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togeiton。　For　never　since　the　time　that　the　Athenians　became　a　people　were　they　in　so　great　a　danger　as　now。　If　they　bow　their　necks　beneath　the　yoke　of　the　Medes；　the　woes　which　they　will　have　to　suffer　when　given　into　the　power　of　Hippias　are　already　determined　on；　if；　on　the　other　hand；　they　fight　and　overcome；　Athens　may　rise　to　be　the　very　first　city　in　Greece。　How　it　comes　to　pass　that　these　things　are　likely　to　happen；　and　how　the　determining　of　them　in　some　sort　rests　with　thee；　I　will　now　proceed　to　make　clear。　We　generals　are　ten　in　number；　and　our　votes　are　divided；　half　of　us　wish　to　engage；　half　to　avoid　a　combat。　Now；　if　we　do　not　fight；　I　look　to　see　a　great　disturbance　at　Athens　which　will　shake　men's　resolutions；　and　then　I　fear　they　will　submit　themselves；　but　if　we　fight　the　battle　before　any　unsoundness　show　itself　among　our　citizens；　let　the　gods　but　give　us　fair　play；　and　we　are　well　able　to　overcome　the　enemy。　On　thee　therefore　we　depend　in　this　matter；　which　lies　wholly　in　thine　own　power。　Thou　hast　only　to　add　thy　vote　to　my　side　and　thy　country　will　be　free；　and　not　free　only；　but　the　first　state　in　Greece。　Or；　if　thou　preferrest　to　give　thy　vote　to　them　who　would　decline　the　combat；　then　the　reverse　will　follow。〃　　　　　Miltiades　by　these　words　gained　Callimachus；　and　the　addition　of　the　Polemarch's　vote　caused　the　decision　to　be　in　favour　of　fighting。　Hereupon　all　those　generals　who　had　been　desirous　of　hazarding　a　battle；　when　their　turn　came　to　command　the　army；　gave　up　their　right　to　Miltiades。　He　however；　though　he　accepted　their　offers；　nevertheless　waited；　and　would　not　fight　until　his　own　day　of　command　arrived　in　due　course。　　　　　Then　at　length；　when　his　own　turn　was　come；　the　Athenian　battle　was　set　in　array；　and　this　was　the　order　of　it。　Callimachus　the　Polemarch　led　the　right　wing；　for　it　was　at　that　time　a　rule　with　the　Athenians　to　give　the　right　wing　to　the　Polemarch。　After　this　followed　the　tribes；　according　as　they　were　numbered；　in　an　unbroken　line；　while　last　of　all　came　the　Plataeans；　forming　the　left　wing。　And　ever　since　that　day　it　has　been　a　custom　with　the　Athenians；　in　the　sacrifices　and　assemblies　held　each　fifth　year　at　Athens；　for　the　Athenian　herald　to　implore　the　blessing　of　the　gods　on　the　Plataeans　conjointly　with　the　Athenians。　Now；　as　they　marshalled　the　host　upon　the　field　of　Marathon；　in　order　that　the　Athenian　front　might　he　of　equal　length　with　the　Median；　the　ranks　of　the　centre　were　diminished；　and　it　became　the　weakest　part　of　the　line；　while　the　wings　were　both　made　strong　with　a　depth　of　many　ranks。　　　　　So　when　the　battle　was　set　in　array；　and　the　victims　showed　themselves　favourable；　instantly　the　Athenians；　so　soon　as　they　were　let　go；　charged　the　barbarians　at　a　run。　Now　the　distance　between　the　two　armies　was　little　short　of　eight　furlongs。　The　Persians；　therefore；　when　they　saw　the　Greeks　coming　on　at　speed；　made　ready　to　receive　them；　although　it　seemed　to　them　that　the　Athenians　were　bereft　of　their　senses；　and　bent　upon　their　own　destruction；　for　they　saw　a　mere　handful　of　men　coming　on　at　a　run　without　either　horsemen　or　archers。　Such　was　the　opinion　of　the　barbarians；　but　the　Athenians　in　close　array　fell　upon　them；　and　fought　in　a　manner　worthy　of　being　recorded。　They　were　the　first　of　the　Greeks；　so　far　as　I　know；　who　introduced　the　custom　of　charging　the　enemy　at　a　run；　and　they　were　likewise　the　first　who　dared　to　look　upon　the　Median　garb；　and　to　face　men　clad　in　that　fashion。　Until　this　time　the　very　name　of　the　Medes　had　been　a　terror　to　the　Greeks　to　hear。　　　　　The　two　armies　fought　together　on　the　plain　of　Marathon　for　a　length　of　time；　and　in　the　mid　battle；　where　the　Persians　themselves　and　the　Sacae　had　their　place；　the　barbarians　were　victorious；　and　broke　and　pursued　the　Greeks　into　the　inner　country；　but　on　the　two　wings　the　Athenians　and　the　Plataeans　defeated　the　enemy。　Having　so　done；　they　suffered　the　routed　barbarians　to　fly　at　their　ease；　and　joining　the　two　wings　in　one；　fell　upon　those　who　had　broken　their　own　centre；　and　fought　and　conquered　them。　