came unperceived behind the Spartan troops. It was only when he heard
the tramp of horses behind him and on the mountain above him, that
Leonidas found out that he had been betrayed.

Hastily calling his allies, he gave them permission to save themselves
by flight, declaring, however, that he and his companions would never
leave their post, and that, since they could not conquer, they were
ready to die.

Some of the allies took advantage of this permission to escape, but
seven hundred Thes'pi-ans nobly chose to remain with the Spartans. With
the courage of despair, these men now fought against the Persians before
and behind them, selling their lives as dearly as possible. In spite of
the odds against them, they refused to surrender, and finally fell, one
after another, on the spot which they had undertaken to guard.

Their bodies, which were found almost in a heap,--for they had scorned
to fly,--were honorably buried in a single mound, over which rose a
monument with this modest inscription,--

"Go, passer-by, at Sparta tell,
Obedient to her law we fell."

The Persians had forced their way into Greece. Nothing could check their
further advance, so the mighty army swept southward. The first place of
note on their way to Athens was Delphi, the site of the sacred temple,
where great treasures were stored.

The Greeks knew that the Persians did not worship the same gods, and
feared that they might rob the temple: so they now eagerly questioned
the oracle, to find out whether they should not all assemble there in
its defense.

To their surprise, the oracle proudly replied, "The gods will take care
of their own," and bade them rather use their strength to defend their
own homes.

The Persians marched into the rocky gorge leading to the temple at
Delphi, but just as they were entering the valley a terrible
thunderstorm broke forth. The darkness became so great that the
soldiers lost their way. The rocks rolled and crashed down upon them;
and the soldiers, filled with dread, beat a hasty retreat, and never
again dared venture into this valley.

In the mean while the Greek fleet at Artemisium had held the Persian
vessels at bay, until news was brought of the death of Leonidas, and the
passage of Thermopylae. Then the Greeks sailed as fast as they could
toward Athens, knowing that they would be needed there to defend the
city.

The various allies, sure that it would be quite useless to try to defend
the no