in our land is the Thriasian plain.".

8. When the Ephors heard this they deferred their reply to the next day,
and then on the next day to the succeeding one; and this they did even
for ten days, deferring the matter from day to day, while during this
time the whole body of the Peloponnesians were building the wall over
the Isthmus with great diligence and were just about to complete it.
Now I am not able to say why, when Alexander the Macedonian had come
to Athens, they were so very anxious lest the Athenians should take the
side of the Medes, whereas now they had no care about it, except indeed
that their wall over the Isthmus had now been built, and they thought
they had no need of the Athenians any more; whereas when Alexander came
to Attica the wall had not yet been completed, but they were working at
it in great dread of the Persians..

9. At last however the answer was given and the going forth of the
Spartans took place in the following manner:--on the day before that
which was appointed for the last hearing of the envoys, Chileos a man of
Tegea, who of all strangers had most influence in Lacedemon, heard from
the Ephors all that which the Athenians were saying; and he, it seems,
said to them these words: "Thus the matter stands, Ephors:--if the
Athenians are not friendly with us but are allies of the Barbarian, then
though a strong wall may have been built across the Isthmus, yet a wide
door has been opened for the Persian into Peloponnesus. Listen to their
request, however, before the Athenians resolve upon something else
tending to the fall of Hellas.".

10. Thus he counselled them, and they forthwith took his words to heart;
and saying nothing to the envoys who had come from the cities, while
yet it was night they sent out five thousand Spartans, with no less than
seven of the Helots set to attend upon each man of them, 901 appointing
Pausanias the son of Cleombrotos to lead them forth. Now the leadership
belonged to Pleistarchos the son of Leonidas; but he was yet a boy, and
the other was his guardian and cousin: for Cleombrotos, the father of
Pausanias and son of Anaxandrides, was no longer alive, but when he had
led home from the Isthmus the army which had built the wall, no long
time after this he died. Now the reason why Cleombrotos led home
the army from the Isthmus was this:--as he was offering sacrifice for
fighting against the Persian, the sun was darkened in the heaven. And
Pausanias chose as c