Calliope   

what had happened to divers persons, before the battle was fought at
Plataea.
When Mardonius formerly held his camp in Boeotia, all the Greeks
of those parts who were friendly to the Medes sent troops to join
his army, and these troops accompanied him in his attack upon
Athens. The Phocians alone abstained, and took no part in the
invasion; for, though they had espoused the Median cause warmly, it
was very much against their will, and only because they were compelled
so to do. However, a few days after the arrival of the Persian army at
Thebes, a thousand of their heavy-armed soldiers came up, under the
command of Harmocydes, one of their most distinguished citizens. No
sooner had these troops reached Thebes, than some horsemen came to
them from Mardonius, with orders that they should take up a position
upon the plain, away from the rest of the army. The Phocians did so,
and forthwith the entire Persian cavalry drew nigh to them:
whereupon there went a rumour through the whole of the Greek force
encamped with the Medes, that Mardonius was about to destroy the
Phocians with missiles. The same conviction ran through the Phocian
troops themselves; and Harmocydes, their leader, addressed them thus
with words of encouragement- "Phocians" said he, "'tis plain that
these men have resolved beforehand to take our lives, because of the
accusations of the Thessalians, as I imagine. Now, then, is the time
for you all to show yourselves brave men. 'Tis better to die
fighting and defending our lives, than tamely to allow them to slay us
in this shameful fashion. Let them learn that they are barbarians, and
that the men whose death they have plotted are Greeks!"
Thus spake Harmocydes; and the Persian horse, having encircled the
Phocians, charged towards them, as if about to deal out death, with
bows bent, and arrows ready to be let fly; nay, here and there some
did even discharge their weapons. But the Phocians stood firm, keeping
close one to another, and serrying their ranks as much as possible:
whereupon the horse suddenly wheeled round and rode off. I cannot
say with certainty whether they came, at the prayer of the
Thessalians, to destroy the Phocians, but seeing them prepared to
stand on their defence, and fearing to suffer damage at their hands,
on that account beat a retreat, having orders from Mardonius so to
act; or whether his sole intent was to try the temper of the
Phocians and see whether they had any courage or no. However this
may have been, when the horsemen retired, Mardonius sent a herald to
the Phocians, saying- "Fear not, Phocians- ye have shown yourselves
valiant men- much unlike the report I had heard of you. Now
therefore be forward in the coming war. Ye will not readily outdo
either the king or myself in services." Thus ended the affair of the
Phocians.
The Lacedaemonians, when they reached the Isthmus, pitched their
camp there; and the other Peloponnesians who had embraced the good
side, hearing or else seeing that they were upon the march, thought it
not right to remain behind when the Spartans were going forth to the
war. So the Peloponnesians went out in one body from the Isthmus,
the victims being favourable for setting forth; and marched as far
as Eleusis, where again they offered sacrifices, and, finding the
omens still encouraging, advanced further. At Eleusis they were joined
by the Athenians, who had come across from Salamis, and now
accompanied the main army. On reaching Erythrae in Boeotia, they
learnt that the barbarians were encamped upon the Asopus; wherefore
they themselves, after considering how they should act, disposed their
forces opposite to the enemy upon the slopes of Mount Cithaeron.
Mardonius, when he saw that the Greeks would not come down into
the plain, sent all his cavalry, under Masistius (or Macistius, as the
Greeks call him), to attack them where they were. Now Masistius was
a man of much repute among the Persians, and rode a Nisaean charger
with a golden bit, and otherwise magnificently caparisoned. So the
horse advanced against the Greeks, and made attacks upon them in
divisions, doing them great damage at each charge, and insulting