Calliope   

implement, wherewith he contrived to accomplish the most courageous
deed upon record. Calculating how much of his foot he would be able to
draw through the hole, he cut off the front portion with his own hand;
and then, as he was guarded by watchmen, forced a way through the wall
of his prison, and made his escape to Tegea, travelling during the
night, but in the daytime stealing into the woods, and staying
there. In this way, though the Lacedaemonians went out in full force
to search for him, he nevertheless escaped, and arrived the third
evening at Tegea. So the Spartans were amazed at the man's
endurance, when they saw on the ground the piece which he had cut
off his foot, and yet for all their seeking could not find him
anywhere. Hegesistratus, having thus escaped the Lacedaemonians,
took refuge in Tegea; for the Tegeans at that time were ill friends
with the Lacedaemonians. When his wound was healed, he procured
himself a wooden foot, and became an open enemy to Sparta. At the
last, however, this enmity brought him to trouble; for the Spartans
took him captive as he was exercising his office in Zacynthus, and
forthwith put him to death. But these things happened some while after
the fight at Plataea. At present he was serving Mardonius on the
Asopus, having been hired at no inconsiderable price; and here he
offered sacrifice with a right good will, in part from his hatred of
the Lacedaemonians, in part for lucre's sake.
So when the victims did not allow either the Persians or their
Greek allies to begin the battle- these Greeks had their own
soothsayer in the person of Hippomachus, a Leucadian- and when
soldiers continued to pour into the opposite camp and the numbers on
the Greek side to increase continually, Timagenidas, the son of
Herpys, a Theban, advised Mardonius to keep a watch on the passes of
Cithaeron, telling him how supplies of men kept flocking in day
after day, and assuring him that he might cut off large numbers.
It was eight days after the two armies first encamped opposite
to one another when this advice was given by Timagenidas. Mardonius,
seeing it to be good, as soon as evening came, sent his cavalry to
that pass of Mount Cithaeron which opens out upon Plataea, a pass
called by the Boeotians the "Three Heads," called the "Oak-Heads" by
the Athenians. The horse sent on this errand did not make the movement
in vain. They came upon a body of five hundred sumpter-beasts which
were just entering the plain, bringing provisions to the Greek camp
from the Peloponnese, with a number of men driving them. Seeing this
prey in their power, the Persians set upon them and slaughtered
them, sparing none, neither man nor beast; till at last, when they had
had enough of slaying, they secured such as were left, and bore them
off to the camp to Mardonius.
After this they waited again for two days more, neither army
wishing to begin the fight. The barbarians indeed advanced as far as
the Asopus, and endeavoured to tempt the Greeks to cross; but
neither side actually passed the stream. Still the cavalry of
Mardonius harassed and annoyed the Greeks incessantly; for the
Thebans, who were zealous in the cause of the Medes, pressed the war
forward with all eagerness, and often led the charge till the lines
met, when the Medes and Persians took their place, and displayed, many
of them, uncommon valour.
For ten days nothing was done more than this; but on the
eleventh day from the time when the two hosts first took station,
one over against the other, near Plataea- the number of the Greeks
being now much greater than it was at the first, and Mardonius being
impatient of the delay- there was a conference held between Mardonius,
son of Gobryas, and Artabazus, son of Pharnaces, a man who was
esteemed by Xerxes more than almost any of the Persians. At this
consultation the following were the opinions delivered:- Artabazus
thought it would be best for them to break up from their quarters as
soon as possible, and withdraw the whole army to the fortified town of
Thebes, where they had abundant stores of corn for themselves, and
of fodder for the sumpter-beasts. There, he said, they had only to sit