|
Mardonius, when he heard that the Greeks had retired under cover of
the night, and beheld the place, where they had been stationed,
empty, called to him Thorax of Larissa, and his brethren,
Eurypylus and Thrasideius, and said:
"O sons of Aleuas! what will ye say now, when ye see yonder place
empty? Why, you, who dwell in their neighbourhood, told me the
Lacedaemonians never fled from battle, but were brave beyond all the
rest of mankind. Lately, however, you yourselves beheld them change
their place in the line; and here, as all may see, they have run away
during the night. Verily, when their turn came to fight with those
who are of a truth the bravest warriors in all the world, they showed
plainly enough that they are men of no worth, who have distinguished
themselves among Greeks - men likewise of no worth at all. However,
I can readily excuse you, who, knowing nothing of the Persians,
praised these men from your acquaintance with certain exploits of
theirs; but I marvel all the more at Artabazus, that he should have
been afraid of the Lacedaemonians, and have therefore given us so
dastardly a counsel, - bidding us, as did, break up our camp, and
remove to Thebes, and there allow ourselves to be besieged by the
Greeks - advice whereof I shall take care to inform the king. But
of this hereafter. Now we must not allow them to escape us, but must
pursue after them till we overtake them; and then we must exact
vengeance for all the wrongs which have been suffered at their hands by
the Persians."
|
|