Calliope   

divers places.
When twenty days were gone by, and the violence of the Greeks
did not slacken, Timagenidas thus bespake his countrymen-
"Ye men of Thebes, since the Greeks have so decreed, that they
will never desist from the siege till either they take Thebes or we
are delivered to them, we would not that the land of Boeotia should
suffer any longer on our behalf. If it be money that they in truth
desire, and their demand of us be no more than a pretext, let money
from the treasury of the state be given them; for the state, and not
we alone, embraced the cause of the Medes. If, however, they really
want our persons, and on that account press this siege, we are ready
to be delivered to them and to stand our trial."
The Thebans thought this offer very right and seasonable;
wherefore, they despatched a herald without any delay to Pausanias,
and told him they were willing to deliver up the men.
As soon as an agreement had been concluded upon these terms,
Attaginus made his escape from the city; his sons, however, were
surrendered in his place; but Pausanias refused to hold them guilty,
since children (he said) could have had part in such an offence. The
rest of those whom the Thebans gave up had expected to obtain a trial,
and in that case their trust was to escape by means of bribery; but
Pausanias, afraid of this, dismissed at once the whole army of allies,
and took the men with him to Corinth, where he slew them all. Such
were the events which happened at Plataea and at Thebes.
Artabazus, the son of Pharnaces, who fled away from Plataea, was
soon far sped on his journey. When he reached Thessaly, the
inhabitants received him hospitably, and made inquiries of him
concerning the rest of the army, since they were still altogether
ignorant of what had taken place at Plataea: whereupon the Persian,
knowing well that, if he told them the truth, he would run great
risk of perishing himself, together with his whole army- for if the
facts were once blazoned abroad, all who learnt them would be sure
to fall upon him- the Persian, I say, considering this, as he had
before kept all secret from the Phocians, so now answered the
Thessalians after the following fashion:-
"I myself, Thessalians, am hastening, as ye see, into Thrace;
and I am fain to use all possible despatch, as I am sent with this
force on special business from the main army. Mardonius and his host
are close behind me, and may be looked for shortly. When he comes,
receive him as ye have received me, and show him every kindness. Be
sure ye will never hereafter regret it, if ye so do."
With these words he took his departure, and marched his troops
at their best speed through Thessaly and Macedon straight upon Thrace,
following the inland route, which was the shortest, and, in good
truth, using all possible dispatch. He himself succeeded in reaching
Byzantium; but a great part of his army perished upon the road- many
being cut to pieces by the Thracians, and others dying from hunger and
excess of toil. From Byzantium Artabazus set sail, and crossed the
strait; returning into Asia in the manner which has been here
described.
On the same day that the blow was struck at Plataea, another
defeat befell the Persians at Mycale in Ionia. While the Greek fleet
under Leotychides the Lacedaemonian was still lying inactive at Delos,
there arrived at that place an embassy from Samos, consisting of three
men, Lampon the son of Thrasycles, Athenagoras the son of
Archestratidas, and Hegesistratus the son of Aristagoras. The
Samians had sent them secretly, concealing their departure both from
the Persians and from their own tyrant Theomestor, the son of
Androdamas, whom the Persians had made ruler of Samos. When the
ambassadors came before the Greek captains Hegesistratus took the
word, and urged them with many and various arguments, saying, "that
the Ionians only needed to see them arrive in order to revolt from the
Persians; and that the Persians would never abide their coming; or
if they did, 'twould be to offer them the finest booty that they could