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It was eight days after the two armies first encamped opposite to one
another when this advice was given by Timagenidas. Mardonius, seeing
it to be good, as soon as evening came, sent his cavalry to that pass
of Mount Cithaeron which opens out upon Plataea, a pass called by
the Boeotians the "Three Heads," called the "Oak-Heads" by
the Athenians. The horse sent on this errand did not make the
movement in vain. They came upon a body of five hundred
sumpter-beasts which were just entering the plain, bringing provisions
to the Greek camp from the Peloponnese, with a number of men driving
them. Seeing this prey in their power, the Persians set upon them
and slaughtered them, sparing none, neither man nor beast; till at
last, when they had had enough of slaying, they secured such as were
left, and bore them off to the camp to Mardonius.
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