o with them the bow-men also. For some time then they fought, and at
last an end was set to the fighting in the following manner:--while the
cavalry was attacking by squadrons, the horse of Masistios, going in
advance of the rest, was struck in the side by an arrow, and feeling
pain he reared upright and threw Masistios off; and when he had fallen,
the Athenians forthwith pressed upon him; and his horse they took and
himself, as he made resistance, they slew, though at first they could
not, for his equipment was of this kind,--he wore a cuirass of gold
scales underneath, and over the cuirass he had put on a crimson tunic.
So as they struck upon the cuirass they could effect nothing, until some
one, perceiving what the matter was, thrust into his eye. Then at length
he fell and died; and by some means the other men of the cavalry had not
observed this take place, for they neither saw him when he had fallen
from his horse nor when he was being slain, and while the retreat
and the turn 24 were being made, they did not perceive that which was
happening; but when they had stopped their horses, then at once they
missed him, since there was no one to command them; and when they
perceived what had happened, they passed the word to one another and all
rode together, that they might if possible recover the body..

23. The Athenians upon that, seeing that the cavalry were riding to
attack them no longer by squadrons but all together, shouted to the rest
of the army to help them. Then while the whole number of those on foot
were coming to their help, there arose a sharp fight for the body; and
so long as the three hundred were alone they had much the worse and were
about to abandon the body, but when the mass of the army came to their
help, then the horsemen no longer sustained the fight, nor did they
succeed in recovering the body; and besides him they lost others of
their number also. Then they drew off about two furlongs away and
deliberated what they should do; and it seemed good to them, as they had
no commander, to ride back to Mardonios..

24. When the cavalry arrived at the camp, the whole army and also
Mardonios made great mourning for Masistios, cutting off their own
hair and that of their horses and baggage-animals and giving way to
lamentation without stint; for all Boeotia was filled with the sound of
it, because one had perished who after Mardonios was of the most account
with the Persians and with the king..

25. T