Herodotus - The Histories.pdf

The Histories–Book Nine V 11
thus, O ye Ephors! If the Athenians are not our
friends, but league themselves with the barbarians,
however strong our wall across the Isthmus
may be, there will be doors enough, and wide
enough open too, by which the Persian may gain
entrance to the Peloponnese. Grant their request
then, before they make any fresh resolve, which
may bring Greece to ruin.”
Such was the counsel which Chileus gave: and the
Ephors, taking the advice into consideration,
determined forthwith, without speaking a word
to the ambassadors from the three cities, to
despatch to the Isthmus a body of five thousand
Spartans; and accordingly they sent them forth
the same night, appointing to each Spartan a retinue
of seven Helots, and giving the command of
the expedition to Pausanias the son of
Cleombrotus. The chief power belonged of right
at this time to Pleistarchus, the son of Leonidas;
but as he was still a child Pausanias, his cousin,
was regent in his room. For the father of
Pausanias, Cleombrotus, the son of
Anaxandridas, no longer lived; he had died a