HERODOTUS

BOOK IX.!5-i6Hysiae and reached unto the lands of Plataeae,where it lay ranked by the Asopus river. I saynot that the walled camp which he made was sogreat each side of it was of a length of about ten;furlongs.16. While the foreigners were employed aboutthis work, Attaginus son of Phrynon, a Theban,made great preparation and invited Mardonius withwho were the most notable of the Persians tofiftybe his guests at a banquet. They came as theywere bidden ;the dinner was given at Thebes.Now here follows the end of that matter, which wastold me by Thersandrus of Orchomenus, one of themost notable men of that place. Thersandrus too(he said), was bidden to this dinner, and fiftyThebans besides ;and Attaginus made them sit,not each man by himself, but on each couch aPersian and a Theban together. Now after dinnerwhile they drank one with another, the Persianthat sat with him asked Thersandrus in the Greektongue of what country he was; and Thersandrusanswered that he was of Orchomenus. Then saidthe Persian ": Since now you have eaten at theboard with me and drunk with me thereafter, Iwould fain leave some record of my thought, thatyou yourself may have such knowledge as to takefitting counsel for your safety. See you thesePersians at the banquet, and that host which weleft encamped by the river side ? of all these in alittle while you shall see but a little remnant leftalive " and as he said; this, the Persian weptbitterly. Marvelling at this saying, Thersandrusanswered ": Must you not then tell this to Mardonius175