Calliope   

paraded it along the ranks of the army. Now the body was a sight which
well deserved to be gazed upon, being remarkable both for stature
and for beauty; and it was to stop the soldiers from leaving their
ranks to look at it, that they resolved to carry it round. After
this the Greeks determined to quit the high ground and go nearer
Plataea, as the land there seemed far more suitable for an
encampment than the country about Erythrae, particularly because it
was better supplied with water. To this place therefore, and more
especially to a spring-head which was called Gargaphia, they
considered that it would be best for them to remove, after which
they might once more encamp in their order. So they took their arms,
and proceeded along the slopes of Cithaeron, past Hysiae, to the
territory of the Plataeans; and here they drew themselves up, nation
by nation, close by the fountain Gargaphia, and the sacred precinct of
the Hero Androcrates, partly along some hillocks of no great height,
and partly upon the level of the plain.
Here, in the marshalling of the nations, a fierce battle of
words arose between the Athenians and the Tegeans, both of whom
claimed to have one of the wings assigned to them. On each side were
brought forward the deeds which they had done, whether in earlier or
in later times; and first the Tegeans urged their claim as follows:-
"This post has been always considered our right, and not the right
of any of the other allies, in all the expeditions which have been
entered into conjointly by the Peloponnesians, both anciently and in
later times. Ever since the Heraclidae made their attempt, after the
death of Eurystheus, to return by force of arms into the
Peloponnese, this custom has been observed. It was then that the right
became ours, and this was the way in which we gained it:- When, in
company with the Achaeans and Ionians who then dwelt in the
Peloponnese, we marched out to the Isthmus, and pitched our camp
over against the invaders, then, as the tale goes, that Hyllus made
proclamation, saying- 'It needs not to imperil two armies in a general
battle; rather let one be chosen from the Peloponnesian ranks,
whomsoever they deem the bravest, and let him engage with me in single
combat, on such terms as shall be agreed upon.' The saying pleased the
Peloponnesians, and oaths were sworn to the effect following:- 'If
Hyllus conquer the Peloponnesian champion, the Heraclidae shall return
to their inheritance; if, on the other hand, he be conquered, the
Heraclidae shall withdraw, lead back their army, and engage for the
next hundred years to make no further endeavours to force their
return." Hereupon Echemus, the son of Aeropus and grandson of Phegeus,
who was our leader and king, offered himself, and was preferred before
all his brothers-in-arms as champion, engaged in single combat with
Hyllus, and slew him upon the spot. For this exploit we were
rewarded by the Peloponnesians of that day with many goodly
privileges, which we have ever since enjoyed; and, among the rest,
we obtained the right of holding the leading post in one wing,
whenever a joint expedition goes forth beyond our borders. With you
then, O Lacedaemonians, we do not claim to compete; choose you which
wing ye please; we yield and grant you the preference: but we maintain
that the command of the other wing belongs of right to us, now no less
than formerly. Moreover, set aside this exploit which we have related,
and still our title to the chief post is better than that of the
Athenians: witness the many glorious fights in which we have been
engaged against yourselves, O Spartans! as well as those which we have
maintained with others. We have therefore more right to this place
than they; for they have performed no exploits to be compared to ours,
whether we look to earlier or to later times."
Thus spake the Tegeans; and the Athenians made reply as
follows:- "We are not ignorant that 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