the history-第175章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


uard；　some　of　the　watch　ran　to　the　chiefs；　and　told　them；　〃There　had　come　a　horseman　from　the　Median　camp　who　would　not　say　a　word；　except　that　he　wished　to　speak　with　the　generals；　of　whom　he　mentioned　the　names。〃　　　　　They　at　once；　hearing　this；　made　haste　to　the　outpost；　where　they　found　Alexander；　who　addressed　them　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Athens；　that　which　I　am　about　to　say　I　trust　to　your　honour；　and　I　charge　you　to　keep　it　secret　from　all　excepting　Pausanias；　if　you　would　not　bring　me　to　destruction。　Had　I　not　greatly　at　heart　the　common　welfare　of　Greece；　I　should　not　have　come　to　tell　you；　but　I　am　myself　a　Greek　by　descent；　and　I　would　not　willingly　see　Greece　exchange　freedom　for　slavery。　Know　then　that　Mardonius　and　his　army　cannot　obtain　favourable　omens；　had　it　not　been　for　this；　they　would　have　fought　with　you　long　ago。　Now；　however；　they　have　determined　to　let　the　victims　pass　unheeded；　and；　as　soon　as　day　dawns；　to　engage　in　battle。　Mardonius；　I　imagine；　is　afraid　that；　if　he　delays；　you　will　increase　in　number。　Make　ready　then　to　receive　him。　Should　he　however　still　defer　the　combat；　do　you　abide　where　you　are；　for　his　provisions　will　not　hold　out　many　more　days。　If　ye　prosper　in　this　war；　forget　not　to　do　something　for　my　freedom；　consider　the　risk　I　have　run；　out　of　zeal　for　the　Greek　cause；　to　acquaint　you　with　what　Mardonius　intends；　and　to　save　you　from　being　surprised　by　the　barbarians。　I　am　Alexander　of　Macedon。〃　　　　　As　soon　as　he　had　said　this；　Alexander　rode　back　to　the　camp；　and　returned　to　the　station　assigned　him。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Athenian　generals　hastened　to　the　right　wing；　and　told　Pausanias　all　that　they　had　learnt　from　Alexander。　Hereupon　Pausanias；　who　no　sooner　heard　the　intention　of　the　Persians　than　he　was　struck　with　fear；　addressed　the　generals；　and　said；…　　　　　〃Since　the　battle　is　to　come　with　to…morrow's　dawn；　it　were　well　that　you　Athenians　should　stand　opposed　to　the　Persians；　and　we　Spartans　to　the　Boeotians　and　the　other　Greeks；　for　ye　know　the　Medes　and　their　manner　of　fight；　since　ye　have　already　fought　with　them　once　at　Marathon；　but　we　are　quite　ignorant　and　without　any　experience　of　their　warfare。　While；　however；　there　is　not　a　Spartan　here　present　who　has　ever　fought　against　a　Mede；　of　the　Boeotians　and　Thessalians　we　have　had　experience。　Take　then　your　arms；　and　march　over　to　our　post　upon　the　right；　while　we　supply　your　place　in　the　left　wing。〃　　　　　Hereto　the　Athenians　replied…　〃We；　too；　long　ago；　when　we　saw　that　the　Persians　were　drawn　up　to　face　you；　were　minded　to　suggest　to　you　the　very　course　which　you　have　now　been　the　first　to　bring　forward。　We　feared；　however；　that　perhaps　our　words　might　not　be　pleasing　to　you。　But；　as　you　have　now　spoken　of　these　things　yourselves；　we　gladly　give　our　consent；　and　are　ready　to　do　as　ye　have　said。〃　　　　　Both　sides　agreeing　hereto；　at　the　dawn　of　day　the　Spartans　and　Athenians　changed　places。　But　the　movement　was　perceived　by　the　Boeotians；　and　they　gave　notice　of　it　to　Mardonius；　who　at　once；　on　hearing　what　had　been　done；　made　a　change　in　the　disposition　of　his　own　forces；　and　brought　the　Persians　to　face　the　Lacedaemonians。　Then　Pausanias；　finding　that　his　design　was　discovered；　led　back　his　Spartans　to　the　right　wing；　and　Mardonius；　seeing　this；　replaced　his　Persians　upon　the　left　of　his　army。　　　　　When　the　troops　again　occupied　their　former　posts；　Mardonius　sent　a　herald　to　the　Spartans；　who　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Lacedaemonians；　in　these　parts　the　men　say　that　you　are　the　bravest　of　mankind；　and　admire　you　because　you　never　turn　your　backs　in　flight　nor　quit　your　ranks；　but　always　stand　firm；　and　either　die　at　your　posts　or　else　destroy　your　adversaries。　But　in　all　this　which　they　say　concerning　you　there　is　not　one　word　of　truth；　for　now　have　we　seen　you；　before　battle　was　joined　or　our　two　hosts　had　come　to　blows；　flying　and　leaving　your　posts；　wishing　the　Athenians　to　make　the　first　trial　of　our　arms；　and　taking　your　own　station　against　our　slaves。　Surely　these　are　not　the　deeds　of　brave　men。　