Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/195

BATTLES OF PLAT.EA AND MYKALE. jyj eager for a battle long ago, could not by any effort obtain favoi-- able sacrifices, but was, nevertheless, even in spite of this obstacle, determined on an attack the next morning. " Be ye prepared accordingly ; and if ye succeed in this war (said he) remember to liberate me also from the Persian yoke : I too am a Greek by descent, and thus risk my head because I cannot endure to see Greece enslaved."^ The communication of this important message, made by Aris- teides to Pausanias, elicited from him a proposal not a little surprising as coming from a Spartan general. He requested the Athenians to change places with the Lacedemonians in the line. " We Lacedaemonians (said he) now stand opposed to the Per- sians and Medes, against whom we have never yet contended, while ye Athenians have fought and conquered them at Mara- thon. March ye then over to the right wing and take our places, while Ave will take yours in the left wing, against the Boeotians and Thessalians, with whose arms and attack we are familiar." The Athenians readily acceded, and the reciprocal change of order w' as accordingly directed : nor was it yet quite completed when day broke, and the Theban allies of Mardonius immediately took notice of what had been done. That general commanded a corresponding change in his own line, so as to place the native Persians once more over against the Lacedasmonians : upon which Pausanias, seeing that his manoeuvre had failed, led back his Lacedaemonians to the right wing, while a second movement on the part of Mardonius replaced both armies in the order orig- inally observed.2 No incident similar to this will be found throughout the whole course of Lacedaemonian history. To evade encountering the best troops in the enemy's line, and to depart for this purpose from their privileged post on the right wing, was a step well calculated to lower them in the eyes of Greece, and could hardly ' Herodot. ix, 44-45. The language about the sacrifices is remarkable, — ?J-/(j de uv OTL 'M.apSovicj re Kai Ty arpariy ov Svvarai rd. a<payta Ka-a'&vfiia yevea'&ai.- nu2.ai yap uv e/iuxea^e, etc. Mardonius had tried many unavailing eflforts to procure better sacrifices : it could not be done. " Herodot. ix, 47; Plutarch, AristeidCs, c. 16. Here, as on many other occasions, Plutarch rather spoils than assists the nan-ative of Herodotus.