the history-第156节

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e；　made　a　change　in　the　disposition　of　his　own　forces；　and　brought　the　Persians　to　face　the　Lacedaemonians。　Then　Pausanias；　finding　that　his　design　was　discovered；　led　back　his　Spartans　to　the　right　wing；　and　Mardonius；　seeing　this；　replaced　his　Persians　upon　the　left　of　his　army。　　　　　When　the　troops　again　occupied　their　former　posts；　Mardonius　sent　a　herald　to　the　Spartans；　who　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Lacedaemonians；　in　these　parts　the　men　say　that　you　are　the　bravest　of　mankind；　and　admire　you　because　you　never　turn　your　backs　in　flight　nor　quit　your　ranks；　but　always　stand　firm；　and　either　die　at　your　posts　or　else　destroy　your　adversaries。　But　in　all　this　which　they　say　concerning　you　there　is　not　one　word　of　truth；　for　now　have　we　seen　you；　before　battle　was　joined　or　our　two　hosts　had　come　to　blows；　flying　and　leaving　your　posts；　wishing　the　Athenians　to　make　the　first　trial　of　our　arms；　and　taking　your　own　station　against　our　slaves。　Surely　these　are　not　the　deeds　of　brave　men。　Much　do　we　find　ourselves　deceived　in　you；　for　we　believed　the　reports　of　you　that　reached　our　ears；　and　expected　that　you　would　send　a　herald　with　a　challenge　to　us；　proposing　to　fight　by　yourselves　against　our　division　of　native　Persians。　We　for　our　part　were　ready　to　have　agreed　to　this；　but　ye　have　made　us　no　such　offer…　nay！　ye　seem　rather　to　shrink　from　meeting　us。　However；　as　no　challenge　of　this　kind　comes　from　you　to　us；　lo！　we　send　a　challenge　to　you。　Why　should　not　you　on　the　part　of　the　Greeks；　as　you　are　thought　to　be　the　bravest　of　all；　and　we　on　the　part　of　the　barbarians；　fight　a　battle　with　equal　numbers　on　both　sides？　Then；　if　it　seems　good　to　the　others　to　fight　likewise；　let　them　engage　afterwards…　but　if　not；…　if　they　are　content　that　we　should　fight　on　behalf　of　all；　let　us　so　do…　and　whichever　side　wins　the　battle；　let　them　win　it　for　their　whole　army。〃　　　　　When　the　herald　had　thus　spoken；　he　waited　a　while；　but；　as　no　one　made　him　any　answer；　he　went　back；　and　told　Mardonius　what　had　happened。　Mardonius　was　full　of　joy　thereat；　and　so　puffed　up　by　the　empty　victory；　that　he　at　once　gave　orders　to　his　horse　to　charge　the　Greek　line。　Then　the　horsemen　drew　near；　and　with　their　javelins　and　their　arrows…　for　though　horsemen　they　used　the　bow…　sorely　distressed　the　Greek　troops；　which　could　not　bring　them　to　close　combat。　The　fountain　of　Gargaphia；　whence　the　whole　Greek　army　drew　its　water；　they　at　this　time　choked　up　and　spoiled。　The　Lacedaemonians　were　the　only　troops　who　had　their　station　near　this　fountain；　the　other　Greeks　were　more　or　less　distant　from　it；　according　to　their　place　in　the　line；　they　however　were　not　far　from　the　Asopus。　Still；　as　the　Persian　horse　with　their　missile　weapons　did　not　allow　them　to　approach；　and　so　they　could　not　get　their　water　from　the　river；　these　Greeks；　no　less　than　the　Lacedaemonians；　resorted　at　this　time　to　the　fountain。　　　　　When　the　fountain　was　choked；　the　Grecian　captains；　seeing　that　the　army　had　no　longer　a　water…place；　and　observing　moreover　that　the　cavalry　greatly　harassed　them；　held　a　meeting　on　these　and　other　matters　at　the　headquarters　of　Pausanias　upon　the　right。　For　besides　the　above…named　difficulties；　which　were　great　enough；　other　circumstances　added　to　their　distress。　All　the　provisions　that　they　had　brought　with　them　were　gone；　and　the　attendants　who　had　been　sent　to　fetch　supplies　from　the　Peloponnese；　were　prevented　from　returning　to　camp　by　the　Persian　horse；　which　had　now　closed　the　passage。　　　　　The　captains　therefore　held　a　council；　whereat　it　was　agreed；　that　if　the　Persians　did　not　give　battle　that　day；　the　Greeks　should　move　to　the　Island…　a　tract　of　ground　which　lies　in　front　of　Plataea；　at　the　distance　of　ten　furlongs　from　the　Asopus　and　fount　Gargaphia；　where　the　army　was　encamped　at　that　time。　This　tract　was　a　sort　of　island　in　the　continent：　for　there　is　a　river　which；　dividing　near　its　source；　runs　down　from　Mount　Cithaeron　into　the　plain　below　in　two　streams；　flowing　in　channels　about　three　furlongs　apart；　which　after　a　while　unite　and　become　one。　The　name　of　this　river　is　Oeroe；　and　the　dwellers　in　those　parts　call　it；　the　daughter　of　the　Asopus。　This　was　the　place　to　which　the　Greeks　resolved　to　remove；　and　they　chose　it；　first　because　they　would　there　have　no　lack　of　water；　and　secondly；　because　the　horse　could　not　harass　them　as　when　it　was　drawn　up　right　in　their　front。　They　thought　it　best　to　begin　their　march　at　the　second　watch　of　the　night；　lest　the　Persians　should　see　them　as　they　left　their　station；　and　should　follow　and　harass　them　with　their　cavalry。　