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The barbarians under Mardonius, when the mourning for Masistius was
at an end, and they learnt that the Greeks were in the Plataean
territory, moved likewise towards the river Asopus, which flows in
those parts. On their arrival Mardonius marshalled them against the
Greeks in the following order: Against the Lacedaemonians he posted
his Persians; and as the Persians were far more numerous he drew them
up with their ranks deeper than common, and also extended their front
so that part faced the Tegeans; and here he took care to choose out
the best troops to face the Lacedaemonians, whilst against the
Tegeans he arrayed those on whom he could not so much depend. This
was done at the suggestion and by the advice of the Thebans. Next to
the Persians he placed the Medes, facing the Corinthians,
Potidaeans, Orchomenians, and Sicyonians; then the Bactrians,
facing the Epidaurians, Troezenians, Lepreats, Tirynthians,
Mycenaeans, and Phliasians; after them the Indians, facing the
Hermionians, Eretrians, Styreans, and Chalcidians; then the
Sacans, facing the Ambraciots, Anactorians, Leucadians,
Paleans, and Eginetans; last of all, facing the Athenians, the
Plataeans, and the Megarians, he placed the troops of the
Boeotians, Locrians, Malians, and Thessalians, and also the
thousand Phocians. The whole nation of the Phocians had not joined
the Medes; on the contrary, there were some who had gathered
themselves into bands about Parnassus, and made expeditions from
thence, whereby they distressed Mardonius and the Greeks who sided
with him, and so did good service to the Grecian cause. Besides
those mentioned above, Mardonius likewise arrayed against the
Athenians the Macedonians and the tribes dwelling about Thessaly.
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