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As soon as the Greeks at Plataea had overthrown the barbarians, a
woman came over to them from the enemy. She was one of the concubines
of Pharandates, the son of Teaspes, a Persian; and when she heard
that the Persians were all slain and that the Greeks had carried the
day, forthwith she adorned herself and her maids with many golden
ornaments, and with the bravest of the apparel that she had brought
with her, and, alighting from her litter, came forward to the
Lacedaemonians, ere the work of slaughter was well over. When she
saw that all the orders were given by Pausanias, with whose name and
country she was well acquainted, as she had oftentimes heard tell of
them, she knew who he must be; wherefore she embraced his knees, and
said -
"O king of Sparta! save thy suppliant from the slavery that awaits
the captive. Already I am beholden to thee for one service - the
slaughter of these men, wretches who had no regard either for gods or
angels. I am by birth a Coan, the daughter of Hegetoridas, son of
Antagoras. The Persian seized me by force in Cos, and kept me
against my will."
"Lady," answered Pausanias, "fear nothing: as a suppliant thou
art safe - and still more, if thou hast spoken truth, and
Hegetoridas of Cos is thy father - for he is bound to me by closer
ties of friendship than any other man in those regions."
When he had thus spoken, Pausanias placed the woman in the charge of
some of the Ephors who were present, and afterwards sent her to
Egina, whither she had a desire to go.
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