which Melampus had proposed, and went to offer him this:
but he then seeing that they had changed their minds, increased his
demand, and said that he would not do that which they desired unless
they gave to his brother Bias also the third share in the royal power.
43 And the Argives, being driven into straits, consented to this also.
35. Just so the Spartans also, being very much in need of Tisamenos,
agreed with him on any terms which he desired: and when the Spartans had
agreed to this demand also, then Tisamenos the Eleian, having become a
Spartan, had part with them in winning five of the greatest contests
as their diviner: and these were the only men who ever were made
fellow-citizens of the Spartans. Now the five contests were these: one
and the first of them was this at Plataia; and after this the contest at
Tegea, which took place with the Tegeans and the Argives; then that at
Dipaieis against all the Arcadians except the Mantineians; after that
the contest with the Messenians at Ithome; 44 and last of all that which
took place at Tanagra against the Athenians and Argives. This, I say,
was accomplished last of the five contests.

36. This Tisamenos was acting now as diviner for the Hellenes in the
Plataian land, being brought by the Spartans. Now to the Hellenes the
sacrifices were of good omen if they defended themselves only, but not
if they crossed the Asopos and began a battle;.

37, and Mardonios too, who was eager to begin a battle, found the
sacrifices not favourable to this design, but they were of good omen
to him also if he defended himself only; for he too used the Hellenic
manner of sacrifice, having as diviner Hegesistratos an Eleian and the
most famous of the Telliadai, whom before these events the Spartans had
taken and bound, in order to put him to death, because they had suffered
much mischief from him. He then being in this evil case, seeing that he
was running a course for his life and was likely moreover to suffer
much torment before his death, had done a deed such as may hardly be
believed. Being made fast on a block bound with iron, he obtained
an iron tool, which in some way had been brought in, and contrived
forthwith a deed the most courageous of any that we know: for having
first calculated how the remaining portion of his foot might be got out
of the block, he cut away the flat of his own foot, 45 and after that,
since he was guarded still by warders, he broke through the wall and
so