The histories of Herodotus;

226-229] THERMOPYLAE 439
would obscure the sun by the multitude of their shafts, so
great were their numbers : but he, not at all alarmed at this,
said, holding in contempt the numbers of the Medes, that
their Trachinian friend told them everything to their advantage,
since if the Medes obscured the sun, they would then
have to fight in the shade, and not in the sun. This and other
sayings of the same kind they relate that Dieneces, the Lacedaemonian,
left as memorials. Next to him, two Lacedaemonian
brothers, Alpheus and Maron, sons of Orisiphantus,
are said to have distinguished themselves most; and of the
Thespians, he obtained the greatest glory whose name was
Dithyrambus, son of Harmatides. In honour of the slain, who
were buried on the spot where they fell, and of those who
died before they who were dismissed by Leonidas went away,
the following inscription has been engraved over them : " Four
thousand from Peloponnesus once fought on this spot with
three hundred myriads." This inscription was made for all
and for the Spartans in particular : " Stranger, go tell the
Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their commands."
This was for the Lacedaemonians ; and for the prophet, the
following : " This is the monument of the illustrious Megistias,
whom once the Medes, having passed the river Sperchius,
slew; a prophet, who, at the time well knowing the impending
fate, would not abandon the leaders of Sparta." The
Amphictyons are the persons who honoured them with these
inscriptions and columns, with the exception of the inscription
to the prophet ; that of the prophet Megistias, Simonides,
son of Leoprepes, caused to be engraved, from personal friend-
ship.
It is said that two of these three hundred, Eurytus and
Aristodemus, when it was in the power of both, if they had
agreed together, either to return alike safe to Sparta, since they
had been dismissed from the camp by Leonidas, and were
lying at Alpeni desperately afflicted with a disease of the eyes
or, if they would not return, to have died together with the
rest ; when it was in their power to do either of these, they
could not agree ; and being divided in opinion, Eurytus, having
heard of the circuit made by the Persians, and having
called for and put on his arms, ordered his helot to lead him
to the combatants; and when he had led him, the man who
led him ran away, but he, rushing into the midst of the throng,
perished; but Aristodemus, failing in courage, was left behind.
Now if it had happened that Aristodemus alone, being
sick, had returned to Sparta, or if both had gone home together,
in my opinion the Spartans would not have shown
;