Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
land given to the Athenians, that they might fight in defense of
Greece in their own proper territory. This zeal and liberality of the
Plataeans became so famous, that Alexander, many years after, when he
had obtained the dominion of all Asia, upon erecting the walls of
Plataea, caused proclamation to be made by the herald at the Olympic
games, that the king did the Plataeans this favor in consideration of
their nobleness and magnanimity, because, in the war with the Medes,
they freely gave up their land and zealously fought with the Greeks.
The Tegeatans, contesting the post of honor with the Athenians,
demanded, that, according to custom, the Lacedaemonians being ranged
on the right wing of the battle, they might have the left, alleging
several matters in commendation of their ancestors. The Athenians
being indignant at the claim, Aristides came forward; "To contend with
the Tegeatans," said he, "for noble descent and valor, the present
time permits not: but this we say to you, O you Spartans, and you the
rest of the Greeks, that place neither takes away nor contributes
courage: we shall endeavor by crediting and maintaining the post you
assign us, to reflect no dishonor on our former performances. For we
are come, not to differ with our friends, but to fight our enemies;
not to extol our ancestors, but ourselves to behave as valiant men.
This battle will manifest how much each city, captain, and private
soldier is worth to Greece." The council of war, upon this address,
decided for the Athenians, and gave them the other wing of the battle.
All Greece being in suspense, and especially the affairs of the
Athenians unsettled, certain persons of great families and possessions
having been impoverished by the war, and seeing all their authority
and reputation in the city vanished with their wealth, and others in
possession of their honors and places, convened privately at a house
in Plataea, and conspired for the dissolution of the democratic
government; and, if the plot should not succeed, to ruin the cause and
betray all to the barbarians. These matters being in agitation in the
camp, and many persons already corrupted, Aristides, perceiving the
design, and dreading the present juncture of time, determined neither
to let the business pass unanimadverted upon, nor yet altogether to
expose it; not knowing how many the accusation might reach, and
willing to set bounds to his justice with a view to the public
convenience. Therefore, of many that were concerned, he apprehended
eight only, two of whom, who were first proceeded against and most
guilty, Aeschines of Lampra, and Agesias of Acharnae, made their
escape out of the camp. The rest he dismissed; giving opportunity to
such as thought themselves concealed, to take courage and repent;
intimating that they had in the war a great tribunal, where they might
clear their guilt by manifesting their sincere and good intentions
towards their country.
After this, Mardonius made trial of the Grecian courage, by sending
his whole number of horse, in which he thought himself much the
stronger, against them, while they were all pitched at the foot of
Mount Cithaeron, in strong and rocky places, except the Megarians.
They, being three thousand in number, were encamped on the plain,
where they were damaged by the horse charging and making inroads upon
them on all hands. They sent, therefore, in haste to Pausanias,
demanding relief, as not being able alone to sustain the great numbers
of the barbarians. Pausanias, hearing this, and perceiving the tents
of the Megarians already hid by the multitude of darts and arrows, and
themselves driven together into a narrow space, was at a loss himself
how to aid them with his battalion of heavy-armed Lacedaemonians. He
proposed it, therefore, as a point of emulation in valor and love of
distinction, to the commanders and captains who were around him, if
any would voluntarily take upon them the defense and succor of the
Megarians. The rest being backward, Aristides undertook the
enterprise for the Athenians, and sent Olympiodorus, the most valiant
of his inferior officers, with three hundred chosen men and some
archers under his command. These being soon in readiness, and running
upon the enemy, as soon as Masistius, who commanded the barbarians'
horse, a man of wonderful courage and of extraordinary bulk and
comeliness of person, perceived it, turning his steed he made towards
them. And they sustaining the shock and joining battle with him,
there was a sharp conflict, as though by this encounter they were to
try the success of the whole war. But after Masistius's horse
received a wound, and flung him, and he falling could hardly raise
himself through the weight of his armor, the Athenians, pressing upon
him with blows, could not easily get at his person, armed as he was,
his breast, his head, and his limbs all over, with gold and brass and
iron; but one of them at last, running him in at the visor of his
helmet, slew him; and the rest of the Persians, leaving the body, fled.
The greatness of the Greek success was known, not by the multitude of
the slain, (for an inconsiderable number were killed,) but by the
sorrow the barbarians expressed. For they shaved themselves, their
horses, and mules for the death of Masistius, and filled the plain
with howling and lamentation; having lost a person, who, next to
Mardonius himself, was by many degrees the chief among them, both for
valor and authority.
