Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/201

 BATTLES OF PLAT^A AND MYKALE. 177 pell-mell, without any thought of order or preparations for over- coming resistance : the array already rang with shouts of victory, in full confidence of swallowing up the fugitives as soon as tiiey were overtaken. The Asiatic alHes all followed the example of this disorderly rush forward : 1 but the Thebans and the other Grecian allies on the right wing of Mardonius, appear to have maintained some- what better order. Pausanias had not been able to retreat farther than the neigh- borhood of the Demetrion, or temple of Eleusinian Demeter, where he had halted to take up Amompharetus. Overtaken first by the Persian horse, and next by Mardonius with the main body, he sent a horseman forthwith to apprize the Athenians, and to entreat their aid. Nor were the Athenians slack in comply- ing with his request : but they speedily found themselves en- gaged in conflict against the Theban allies of the enemy, and therefore unable to reach him.2 Accordingly, the Lacedaemo- nians and Tegeates had to encounter the Persians single-handed, without any assistance from the other Greeks. The Persians, on arriving within bowshot of their enemies, planted in the ground the spiked extremities of their gerrha, or long wicker shields, forming a continuous breastwork, from behind which they poured upon the Greeks a shower of arrows : 3 their bows were of the largest size, and drawn with no less power than skill. In spite of the wounds and distress thus inflicted, Pausanias per- sisted in the indispensable duty of offering the battle sacrifice, and the victims were for some time unfavorable, so that he did ' Herodot. ix. 59. eSluKov 6c iroScbv iKaaroc elxov, ovte kog/icj ovdevl KoafLTj'&EVTeg, ovre ra^i. 'Kal ovtol fxev [3oy re /cat 6/j.i2.<f) eTrrjCaav, uq uvap- ■nanojievoi Tovg "E/lP-jyvaf. Herodotus dwells especially on the reckless and disorderly manner in which the Persians advanced : Plutarch, on the contrary, says of Mardo- nius, — e;t'^v avvT eray [livriv rrjv 6vva/iiv E7r£(pep£T0 role AaKeSocfiovlot.c, etc. (Plutarch, Aristeid. c. 17.) Plutarch also says that Pausanias Tjye ttjv uXKrjv dvpafiiv irpbc Td.c n Z a r a t a f, etc., which is quite contrary to the real narrative of Herodo- tus. Pausanias intended to march to the island, not to Plat£ea : he did not reach either the one or the other. VOL. V. 8* 12oc
 * Herodot. ix, 60, 61.
 * About the Persian bow, see Xenoph. Anabas. iii, 4, 1 7.