e gods and their general that
they should fight. Some writers tell us that while Pausanias was
offering sacrifice and prayer a little beyond the ranks, some Lydians
suddenly fell upon him, and began to plunder the sacrificial vessels,
but that Pausanias, and those with him, having no arms, drove them
away with sticks and whips; in memory of which they beat young men on
the altar at Sparta at the present day, and afterwards lead what is
called the Lydian procession.

XVIII. Pausanias was deeply grieved at what was taking place, seeing
the priests offering sacrifice after sacrifice, not one of which
pleased the gods; at last he turned his eyes towards the temple of
Hera and wept. Holding up his hands he besought Hera of Mount Kithaeron
and all the other gods of the land of Plataea that if it were not the
will of the gods that the Greeks should conquer, they might at any
rate do some valorous deed before they died, and let their conquerors
know that they had fought with brave and experienced warriors. When
Pausanias prayed thus, the sacrifices at once became favourable and
the soothsayers prophesied victory. The word was given to sot
themselves in order of battle, and then at once the Lacedaemonian force
resembled some fierce beast turning to bay and setting up his
bristles, while the barbarians saw that they had to deal with men who
were prepared to fight to the death. Wherefore they set up their great
wicker shields in front of them, and from this shelter shot their
arrows at the Lacedaemonians. But the latter advanced without breaking
their ranks, overturned the line of wicker shields, and with, terrible
thrusts of their spears at the faces and breasts of the Persians, laid
many of them low by their fierce and well-disciplined charge. The
Persians too fought bravely, and resisted for a long while, laying
hold of the spears with their bare hands and breaking most of them in
that manner, fighting hand to hand, with their scimitars and axes, and
tearing the Lacedaemonians' shields out of their hands by force.

Meanwhile the Athenians had for a long time stood quietly awaiting the
Lacedaemonians. When, however, they heard the shouting and noise of the
battle, and a messenger, it is said, reached them from Pausanias, they
marched with all speed to help him. As they were hurrying over the
plain to where the shouts were heard, the Greeks who had taken the
Persian side attacked them. At first when Aristeides saw them, he ran