These　likewise　fled；　and　now　the　Athenians　hung　upon　the　runaways　and　cut　them　down；　chasing　them　all　the　way　to　the　shore；　on　reaching　which　they　laid　hold　of　the　ships　and　called　aloud　for　fire。　　　　　It　was　in　the　struggle　here　that　Callimachus　the　Polemarch；　after　greatly　distinguishing　himself；　lost　his　life；　Stesilaus　too；　the　son　of　Thrasilaus；　one　of　the　generals；　was　slain；　and　Cynaegirus；　the　son　of　Euphorion；　having　seized　on　a　vessel　of　the　enemy's　by　the　ornament　at　the　stern；　had　his　hand　cut　off　by　the　blow　of　an　axe；　and　so　perished；　as　likewise　did　many　other　Athenians　of　note　and　name。　　　　　Nevertheless　the　Athenians　secured　in　this　way　seven　of　the　vessels；　while　with　the　remainder　the　barbarians　pushed　off；　and　taking　aboard　their　Eretrian　prisoners　from　the　island　where　they　had　left　them；　doubled　Cape　Sunium；　hoping　to　reach　Athens　before　the　return　of　the　Athenians。　The　Alcmaeonidae　were　accused　by　their　countrymen　of　suggesting　this　course　to　them；　they　had；　it　was　said；　an　understanding　with　the　Persians；　and　made　a　signal　to　them；　by　raising　a　shield；　after　they　were　embarked　in　their　ships。　　　　　The　Persians　accordingly　sailed　round　Sunium。　But　the　Athenians　with　all　possible　speed　marched　away　to　the　defence　of　their　city；　and　succeeded　in　reaching　Athens　before　the　appearance　of　the　barbarians：　and　as　their　camp　at　Marathon　had　been　pitched　in　a　precinct　of　Hercules；　so　now　they　encamped　in　another　precinct　of　the　same　god　at　Cynosarges。　The　barbarian　fleet　arrived；　and　lay　to　off　Phalerum；　which　was　at　that　time　the　haven　of　Athens；　but　after　resting　awhile　upon　their　oars；　they　departed　and　sailed　away　to　Asia。　　　　　There　fell　in　this　battle　of　Marathon；　on　the　side　of　the　barbarians；　about　six　thousand　and　four　hundred　men；　on　that　of　the　Athenians；　one　hundred　and　ninety…two。　Such　was　the　number　of　the　slain　on　the　one　side　and　the　other。　A　strange　prodigy　likewise　happened　at　this　fight。　Epizelus；　the　son　of　Cuphagoras；　an　Athenian；　was　in　the　thick　of　the　fray；　and　behaving　himself　as　a　brave　man　should；　when　suddenly　he　was　stricken　with　blindness；　without　blow　of　sword　or　dart；　and　this　blindness　continued　thenceforth　during　the　whole　of　his　after　life。　The　following　is　the　account　which　he　himself；　as　I　have　heard；　gave　of　the　matter：　he　said　that　a　gigantic　warrior；　with　a　huge　beard；　which　shaded　all　his　shield；　stood　over　against　him；　but　the　ghostly　semblance　passed　him　by；　and　slew　the　man　at　his　side。　Such；　as　I　understand；　was　the　tale　which　Epizelus　told。　　　　　Datis　meanwhile　was　on　his　way　back　to　Asia；　and　had　reached　Myconus；　when　he　saw　in　his　sleep　a　vision。　What　it　was　is　not　known；　but　no　sooner　was　day　come　than　he　caused　strict　search　to　be　made　throughout　the　whole　fleet；　and　finding　on　board　a　Phoenician　vessel　an　image　of　Apollo　overlaid　with　gold；　he　inquired　from　whence　it　had　been　taken；　and　learning　to　what　temple　it　belonged；　he　took　it　with　him　in　his　own　ship　to　Delos；　and　placed　it　in　the　temple　there；　enjoining　the　Delians；　who　had　now　come　back　to　their　island；　to　restore　the　image　to　the　Theban　Delium；　which　lies　on　the　coast　over　against　Chalcis。　Having　left　these　injunctions；　he　sailed　away；　but　the　Delians　failed　to　restore　the　statue；　and　it　was　not　till　twenty　years　afterwards　that　the　Thebans；　warned　by　an　oracle；　themselves　brought　it　back　to　Delium。　　　　　As　for　the　Eretrians；　whom　Datis　and　Artaphernes　had　carried　away　captive；　when　the　fleet　reached　Asia；　they　were　taken　up　to　Susa。　Now　King　Darius；　before　they　were　made　his　prisoners；　nourished　a　fierce　anger　against　these　men　for　having　injured　him　without　provocation；　but　now　that　he　saw　them　brought　into　his　presence；　and　become　his　subjects；　he　did　them　no　other　harm；　but　only　settled　them　at　one　of　his　own　stations　in　Cissia…　a　place　called　Ardericea…　two　hundred　and　ten　furlongs　distant　from　Susa；　and　forty　from　the　well　which　yields　produce　of　three　different　kinds。　For　from　this　well　they　get　bitumen；　salt；　and　oil；　procuring　it　in　the　way　that　I　will　now　describe：　they　draw　with　a　swipe；　and　instead　of　a　bucket　make　use　of　the　half　of　a　wine…skin；　with　this　the　man