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he　army　consisting　of　mercenary　troops…　which　had　been　engaged　with　the　Persians　and　had　since　accompanied　him　to　his　capital；　and　let　them　depart　to　their　homes；　never　imagining　that　Cyrus；　after　a　battle　in　which　victory　had　been　so　evenly　balanced；　would　venture　to　march　upon　Sardis。　　　　　While　Croesus　was　still　in　this　mind；　all　the　suburbs　of　Sardis　were　found　to　swarm　with　snakes；　on　the　appearance　of　which　the　horses　left　feeding　in　the　pasture…grounds；　and　flocked　to　the　suburbs　to　eat　them。　The　king；　who　witnessed　the　unusual　sight；　regarded　it　very　rightly　as　a　prodigy。　He　therefore　instantly　sent　messengers　to　the　soothsayers　of　Telmessus；　to　consult　them　upon　the　matter；　His　messengers　reached　the　city；　and　obtained　from　the　Telmessians　an　explanation　of　what　the　prodigy　portended；　but　fate　did　not　allow　them　to　inform　their　lord；　for　ere　they　entered　Sardis　on　their　return；　Croesus　was　a　prisoner。　What　the　Telmessians　had　declared　was　that　Croesus　must　look　for　the　entry　of　an　army　of　foreign　invaders　into　his　country；　and　that　when　they　came　they　would　subdue　the　native　inhabitants；　since　the　snake；　said　they；　is　a　child　of　earth；　and　the　horse　a　warrior　and　a　foreigner。　Croesus　was　already　a　prisoner　when　the　Telmessians　thus　answered　his　inquiry；　but　they　had　no　knowledge　of　what　was　taking　place　at　Sardis；　or　of　the　fate　of　the　monarch。　　　　　Cyrus；　however；　when　Croesus　broke　up　so　suddenly　from　his　quarters　after　the　battle　at　Pteria；　conceiving　that　he　had　marched　away　with　the　intention　of　disbanding　his　army；　considered　a　little；　and　soon　saw　that　it　was　advisable　for　him　to　advance　upon　Sardis　with　all　haste；　before　the　Lydians　could　get　their　forces　together　a　second　time。　Having　thus　determined；　he　lost　no　time　in　carrying　out　his　plan。　He　marched　forward　with　such　speed　that　he　was　himself　the　first　to　announce　his　coming　to　the　Lydian　king。　That　monarch；　placed　in　the　utmost　difficulty　by　the　turn　of　events　which　had　gone　so　entirely　against　all　his　calculations；　nevertheless　led　out　the　Lydians　to　battle。　In　all　Asia　there　was　not　at　that　time　a　braver　or　more　warlike　people。　Their　manner　of　fighting　was　on　horseback；　they　carried　long　lances；　and　were　clever　in　the　management　of　their　steeds。　　　　　The　two　armies　met　in　the　plain　before　Sardis。　It　is　a　vast　flat；　bare　of　trees；　watered　by　the　Hyllus　and　a　number　of　other　streams；　which　all　flow　into　one　larger　than　the　rest；　called　the　Hermus。　This　river　rises　in　the　sacred　mountain　of　the　Dindymenian　Mother；　and　falls　into　the　sea　near　the　town　of　Phocaea。　　　　　When　Cyrus　beheld　the　Lydians　arranging　themselves　in　order　of　battle　on　this　plain；　fearful　of　the　strength　of　their　cavalry；　he　adopted　a　device　which　Harpagus；　one　of　the　Medes；　suggested　to　him。　He　collected　together　all　the　camels　that　had　come　in　the　train　of　his　army　to　carry　the　provisions　and　the　baggage；　and　taking　off　their　loads；　he　mounted　riders　upon　them　accoutred　as　horsemen。　These　he　commanded　to　advance　in　front　of　his　other　troops　against　the　Lydian　horse；　behind　them　were　to　follow　the　foot　soldiers；　and　last　of　all　the　cavalry。　When　his　arrangements　were　complete；　he　gave　his　troops　orders　to　slay　all　the　other　Lydians　who　came　in　their　way　without　mercy；　but　to　spare　Croesus　and　not　kill　him；　even　if　he　should　be　seized　and　offer　resistance。　The　reason　why　Cyrus　opposed　his　camels　to　the　enemy's　horse　was　because　the　horse　has　a　natural　dread　of　the　camel；　and　cannot　abide　either　the　sight　or　the　smell　of　that　animal。　By　this　stratagem　he　hoped　to　make　Croesus's　horse　useless　to　him；　the　horse　being　what　he　chiefly　depended　on　for　victory。　The　two　armies　then　joined　battle；　and　immediately　the　Lydian　war…horses；　seeing　and　smelling　the　camels；　turned　round　and　galloped　off；　and　so　it　came　to　pass　that　all　Croesus's　hopes　withered　away。　The　Lydians；　however；　behaved　manfully。　As　soon　as　they　understood　what　was　happening；　they　leaped　off　their　horses；　and　engaged　with　the　Persians　on　foot。　The　combat　was　long；　but　at　last；　after　a　great　slaughter　on　both　sides；　the　Lydians　turned　and　fled。　