After this skirmish of the horse, they kept from fighting a long time;
for the soothsayers, by the sacrifices, foretold the victory both to
Greeks and Persians, if they stood upon the defensive part only, but
if they became aggressors, the contrary. At length Mardonius, when he
had but a few days' provision, and the Greek forces increased
continually by some or other that came in to them, impatient of delay,
determined to lie still no longer, but, passing Asopus by daybreak, to
fall unexpectedly upon the Greeks; and signified the same over night
to the captains of his host. But about midnight, a certain horseman
stole into the Greek camp, and coming to the watch, desired them to
call Aristides, the Athenian, to him. He coming speedily; "I am,"
said the stranger, "Alexander, king of the Macedonians, and am arrived
here through the greatest danger in the world for the good-will I bear
you, lest a sudden onset should dismay you, so as to behave in the
fight worse than usual. For tomorrow Mardonius will give you battle,
urged, not by any hope of success or courage, but by want of victuals;
since, indeed, the prophets prohibit him the battle, the sacrifices
and oracles being unfavorable; and the army is in despondency and
consternation; but necessity forces him to try his fortune, or sit
still and endure the last extremity of want." Alexander, thus saying,
entreated Aristides to take notice and remember him, but not to tell
any other. But he told him, it was not convenient to conceal the
matter from Pausanias (because he was general); as for any other, he
would keep it secret from them till the battle was fought; but if the
Greeks obtained the victory, that then no one should be ignorant of
Alexander's good-will and kindness towards them. After this, the king
of the Macedonians rode back again, and Aristides went to Pausanias's
tent and told him; and they sent for the rest of the captains and gave
orders that the army should be in battle array.
Here, according to Herodotus, Pausanias spoke to Aristides, desiring
him to transfer the Athenians to the right wing of the army opposite
to the Persians, (as they would do better service against them, having
been experienced in their way of combat, and emboldened with former
victories,) and to give him the left, where the Medizing Greeks were
to make their assault. The rest of the Athenian captains regarded
this as an arrogant and interfering act on the part of Pausanias;
because, while permitting the rest of the army to keep their stations,
he removed them only from place to place, like so many Helots,
opposing them to the greatest strength of the enemy. But Aristides
said, they were altogether in the wrong. If so short a time ago they
contested the left wing with the Tegeatans, and gloried in being
preferred before them, now, when the Lacedaemonians give them place in
the right, and yield them in a manner the leading of the army, how is
it they are discontented with the honor that is done them, and do not
look upon it as an advantage to have to fight, not against their
countrymen and kindred, but barbarians, and such as were by nature
their enemies? After this, the Athenians very readily changed places
with the Lacedaemonians, and there went words amongst them as they
were encouraging each other, that the enemy approached with no better
arms or stouter hearts than those who fought the battle of Marathon;
but had the same bows and arrows, and the same embroidered coats and
gold, and the same delicate bodies and effeminate minds within; "while
we have the same weapons and bodies, and our courage augmented by our
victories; and fight not like others in defense of our country only,
but for the trophies of Salamis and Marathon; that they may not be
looked upon as due to Miltiades or fortune, but to the people of
Athens." Thus, therefore, were they making haste to change the order
of their battle. But the Thebans, understanding it by some deserters,
forthwith acquainted Mardonius; and he, either for fear of the
Athenians, or a desire to engage the Lacedaemonians, marched over his
Persians to the other wing, and commanded the Greeks of his party to
be posted opposite to the Athenians. But this change was observed on
the other side, and Pausanias, wheeling about again, ranged himself on
the right, and Mardonius, also, as at first, took the left wing over
against the Lacedaemonians. So the day passed without action.
After this, the Greeks determined in council to remove their camp some
distance, to possess themselves of a place convenient for watering;
because the springs near them were polluted and destroyed by the
barbarian cavalry. But night being come, and the captains setting out
towards the place designed for their encamping, the soldiers were not
very ready to follow, and keep in a body, but, as soon as they had
quitted their first entrenchments, made towards the city of Plataea;
and there was much tumult and disorder as they dispersed to various
quarters and proceeded to pitch their tents. The Lacedaemonians,
against their will, had the fortune to be left by the rest. For
Amompharetus, a brave and daring man, who had long been burning with
desire of the fight, and resented their many lingerings and delays,
calling the removal of the camp a mere running away and flight,
protested he would not desert his post, but would there remain with
his company, and sustain the charge of Mardonius. And when Pausanias
came to him and told him he did these things by the common vote and
determination of the Greeks, Amompharetus taking up a great stone and
flinging it at Pausanias' feet, and "by this token," said he, "do I
give my suffrage for the battle, nor have I any concern with the
cowardly consultations and decrees of other men." Pausanias, not
knowing what to do in the present juncture, sent to the Athenians, who
were drawing off, to stay to accompany him; and so he himself set off
with the rest of the army for Plataea, hoping thus to make
Amompharetus move.
Meantime, day came upon them; and Mardonius (for he was not ignorant
of their deserting their camp) having his army in array, fell upon the
Lacedaemonians with great shouting and noise of barbarous people, as
if they were not about to join battle, but crush the Greeks in their