Aristides   

and cutting in sunder the bridge. But Aristides, with an exclamation,
bid him think no more of it, but deliberate and find out means for
removing the Mede, as quickly as possible, out of Greece; lest being
enclosed, through want of means to escape, necessity should compel
him to force his way with so great an army. So Themistocles once more
despatched Arnaces, the eunuch, his prisoner, giving him in command
privately to advertise the king that he had diverted the Greeks from
their intention of setting sail for the bridges, out of the desire
he felt to preserve him.
Xerxes, being much terrified with this, immediately hasted to the
Hellespont. But Mardonius was left with the most serviceable part
of the army, about three hundred thousand men, and was a formidable
enemy, confident in his infantry and writing messages of defiance
to the Greeks: "You have overcome by sea men accustomed to fight on
land, and unskilled at the oar; but there lies now the open country
of Thessaly; and the plains of Boeotia offer a broad and worthy field
for brave men, either horse or foot, to contend in." But he sent privately
to the Athenians, both by letter and word of mouth from the king,
promising to rebuild their city, to give them a vast sum of money,
and constitute them lords of all Greece, on condition they were not
engaged in the war. The Lacedaemonians, receiving news of this, and
fearing, despatched an embassy to the Athenians, entreating that they
would send their wives and children to Sparta, and receive support
from them for their superannuated. For, being despoiled both of their
city and country, the people were suffering extreme distress. Having
given audience to the ambassadors, they returned an answer, upon the
motion of Aristides, worthy of the highest admiration; declaring,
that they forgave their enemies if they thought all things purchasable
by wealth, than which they knew nothing of greater value; but that
they felt offended at the Lacedaemonians for looking only to their
present poverty and exigence, without any remembrance of their valour
and magnanimity, offering them their victuals to fight in the cause
of Greece. Aristides, making this proposal and bringing back the ambassadors
into the assembly, charged them to tell the Lacedaemonians, that all
the treasure on the earth or under it was of less value with the people
of Athens than the liberty of Greece. And, showing the sun to those
who came from Mardonius, "As long as that retains the same course,
so long," said he, "shall the citizens of Athens wage war with the
Persians for the country which has been wasted, and the temples that
have been profaned and burnt by them." Moreover, he proposed a decree
that the priests should anathematize him who sent any herald to the
Medes, or deserted the alliance of Greece.
When Mardonius made a second incursion into the country of Attica,
the people passed over again into the isle of Salamis. Aristides,
being sent to Lacedaemon, reproved them for their delay aid neglect
in abandoning Athens once more to the barbarians; and demanded their
assistance for that part of Greece which was not yet lost. The Ephori,
hearing this, made show of sporting all day, and of carelessly keeping
holy day (for they were then celebrating the Hyacinthian festival),
but in the night, selecting five thousand Spartans, each of whom was
attended by seven Helots, they sent them forth unknown to those from
Athens. And when Aristides again reprehended them, they told him in
derision that he either doted or dreamed, for the army was already
at Oresteum, in their march towards the strangers, as they called
the Persians. Aristides answered that they jested unseasonably, deluding
their friends instead of their enemies. Thus says Idomeneus. But in
the decree of Aristides, not himself, but Cimon, Xanthippus, and Myronides
are appointed ambassadors.
Being chosen general for the war, he repaired to Plataea with eight
thousand Athenians, where Pausanias, generalissimo of all Greece,
joined him with the Spartans; and the forces of the other Greeks came
into them. The whole encampment of the barbarians extended all along
the bank of the river Asopus, their numbers being so great there was
no enclosing them all, but their baggage and most valuable things