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　the　attacks　of　the　horse　ceased；　and；　night　having　closed　in；　the　hour　arrived　at　which　the　army　was　to　commence　its　retreat；　the　greater　number　struck　their　tents　and　began　the　march　towards　the　rear。　They　were　not　minded；　however；　to　make　for　the　place　agreed　upon；　but　in　their　anxiety　to　escape　from　the　Persian　horse；　no　sooner　had　they　begun　to　move　than　they　fled　straight　to　Plataea；　where　they　took　post　at　the　temple　of　Juno；　which　lies　outside　the　city；　at　the　distance　of　about　twenty　furlongs　from　Gargaphia；　and　here　they　pitched　their　camp　in　front　of　the　sacred　building。　　　　　As　soon　as　Pausanias　saw　a　portion　of　the　troops　in　motion；　he　issued　orders　to　the　Lacedaemonians　to　strike　their　tents　and　follow　those　who　had　been　the　first　to　depart；　supposing　that　they　were　on　their　march　to　the　place　agreed　upon。　All　the　captains　but　one　were　ready　to　obey　his　orders：　Amompharetus；　however；　the　son　of　Poliadas；　who　was　leader　of　the　Pitanate　cohort；　refused　to　move；　saying；　〃He　for　one　would　not　fly　from　the　strangers；　or　of　his　own　will　bring　disgrace　upon　Sparta。〃　It　had　happened　that　he　was　absent　from　the　former　conference　of　the　captains；　and　so　what　was　now　taking　place　astonished　him。　Pausanias　and　Euryanax　thought　it　a　monstrous　thing　that　Amompharetus　would　not　hearken　to　them；　but　considered　that　it　would　be　yet　more　monstrous；　if；　when　he　was　so　minded；　they　were　to　leave　the　Pitanates　to　their　fate；　seeing　that；　if　they　forsook　them　to　keep　their　agreement　with　the　other　Greeks；　Amompharetus　and　those　with　him　might　perish。　On　this　account；　therefore；　they　kept　the　Lacedaemonian　force　in　its　place；　and　made　every　endeavour　to　persuade　Amompharetus　that　he　was　wrong　to　act　as　he　was　doing。　　　　　While　the　Spartans　were　engaged　in　these　efforts　to　turn　Amompharetus…　the　only　man　unwilling　to　retreat　either　in　their　own　army　or　in　that　of　the　Tegeans…　the　Athenians　on　their　side　did　as　follows。　Knowing　that　it　was　the　Spartan　temper　to　say　one　thing　and　no　another；　they　remained　quiet　in　their　station　until　the　army　began　to　retreat；　when　they　despatched　a　horseman　to　see　whether　the　Spartans　really　meant　to　set　forth；　or　whether　after　all　they　had　no　intention　of　moving。　The　horseman　was　also　to　ask　Pausanias　what　he　wished　the　Athenians　to　do。　　　　　The　herald　on　his　arrival　found　the　Lacedaemonians　drawn　up　in　their　old　position；　and　their　leaders　quarrelling　with　one　another。　Pausanias　and　Euryanax　had　gone　on　urging　Amompharetus　not　to　endanger　the　lives　of　his　men　by　staying　behind　while　the　others　drew　off；　but　without　succeeding　in　persuading　him；　until　at　last　the　dispute　had　waxed　hot　between　them　just　at　the　moment　when　the　Athenian　herald　arrived。　At　this　point　Amompharetus；　who　was　still　disputing；　took　up　with　both　his　hands　a　vast　rock；　and　placed　it　at　the　feet　of　Pausanias；　saying…　〃With　this　pebble　I　give　my　vote　not　to　run　away　from　the　strangers。〃　（By　〃strangers〃　he　meant　barbarians。）　Pausanias；　in　reply；　called　him　a　fool　and　a　madman；　and；　turning　to　the　Athenian　herald；　who　had　made　the　inquiries　with　which　he　was　charged；　bade　him　tell　his　countrymen　how　he　was　occupied；　and　ask　them　to　approach　nearer；　and　retreat　or　not　according　to　the　movements　of　the　Spartans。　　　　　So　the　herald　went　back　to　the　Athenians；　and　the　Spartans　continued　to　dispute　till　morning　began　to　dawn　upon　them。　Then　Pausanias；　who　as　yet　had　not　moved；　gave　the　signal　for　retreat…　expecting　（and　rightly；　as　the　event　proved）　that　Amompharetus；　when　he　saw　the　rest　of　the　Lacedaemonians　in　motion；　would　be　unwilling　to　be　left　behind。　No　sooner　was　the　signal　given；　than　all　the　army　except　the　Pitanates　began　their　march；　and　retreated　along　the　line　of　the　hills；　the　Tegeans　accompanying　them。　The　Athenians　likewise　set　off　in　good　order；　but　proceeded　by　a　different　way　from　the　Lacedaemonians。　For　while　the　latter　clung　to　the　hilly　ground　and　the　skirts　of　Mount　Cithaeron；　on　account　of　the　fear　which　they　entertained　of　the　enemy's　horse；　the　former　betook　themselves　to　the　low　country　and　marched　through　the　plain。　　　　　