Calliope   

quiet, and the war might be brought to an end on this wise:- Coined
gold was plentiful in the camp, and uncoined gold too; they had silver
moreover in great abundance, and drinking-cups. Let them not spare
to take of these, and distribute them among the Greeks, especially
among the leaders in the several cities; 'twould not be long before
the Greeks gave up their liberty, without risking another battle for
it. Thus the opinion of Artabazus agreed with that of the Thebans; for
he too had more foresight than some. Mardonius, on the other hand,
expressed himself with more fierceness and obstinacy, and was
utterly disinclined to yield. "Their army," he said, "was vastly
superior to that of the Greeks; and they had best engage at once,
and not wait till greater numbers were gathered against them. As for
Hegesistratus and his victims, they should let them pass unheeded, not
seeking to force them to be favourable, but, according to the old
Persian custom, hasting to join battle."
When Mardonius had thus declared his sentiments, no one ventured
to say him nay; and accordingly his opinion prevailed, for it was to
him, and not to Artabazus, that the king had given the command of
the army.
Mardonius now sent for the captains of the squadrons, and the
leaders of the Greeks in his service, and questioned them:- "Did
they know of any prophecy which said that the Persians were to be
destroyed in Greece?" All were silent; some because they did not
know the prophecies, but others, who knew them full well, because they
did not think it safe to speak out. So Mardonius, when none
answered, said, "Since ye know of no such oracle, or do not dare to
speak of it, I, who know it well, will myself declare it to you. There
is an oracle which says that the Persians shall come into Greece, sack
the temple at Delphi, and when they have so done, perish one and
all. Now we, as we are aware of the prediction, will neither go
against the temple nor make any attempt to sack it: we therefore
shall not perish for this trespass. Rejoice then thus far, all ye
who are well-wishers to the Persians, and doubt not we shall get the
better of the Greeks." When he had so spoken, he further ordered
them to prepare themselves, and to put all in readiness for a battle
upon the morrow.
As for the oracle of which Mardonius spoke, and which he
referred to the Persians, it did not, I am well assured, mean them,
but the Illyrians and the Enchelean host. There are, however, some
verses of Bacis which did speak of this battle:-

By Thermodon's stream, and the grass-clad hanks of Asopus,
See where gather the Grecians, and hark to the foreigners'
war-shout-
There in death shall lie, ere fate or Lachesis doomed him,
Many a bow-bearing Mede, when the day of calamity cometh.

These verses, and some others like them which Musaeus wrote, referred,
I well know, to the Persians. The river Thermodon flows between
Tanagra and Glisas.
After Mardonius had put his question about the prophecies, and
spoken the above words of encouragement, night drew on apace, and on
both sides the watches were set. As soon then as there was silence
throughout the camp,- the night being now well advanced, and the men
seeming to be in their deepest sleep,- Alexander, the son of
Amyntas, king and leader of the Macedonians, rode up on horseback to
the Athenian outposts, and desired to speak with the generals.
Hereupon, while the greater part continued on guard, some of the watch
ran to the chiefs, and told them, "There had come a horseman from
the Median camp who would not say a word, except that he wished to
speak with the generals, of whom he mentioned the names."
They at once, hearing this, made haste to the outpost, where
they found Alexander, who addressed them as follows:-
"Men of Athens, that which I am about to say I trust to your