Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/210

186 fflSTORY OF GREECE. tributed to the liberation of Greece.^ It was not till after the taking of the Persian camp that the contingents of Elis and Mantineia, who may perhaps have been among the convoys prevented by the Persian cavalry from descending the passes of Kitha^ron, first reached the scene of action. Mortified at having missed their share in the glorious exploit, the new-comers were at first eager to set off in pursuit of Artabazus : but the Lace- daemonian commander forbade them, and they returned home without any other consolation than that of banishing their generals for not having led them forth more promptly .2 There yet remained the most efiicient ally of Mardonius, — the city of Thebes ; which Pausanias summoned on the eleventh day after the battle, requiring that the medizing leaders should be delivered up, especially Timegenidas and Attaginus. On receiving a refusal, he began to batter their walls, and to adopt the still more effective measure of laying waste their territory, — giving notice that the work of destruction would be continued ^ Plutarch animadverts severely (De Malign. Herodot. p. 873 ; compare Pint. ^j-isteid. c. 19) upon Herodotus, because he states that none of the Greeks had any share in the battle of Plataea except the Lacedemonians, Tegeans, and Athenians : the orator Lysias repeats the same statement (Oratio Funebr. c. 9). If this were the fact (Plutarch asks) how comes it that the inscriptions and poems of the time recognize the exploit as performed by the whole Grecian army, Corinthians and others included ? But these inscriptions do not really contradict what is affirmed by Herodotus. The actual battle happened to be fought only by a part of the collective Grecian army ; but this happened in a great measure by accident ; the rest were little more than a mile off, and until within a few hours had been occupying part of the same continuous line of position ; moreover, if the battle had lasted a little longer, th y would have come up in time to render actual help. They would naturally be considered, therefore, as entitled to partake in the glory of the entire result. When however in after-times a stranger visited Platsea, and saw Lacedae- monian, Tegean, and Athenian tombs, but no Corinthian nor JEginetan, etc., he would naturally inquire how it happened that none of these latter had fallen in the battle, and would then be informed that they were not really present at it. Hence the motive for these cities to erect empty sep- ulchral monuments on the spot, as Herodotus infonrs us that they after- wards did or caused to be done by individual Plataeans. ^ Herodot. ix, 77.