herodotus

do not, I expect that some great spirit of discord will fall upon theminds of the Athenians and so shake them that they shall go over tothe Medes; but if we fight a battle before any unsoundness appear inany part of the Athenian people, then we are able to gain the victoryin the fight, if the gods grant equal conditions. These things thenall belong to thee and depend on thee; for if thou attach thyself tomy opinions, thou hast both a fatherland which is free and a nativecity which shall be the first among the cities of Hellas; but if thouchoose the opinion of those who are earnest against fighting, thoushalt have the opposite of those good things of which I told thee."110. Thus speaking Miltiades gained Callimachos to his side; and theopinion of the polemarch being added, it was thus determined to fighta battle. After this, those generals whose opinion was in favour offighting, as the turn of each one of them to command for the day[100]came round, gave over their command to Miltiades; and he, acceptingit, would not however yet bring about a battle, until his own turn tocommand had come. 111. And when it came round to him, then theAthenians were drawn up for battle in the order which here follows:--On the right wing the polemarch Callimachos was leader (for the customof the Athenians then was this, that the polemarch should have theright wing); and he leading, next after him came the tribes in orderas they were numbered one after another, and last were drawn up thePlataians occupying the left wing: for[101] ever since this battle,when the Athenians offer sacrifices in the solemn assemblies[102]which are made at the four-yearly festivals,[103] the herald of theAthenians prays thus, "that blessings[104] may come to the Atheniansand to the Plataians both." On this occasion however, when theAthenians were being drawn up at Marathon something of this kind wasdone:--their army being made equal in length of front to that of theMedes, came to drawn up in the middle with a depth of but few ranks,and here their army was weakest, while each wing was strengthened withnumbers. 112. And when they had been arranged in their places and thesacrifices proved favourable, then the Athenians were let go, and theyset forth at a run to attack the Barbarians. Now the space between thearmies was not less than eight furlongs:[105] and the Persians seeingthem advancing to the attack at a run, made preparations to receivethem; and in their minds they charged the Athenians with madness whichmust be fatal, seeing that they were few and yet were pressingforwards at a run, having neither cavalry nor archers.[106] Such wasthe thought of the Barbarians; but the Athenians when all in a bodythey had joined in combat with the Barbarians, fought in a memorablefashion: for they were the first of all the Hellenes about whom weknow who went to attack the enemy at a run, and they were the firstalso who endured to face the Median garments and the men who worethem, whereas up to this time the very name of the Medes was to theHellenes a terror to hear. 113. Now while they fought in Marathon,