Polymnia   

like to return, they might have gone both to the field and fallen with
their countrymen. But at this time, when either way was open to
them, unhappily they could not agree, but took contrary courses.
Eurytus no sooner heard that the Persians had come round the
mountain than straightway he called for his armour, and having buckled
it on, bade his helot lead him to the place where his friends were
fighting. The helot did so, and then turned and fled; but Eurytus
plunged into the thick of the battle, and so perished. Aristodemus, on
the other hand, was faint of heart, and remained at Alpeni. It is my
belief that if Aristodemus only had been sick and returned, or if both
had come back together, the Spartans would have been content and
felt no anger; but when there were two men with the very same
excuse, and one of them was chary of his life, while the other
freely gave it, they could not but be very wroth with the former.
This is the account which some give of the escape of
Aristodemus. Others say that he, with another, had been sent on a
message from the army, and, having it in his power to return in time
for the battle, purposely loitered on the road, and so survived his
comrades; while his fellow-messenger came back in time, and fell in
the battle.
When Aristodemus returned to Lacedaemon, reproach and disgrace
awaited him; disgrace, inasmuch as no Spartan would give him a light
to kindle his fire, or so much as address a word to him; and reproach,
since all spoke of him as "the craven." However he wiped away all
his shame afterwards at the battle of Plataea.
Another of the three hundred is likewise said to have survived the
battle, a man named Pantites, whom Leonidas had sent on an embassy
into Thessaly. He, they say, on his return to Sparta, found himself in
such disesteem that he hanged himself.
The Thebans under the command of Leontiades remained with the
Greeks, and fought against the barbarians, only so long as necessity
compelled them. No sooner did they see victory inclining to the
Persians, and the Greeks under Leonidas hurrying with all speed
towards the hillock, than they moved away from their companions, and
with hands upraised advanced towards the barbarians, exclaiming, as
was indeed most true- "that they for their part wished well to the
Medes, and had been among the first to give earth and water to the
king; force alone had brought them to Thermopylae; and so they must
not be blamed for the slaughter which had befallen the king's army."
These words, the truth of which was attested by the Thessalians,
sufficed to obtain the Thebans the grant of their lives. However,
their good fortune was not without some drawback; for several of
them were slain by the barbarians on their first approach; and the
rest, who were the greater number, had the royal mark branded upon
their bodies by the command of Xerxes- Leontiades, their captain,
being the first to suffer. (This man's son, Eurymachus, was afterwards
slain by the Plataeans, when he came with a band Of 400 Thebans, and
seized their city.)
Thus fought the Greeks at Thermopylae. And Xerxes, after the fight
was over, called for Demaratus to question him; and began as follows:-
"Demaratus, thou art a worthy man; thy true-speaking proves it.
All has happened as thou didst forewarn. Now then, tell me, how many
Lacedaemonians are there left, and of those left how many are such
brave warriors as these? Or are they all alike?"
"O king!" replied the other, "the whole number of the
Lacedaemonians is very great; and many are the cities which they
inhabit. But I will tell thee what thou really wishest to learn. There
is a town of Lacedaemon called Sparta, which contains within it
about eight thousand full-grown men. They are, one and all, equal to
those who have fought here. The other Lacedaemonians are brave men,
but not such warriors as these."
"Tell me now, Demaratus," rejoined Xerxes, "how we may with
least trouble subdue these men. Thou must know all the paths of
their counsels, as thou wert once their king."