because　I　have　to　die　for　my　country；　but　because　I　have　not　lifted　my　arm　against　the　enemy；　nor　done　any　deed　worthy　of　me；　much　as　I　have　desired　to　achieve　something。〃　　　　　The　Athenian　who　is　said　to　have　distinguished　himself　the　most　was　Sophanes；　the　son　of　Eutychides；　of　the　Deceleian　canton。　The　men　of　this　canton；　once　upon　a　time；　did　a　deed；　which　（as　the　Athenians　themselves　confess）　has　ever　since　been　serviceable　to　them。　When　the　Tyndaridae；　in　days　of　yore；　invaded　Attica　with　a　mighty　army　to　recover　Helen；　and；　not　being　able　to　find　out　whither　she　had　been　carried；　desolated　the　cantons；…　at　this　time；　they　say；　the　Deceleians　（or　Decelus　himself；　according　to　some）；　displeased　at　the　rudeness　of　Theseus；　and　fearing　that　the　whole　territory　would　suffer；　discovered　everything　to　the　enemy；　and　even　showed　them　the　way　to　Aphidnae；　which　Titacus；　a　native　of　the　place；　betrayed　into　their　hands。　As　a　reward　for　this　action；　Sparta　has　always；　from　that　time　to　the　present；　allowed　the　Deceleians　to　be　free　from　all　dues；　and　to　have　seats　of　honour　at　their　festivals；　and　hence　too；　in　the　war　which　took　place　many　years　after　these　events　between　the　Peloponnesians　and　the　Athenians；　the　Lacedaemonians；　while　they　laid　waste　all　the　rest　of　Attica；　spared　the　lands　of　the　Deceleians。　　　　　Of　this　canton　was　Sophanes；　the　Athenian；　who　most　distinguished　himself　in　the　battle。　Two