Much　do　we　find　ourselves　deceived　in　you；　for　we　believed　the　reports　of　you　that　reached　our　ears；　and　expected　that　you　would　send　a　herald　with　a　challenge　to　us；　proposing　to　fight　by　yourselves　against　our　division　of　native　Persians。　We　for　our　part　were　ready　to　have　agreed　to　this；　but　ye　have　made　us　no　such　offer…　nay！　ye　seem　rather　to　shrink　from　meeting　us。　However；　as　no　challenge　of　this　kind　comes　from　you　to　us；　lo！　we　send　a　challenge　to　you。　Why　should　not　you　on　the　part　of　the　Greeks；　as　you　are　thought　to　be　the　bravest　of　all；　and　we　on　the　part　of　the　barbarians；　fight　a　battle　with　equal　numbers　on　both　sides？　Then；　if　it　seems　good　to　the　others　to　fight　likewise；　let　them　engage　afterwards…　but　if　not；…　if　they　are　content　that　we　should　fight　on　behalf　of　all；　let　us　so　do…　and　whichever　side　wins　the　battle；　let　them　win　it　for　their　whole　army。〃　　　　　When　the　herald　had　thus　spoken；　he　waited　a　while；　but；　as　no　one　made　him　any　answer；　he　went　back；　and　told　Mardonius　what　had　happened。　Mardonius　was　full　of　joy　thereat；　and　so　puffed　up　by　the　empty　victory；　that　he　at　once　gave　orders　to　his　horse　to　charge　the　Greek　line。　Then　the　horsemen　drew　near；　and　with　their　javelins　and　their　arrows…　for　though　horsemen　they　used　the　bow…　sorely　distressed　the　Greek　troops；　which　could　not　bring　them　to　close　combat。　The　fountain　of　Gargaphia；　whence　the　whole　Greek　army　drew　its　water；　they　at　this　time　choked　up　and　spoiled。　The　Lacedaemonians　were　the　only　troops　who　had　their　station　near　this　fountain；　the　other　Greeks　were　more　or　less　distant　from　it；　according　to　their　place　in　the　line；　they　however　were　not　far　from　the　Asopus。　Still；　as　the　Persian　horse　with　their　missile　weapons　did　not　allow　them　to　approach；　and　so　they　could　not　get　their　water　from　the　river；　these　Greeks；　no　less　than　the　Lacedaemonians；　resorted　at　this　time　to　the　fountain。　　　　　When　the　fountain　was　choked；　the　Grecian　captains；　seeing　that　the　army　had　no　longer　a　water…place；　and　observing　moreover　that　the　cavalry　greatly　harassed　them；　held　a　meeting　on　these　and　other　matters　at　the　headquarters　of　Pausanias　upon　the　right。　For　besides　the　above…named　difficulties；　which　were　great　enough；　other　circumstances　added　to　their　distress。　All　the　provisions　that　they　had　brought　with　them　were　gone；　and　the　attendants　who　had　been　sent　to　fetch　supplies　from　the　Peloponnese；　were　prevented　from　returning　to　camp　by　the　Persian　horse；　which　had　now　closed　the　passage。　　　　　The　captains　therefore　held　a　council；　whereat　it　was　agreed；　that　if　the　Persians　did　not　give　battle　that　day；　the　Greeks　should　move　to　the　Island…　a　tract　of　ground　which　lies　in　front　of　Plataea；　at　the　distance　of　ten　furlongs　from　the　Asopus　and　fount　Gargaphia；　where　the　army　was　encamped　at　that　time。　This　tract　was　a　sort　of　island　in　the　continent：　for　there　is　a　river　which；　dividing　near　its　source；　runs　down　from　Mount　Cithaeron　into　the　plain　below　in　two　streams；　flowing　in　channels　about　three　furlongs　apart；　which　after　a　while　unite　and　become　one。　The　name　of　this　river　is　Oeroe；　and　the　dwellers　in　those　parts　call　it；　the　daughter　of　the　Asopus。　This　was　the　place　to　which　the　Greeks　resolved　to　remove；　and　they　chose　it；　first　because　they　would　there　have　no　lack　of　water；　and　secondly；　because　the　horse　could　not　harass　them　as　when　it　was　drawn　up　right　in　their　front。　They　thought　it　best　to　begin　their　march　at　the　second　watch　of　the　night；　lest　the　Persians　should　see　them　as　they　left　their　station；　and　should　follow　and　harass　them　with　their　cavalry。　It　was　agreed　likewise；　that　after　they　had　reached　the　place；　which　the　Asopus…born　Oeroe　surrounds；　as　it　flows　down　from　Cithaeron；　they　should　despatch；　the　very　same　night；　one　half　of　their　army　towards　that　mountain…range；　to　relieve　those　whom　they　had　sent　to　procure　provisions；　and　who　were　now　blocked　up　in　that　region。　　　　　Having　made　these　resolves；　they　continued　during　that　whole　day　to　suffer　beyond　measure　from　the　attacks　of　the　enemy's　horse。　At　length　when　towards　dusk　the　attacks　of　the　horse　ceased；　and；　night　having　closed　in；　the　hour　arrived　at　which　the　army　wa