they would make a treaty with him; but as
he did not persuade them, being now informed of everything he began to
retire out of the country before the force of Pausanias arrived at the
Isthmus, having first set fire to Athens and cast down and destroyed
whatever was left standing of the walls, houses or temples. Now he
marched away for this cause, namely first because Attica was not a
land where horsemen could act freely, and also because, if he should be
defeated in a battle in Attica, there was no way of retreat except by a
narrow pass, so that a few men could stop them. He intended therefore
to retreat to Thebes, and engage battle near to a friendly city and to a
country where horsemen could act freely.

14. Mardonios then was retiring out of the way, and when he was already
upon a road a message came to him saying that another body of troops
in advance of the rest 14 had come to Megara, consisting of a thousand
Lacedemonians. Being thus informed he took counsel with himself,
desiring if possible first to capture these. Therefore he turned back
and proceeded to lead his army towards Megara, and the cavalry going in
advance of the rest overran the Megaran land: this was the furthest land
in Europe towards the sun-setting to which this Persian army came..

15. After this a message came to Mardonios that the Hellenes were
assembled at the Isthmus; therefore he marched back by Dekeleia, for the
chiefs of Boeotia 15 had sent for those of the Asopians who dwelt
near the line of march, and these were his guides along the road to
Sphendaleis and thence to Tanagra. So having encamped for the night at
Tanagra and on the next day having directed his march to Scolos, he was
within the land of the Thebans. Then he proceeded to cut down the trees
in the lands of the Thebans, although they were on the side of the
Medes, moved not at all by enmity to them, but pressed by urgent
necessity both to make a defence for his camp, and also he was making it
for a refuge, in case that when he engaged battle things should not turn
out for him as he desired. Now the encampment of his army extended
from Erythrai along by Hysiai and reached the river Asopos: he was not
however making the wall to extend so far as this, but with each face
measuring somewhere about ten furlongs. 16

16. While the Barbarians were engaged upon this work, Attaginos the son
of Phyrnon, a Theban, having made magnificent preparations invited to
an entertainment Mardoni