As　for　Amompharetus；　at　first　he　did　not　believe　that　Pausanias　would　really　dare　to　leave　him　behind；　he　therefore　remained　firm　in　his　resolve　to　keep　his　men　at　their　post；　when；　however；　Pausanias　and　his　troops　were　now　some　way　off；　Amompharetus；　thinking　himself　forsaken　in　good　earnest；　ordered　his　band　to　take　their　arms；　and　led　them　at　a　walk　towards　the　main　army。　Now　the　army　was　waiting　for　them　at　a　distance　of　about　ten　furlongs；　having　halted　upon　the　river　Moloeis　at　a　place　called　Argiopius；　where　stands　a　temple　dedicated　to　Eleusinian　Ceres。　They　had　stopped　here；　that；　in　case　Amompharetus　and　his　band　should　refuse　to　quit　the　spot　where　they　were　drawn　up；　and　should　really　not　stir　from　it；　they　might　have　it　in　their　power　to　move　back　and　lend　them　assistance。　Amompharetus；　however；　and　his　companions　rejoined　the　main　body；　and　at　the　same　time　the　whole　mass　of　the　barbarian　cavalry　arrived　and　began　to　press　hard　upon　them。　The　horsemen　had　followed　their　usual　practice　and　ridden　up　to　the　Greek　camp；　when　they　discovered　that　the　place　where　the　Greeks　had　been　posted　hitherto　was　deserted。　Hereupon　they　pushed　forward　without　stopping；　and；　as　soon　as　they　overtook　the　enemy；　pressed　heavily　on　them。　　　　　Mardonius；　when　he　heard　that　the　Greeks　had　retired　under　cover　of　the　night；　and　beheld　the　place；　where　they　had　been　stationed；　empty；　called　to　him　Thorax　of　Larissa；　and　his　brethren；　Eurypylus　and　Thrasideius；　and　said：…　　　　　〃O　sons　of　Aleuas！　what　will　ye　say　now；　when　ye　see　yonder　place　empty？　Why；　you；　who　dwell　in　their　neighbourhood；　told　me　the　Lacedaemonians　never　fled　from　battle；　but　were　brave　beyond　all　the　rest　of　mankind。　Lately；　however；　you　yourselves　beheld　them　change　their　place　in　the　line；　and　here；　as　all　may　see；　they　have　run　away　during　the　night。　Verily；　when　their　turn　came　to　fight　with　those　who　are　of　a　truth　the　bravest　warriors　in　all　the　world；　they　showed　plainly　enough　that　they　are　men　of　no　worth；　who　have　distinguished　themselves　among　Greeks…　men　likewise　of　no　worth　at　all。　However；　I　can　readily　excuse　you；　who；　knowing　nothing　of　the　Persians；　praised　these　men　from　your　acquaintance　with　certain　exploits　of　theirs；　but　I　marvel　all　the　more　at　Artabazus；　that　he　should　have　been　afraid　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　have　therefore　given　us　so　dastardly　a　counsel；…　bidding　us；　as　did；　break　up　our　camp；　and　remove　to　Thebes；　and　there　allow　ourselves　to　be　besieged　by　the　Greeks…　advice　whereof　I　shall　take　care　to　inform　the　king。　But　of　this　hereafter。　Now　we　must　not　allow　them　to　escape　us；　but　must　pursue　after　them　till　we　overtake　them；　and　then　we　must　exact　vengeance　for　all　the　wrongs　which　have　been　suffered　at　their　hands　by　the　Persians。〃　　　　　When　he　had　so　spoken；　he　crossed　the　Asopus；　and　led　the　Persians　forward　at　a　run　directly　upon　the　track　of　the　Greeks；　whom　he　believed　to　be　in　actual　flight。　He　could　not　see　the　Athenians；　for；　as　they　had　taken　the　way　of　the　plain；　they　were　hidden　from　his　sight　by　the　hills；　he　therefore　led　on　his　troops　against　the　Lacedaemonians　and　the　Tegeans　only。　When　the　commanders　of　the　other　divisions　of　the　barbarians　saw　the　Persians　pursuing　the　Greeks　so　hastily；　they　all　forthwith　seized　their　standards；　and　hurried　after　at　their　best　speed　in　great　disorder　and　disarray。　On　they　went　with　loud　shouts　and　in　a　wild　rout；　thinking　to　swallow　up　the　runaways。　　　　　Meanwhile　Pausanias　had　sent　a　horseman　to　the　Athenians；　at　the　time　when　the　cavalry　first　fell　upon　him；　with　this　message：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Athens！　now　that　the　great　struggle　has　come；　which　is　to　decide　the　freedom　or　the　slavery　of　Greece；　we　twain；　Lacedaemonians　and　Athenians；　are　deserted　by　all　the　other　allies；　who　have　fled　away　from　us　during　the　past　night。　Nevertheless；　we　are　resolved　what　to　do…　we　must　endeavour；　as　best　we　may；　to　defend　ourselves　and　to　succour　one　another。　Now；　had　the　horse　fallen　upon　you　first；　we　ourselves　with　the　Tegeans　（who　remain　faithful　to　the　Greek　cause）　would　have　been　bound　to　render　you　assistance　against　them。　As；　however；　the　entire　body　has　advanced　upon　us；