sings 104 may come
to the Athenians and to the Plataians both." On this occasion however,
when the Athenians were being drawn up at Marathon something of this
kind was done:--their army being made equal in length of front to that
of the Medes, came to drawn up in the middle with a depth of but few
ranks, and here their army was weakest, while each wing was strengthened
with numbers..

112. And when they had been arranged in their places and the sacrifices
proved favourable, then the Athenians were let go, and they set forth at
a run to attack the Barbarians. Now the space between the armies was not
less than eight furlongs: 105 and the Persians seeing them advancing
to the attack at a run, made preparations to receive them; and in their
minds they charged the Athenians with madness which must be fatal,
seeing that they were few and yet were pressing forwards at a run,
having neither cavalry nor archers. 106 Such was the thought of the
Barbarians; but the Athenians when all in a body they had joined in
combat with the Barbarians, fought in a memorable fashion: for they were
the first of all the Hellenes about whom we know who went to attack the
enemy at a run, and they were the first also who endured to face the
Median garments and the men who wore them, whereas up to this time the
very name of the Medes was to the Hellenes a terror to hear..

113. Now while they fought in Marathon, much time passed by; and in the
centre of the army, where the Persians themselves and the Sacans were
drawn up, the Barbarians were winning,--here, I say, the Barbarians had
broken the ranks of their opponents and were pursuing them inland, but
on both wings the Athenians and the Plataians severally were winning
the victory; and being victorious they left that part of the Barbarians
which had been routed to fly without molestation, and bringing together
the two wings they fought with those who had broken their centre, and
the Athenians were victorious. So they followed after the Persians as
they fled, slaughtering them, until they came to the sea; and then they
called for fire and began to take hold of the ships..

114. In this part of the work was slain the polemarch Callimachos
after having proved himself a good man, and also one of the generals,
Stesilaos the son of Thrasylaos, was killed; and besides this Kynegeiros
the son of Euphorion while taking hold 107 there of the ornament at
the stern of a ship had his hand cut off with an axe a