herodotus

the Dorians had come to Attica, twice having invaded it to make waragainst it, and twice to help the mass of the Athenian people,--firstwhen they at the same time colonised Megara (this expedition mayrightly be designated as taking place when Codros was king of theAthenians), for the second and third times when they came makingexpeditions from Sparta to drive out the sons of Peisistratos, andfourthly on this occasion, when Cleomenes at the head of thePeloponnesians invaded Eleusis: thus the Dorians invaded Athens thenfor the fourth time.77. This army then having been ingloriously broken up, the Atheniansafter that, desiring to avenge themselves, made expedition firstagainst the Chalkidians; and the Bœotians came to the Euripos to helpthe Chalkidians. The Athenians, therefore, seeing those who had cometo help,[64a] resolved first to attack the Bœotians before theChalkidians. Accordingly they engaged battle with the Bœotians, andhad much the better of them, and after having slain very many theytook seven hundred of them captive. On this very same day theAthenians passed over into Eubœa and engaged battle with theChalkidians as well; and having conquered these also, they left fourthousand holders of allotments in the land belonging to the "Breedersof Horses":[65] now the wealthier of the Chalkidians were called theBreeders of Horses. And as many of them as they took captive, theykept in confinement together with the Bœotians who had been captured,bound with fetters; and then after a time they let them go, havingfixed their ransom at two pounds of silver apiece:[66] but theirfetters, in which they had been bound, they hung up on the Acropolis;and these were still existing even to my time hanging on walls whichhad been scorched with fire by the Mede,[67] and just opposite thesanctuary which lies towards the West. The tenth part of the ransomalso they dedicated for an offering, and made of it a four-horsechariot of bronze, which stands on the left hand as you enter thePropylaia in the Acropolis, and on it is the following inscription:"Matched in the deeds of war with the tribes of Bœotia and ChalkisThe sons of Athens prevailed, conquered and tamed them in fight:In chains of iron and darkness they quenched their insolent spirit;And to Athene present these, of their ransom a tithe."78. The Athenians accordingly increased in power; and it is evident,not by one instance only but in every way, that Equality[68] is anexcellent thing, since the Athenians while they were ruled by despotswere not better in war that any of those who dwelt about them, whereasafter they had got rid of despots they became far the first. Thisproves that when they were kept down they were wilfully slack, becausethey were working for a master, whereas when they had been set free