They　were　driven　within　their　walls　and　the　Persians　laid　siege　to　Sardis。　　　　　Thus　the　siege　began。　Meanwhile　Croesus；　thinking　that　the　place　would　hold　out　no　inconsiderable　time；　sent　off　fresh　heralds　to　his　allies　from　the　beleaguered　town。　His　former　messengers　had　been　charged　to　bid　them　assemble　at　Sardis　in　the　course　of　the　fifth　month；　they　whom　he　now　sent　were　to　say　that　he　was　already　besieged；　and　to　beseech　them　to　come　to　his　aid　with　all　possible　speed。　Among　his　other　allies　Croesus　did　not　omit　to　send　to　Lacedaemon。　　　　　It　chanced；　however；　that　the　Spartans　were　themselves　just　at　this　time　engaged　in　a　quarrel　with　the　Argives　about　a　place　called　Thyrea；　which　was　within　the　limits　of　Argolis；　but　had　been　seized　on　by　the　Lacedaemonians。　Indeed；　the　whole　country　westward；　as　far　as　Cape　Malea；　belonged　once　to　the　Argives；　and　not　only　that　entire　tract　upon　the　mainland；　but　also　Cythera；　and　the　other　islands。　The　Argives　collected　troops　to　resist　the　seizure　of　Thyrea；　but　before　any　battle　was　fought；　the　two　parties　came　to　terms；　and　it　was　agreed　that　three　hundred　Spartans　and　three　hundred　Argives　should　meet　and　fight　for　the　place；　which　should　belong　to　the　nation　with　whom　the　victory　rested。　It　was　stipulated　also　that　the　other　troops　on　each　side　should　return　home　to　their　respective　countries；　and　not　remain　to　witness　the　combat；　as　there　was　danger；　if　the　armies　stayed；　that　either　the　one　or　the　other；　on　seeing　their　countrymen　undergoing　defeat；　might　hasten　to　their　assistance。　These　terms　being　agreed　on；　the　two　armies　marched　off；　leaving　three　hundred　picked　men　on　each　side　to　fight　for　the　territory。　The　battle　began；　and　so　equal　were　the　combatants；　that　at　the　close　of　the　day；　when　night　put　a　stop　to　the　fight；　of　the　whole　six　hundred　only　three　men　remained　alive；　two　Argives；　Alcanor　and　Chromius；　and　a　single　Spartan；　Othryadas。　The　two　Argives；　regarding　themselves　as　the　victors；　hurried　to　Argos。　Othryadas；　the　Spartan；　remained　upon　the　field；　and；　stripping　the　bodies　of　the　Argives　who　had　fallen；　carried　their　armour　to　the　Spartan　camp。　Next　day　the　two　armies　returned　to　learn　the　result。　At　first　they　disputed；　both　parties　claiming　the　victory；　the　one；　because　they　had　the　greater　number　of　survivors；　the　other；　because　their　man　remained　on　the　field；　and　stripped　the　bodies　of　the　slain；　whereas　the　two　men　of　the　other　side　ran　away；　but　at　last　they　fell　from　words　to　blows；　and　a　battle　was　fought；　in　which　both　parties　suffered　great　loss；　but　at　the　end　the　Lacedaemonians　gained　the　victory。　Upon　this　the　Argives；　who　up　to　that　time　had　worn　their　hair　long；　cut　it　off　close；　and　made　a　law；　to　which　they　attached　a　curse；　binding　themselves　never　more　to　let　their　hair　grow；　and　never　to　allow　their　women　to　wear　gold；　until　they　should　recover　Thyrea。　At　the　same　time　the　Lacedaemonians　made　a　law　the　very　reverse　of　this；　namely；　to　wear　their　hair　long；　though　they　had　always　before　cut　it　close。　Othryadas　himself；　it　is　said；　the　sole　survivor　of　the　three　hundred；　prevented　by　a　sense　of　shame　from　returning　to　Sparta　after　all　his　comrades　had　fallen；　laid　violent　hands　upon　himself　in　Thyrea。　　　　　Although　the　Spartans　were　engaged　with　these　matters　when　the　herald　arrived　from　Sardis　to　entreat　them　to　come　to　the　assistance　of　the　besieged　king；　yet；　notwithstanding；　they　instantly　set　to　work　to　afford　him　help。　They　had　completed　their　preparations；　and　the　ships　were　just　ready　to　start；　when　a　second　message　informed　them　that　the　place　had　already　fallen；　and　that　Croesus　was　a　prisoner。　Deeply　grieved　at　his　misfortune；　the　Spartans　ceased　their　efforts。　　　　　The　following　is　the　way　in　which　Sardis　was　taken。　On　the　fourteenth　day　of　the　siege　Cyrus　bade　some　horsemen　ride　about　his　lines；　and　make　proclamation　to　the　whole　army　that　he　would　give　a　reward　to　the　man　who　should　first　mount　the　wall。　After　this　he　made　an　assault；　but　without　success。　His　troops　retired；　but　a　certain　Mardian；　Hyroeades　by　name；　resolved　to　approach　the　citadel　and　attempt　it　at　a　place　where　no　guards　were　ever