It　was　agreed　likewise；　that　after　they　had　reached　the　place；　which　the　Asopus…born　Oeroe　surrounds；　as　it　flows　down　from　Cithaeron；　they　should　despatch；　the　very　same　night；　one　half　of　their　army　towards　that　mountain…range；　to　relieve　those　whom　they　had　sent　to　procure　provisions；　and　who　were　now　blocked　up　in　that　region。　　　　　Having　made　these　resolves；　they　continued　during　that　whole　day　to　suffer　beyond　measure　from　the　attacks　of　the　enemy's　horse。　At　length　when　towards　dusk　the　attacks　of　the　horse　ceased；　and；　night　having　closed　in；　the　hour　arrived　at　which　the　army　was　to　commence　its　retreat；　the　greater　number　struck　their　tents　and　began　the　march　towards　the　rear。　They　were　not　minded；　however；　to　make　for　the　place　agreed　upon；　but　in　their　anxiety　to　escape　from　the　Persian　horse；　no　sooner　had　they　begun　to　move　than　they　fled　straight　to　Plataea；　where　they　took　post　at　the　temple　of　Juno；　which　lies　outside　the　city；　at　the　distance　of　about　twenty　furlongs　from　Gargaphia；　and　here　they　pitched　their　camp　in　front　of　the　sacred　building。　　　　　As　soon　as　Pausanias　saw　a　portion　of　the　troops　in　motion；　he　issued　orders　to　the　Lacedaemonians　to　strike　their　tents　and　follow　those　who　had　been　the　first　to　depart；　supposing　that　they　were　on　their　march　to　the　place　agreed　upon。　All　the　captains　but　one　were　ready　to　obey　his　orders：　Amompharetus；　however；　the　son　of　Poliadas；　who　was　leader　of　the　Pitanate　cohort；　refused　to　move；　saying；　〃He　for　one　would　not　fly　from　the　strangers；　or　of　his　own　will　bring　disgrace　upon　Sparta。〃　It　had　happened　that　he　was　absent　from　the　former　conference　of　the　captains；　and　so　what　was　now　taking　place　astonished　him。　Pausanias　and　Euryanax　thought　it　a　monstrous　thing　that　Amompharetus　would　not　hearken　to　them；　but　considered　that　it　would　be　yet　more　monstrous；　if；　when　he　was　so　minded；　they　were　to　leave　the　Pitanates　to　their　fate；　seeing　that；　if　they　forsook　them　to　keep　their　agreement　with　the　other　Greeks；　Amompharetus　and　those　with　him　might　perish。　On　this　account；　therefore；　they　kept　the　Lacedaemonian　force　in　its　place；　and　made　every　endeavour　to　persuade　Amompharetus　that　he　was　wrong　to　act　as　he　was　doing。　　　　　While　the　Spartans　were　engaged　in　these　efforts　to　turn　Amompharetus…　the　only　man　unwilling　to　retreat　either　in　their　own　army　or　in　that　of　the　Tegeans…　the　Athenians　on　their　side　did　as　follows。　Knowing　that　it　was　the　Spartan　temper　to　say　one　thing　and　no　another；　they　remained　quiet　in　their　station　until　the　army　began　to　retreat；　when　they　despatched　a　horseman　to　see　whether　the　Spartans　really　meant　to　set　forth；　or　whether　after　all　they　had　no　intention　of　moving。　The　horseman　was　also　to　ask　Pausanias　what　he　wished　the　Athenians　to　do。　　　　　The　herald　on　his　arrival　found　the　Lacedaemonians　drawn　up　in　their　old　position；　and　their　leaders　quarrelling　with　one　another。　Pausanias　and　Euryanax　had　gone　on　urging　Amompharetus　not　to　endanger　the　lives　of　his　men　by　staying　behind　while　the　others　drew　off；　but　without　succeeding　in　persuading　him；　until　at　last　the　dispute　had　waxed　hot　between　them　just　at　the　moment　when　the　Athenian　herald　arrived。　At　this　point　Amompharetus；　who　was　still　disputing；　took　up　with　both　his　hands　a　vast　rock；　and　placed　it　at　the　feet　of　Pausanias；　saying…　〃With　this　pebble　I　give　my　vote　not　to　run　away　from　the　strangers。〃　（By　〃strangers〃　he　meant　barbarians。）　Pausanias；　in　reply；　called　him　a　fool　and　a　madman；　and；　turning　to　the　Athenian　herald；　who　had　made　the　inquiries　with　which　he　was　charged；　bade　him　tell　his　countrymen　how　he　was　occupied；　and　ask　them　to　approach　nearer；　and　retreat　or　not　according　to　the　movements　of　the　Spartans。　　　　　So　the　herald　went　back　to　the　Athenians；　and　the　Spartans　continued　to　dispute　till　morning　began　to　dawn　upon　them。　Then　Pausanias；　who　as　yet　had　not　moved；　gave　the　signal　for　retreat…　expecting　（and　rightly；　as　the　event　proved）　that　Amompharetus；　when　he　saw　the　rest　of　the　Lacedaemonians　in　motion；　would　be　unwilling　to　be　left　behind。　No　sooner　was　the　signal　given；　than　all　the　army　except　the　Pitanates　began　their　march；　and　retreated　along　the　line　of　the　hills；　the　Tegeans　accompanying　them。　The　Athenians　likewise　set　off　in　good　order；　but　proceeded　by　a　different　way　from　the　Lacedaemonians。　For　while　the　latter　clung　to　the　hilly　ground　and　the　skirts　of　Mount　Cithaeron；　on　account　of　the　fear　which　they　entertained　of　the　enemy's　horse；　the　former　betook　themselves　to　the　low　country　and　marched　through　the　plain。　　　　　As　for　Amompharetus；　at　first　he　did　not　believe　that　Pausanias　would　really　dare　to　le