The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [194]
9. ‘And we Spartans will exchange to your current place on the left wing, for we have fought the Boeotians and Thessalians before, and know how they fight.’
10. To this the Athenians readily agreed, having themselves thought that this would be a good idea.
11. But when Mardonius saw the changeover occurring, he likewise exchanged his wings; and when the Greeks changed back, he followed suit.
12. And then he sent a mocking message to the Spartans, saying, ‘Lacedaemonians, men say that you are the bravest of mankind,
13. ‘And admire you because you never turn your backs in flight nor quit your ranks, but always stand firm, and either die at your posts or else destroy your adversaries.
14. ‘But in all this which they say concerning you there is not one word of truth; for now have we seen you, before battle was joined or our two hosts had come to blows, flying and leaving your posts,
15. ‘Wishing the Athenians to make the first trial of our arms, and taking your own station against our slaves.’
16. Then Mardonius offered a fight in equal between the pick of the Persian guards and the Spartans; but receiving no reply to his challenge, ordered the cavalry to attack.
17. Now the Persian cavalry fired arrows from horseback as they attacked, and sorely distressed the Greek troops, who could not bring them to close combat.
18. Moreover the Persians at this time choked up and spoiled the fountain of Gargaphia, from which the whole Greek army drew its water.
19. Accordingly the Greek generals met together and laid a new plan.
20. If the Persians did not attack in full force that day, they resolved to move the army to a new position at a place called ‘The Island’,
21. Formed by the divided arms of the River Oeroe on a tract of land before Plataea, about ten furlongs from the River Asopus and the fountain of Gargaphia.
22. In this place they would have abundant water and would be less vulnerable to the Persian cavalry, which could not so easily harass them there.
23. Having resolved to move their ground during the second watch of night so as to be less visible, the Greeks continued to suffer through the rest of the day from the attrition of the Persian cavalry.
24. When night fell and the attacks ceased, the army began to get ready for its move.
25. But the greater number of the men were not minded to take the new ground, but wanted to flee into the city of Plataea and hide behind its walls.
Chapter 101
1. Meanwhile one of the generals who had not been at the meeting earlier, Amompharetus, now refused to retreat;
2. And while the Spartan leaders Pausanias and Euryanax were arguing with him, the Athenians, who had kept their station, sent a horseman to find out what was happening,
3. For they distrusted the Lacedaemonians, who often said one thing and did another.
4. Just at the moment when the Athenian herald arrived, Amompharetus, still disputing, took up a vast rock with both hands, and placed it at the feet of Pausanias, saying,
5. ‘With this pebble I give my vote not to run away from the barbarians.’
6. Pausanias, in reply, called him a fool and a madman, and, turning to the Athenian herald, instructed him to tell his countrymen how he was occupied,
7. And ask them to approach nearer, and retreat or not according to the movements of the Spartans.
8. The herald returned to the Athenians; and the Spartans continued to dispute till morning began to dawn.
9. Then Pausanias, who as yet had not moved, gave the signal for retreat, expecting that Amompharetus, when he saw the rest of the Lacedaemonians in motion, would be unwilling to be left.
10. No sooner was the signal given, than all the army except the Pitanates began their march, and retreated along the line of the hills, the Tegeans accompanying them.
11. The Athenians likewise set off in good order, but proceeded by a different way from the Lacedaemonians.
12. For while the latter clung to the hilly ground and the skirts of Mount Cithaeron, on account of their fear of the enemy Persian cavalry,