Continued...
Mardonius, seeing next morning the columns of
Greeks retreating upward on the hills, from his camp by the river, was
prompt to pursue them. He could not see however, the Spartans who had
remained hidden behind the low hills, which arose from the valley.
Pausanius
was offering sacrifice and asking for a good omen, as the Persians
approached. Less disciplined soldiers may have despaired; not so the
Spartans. Even as the approaching Persians discovered them and came
within bow distance, they began showering them with arrows, which
pierced their shields and killed them. The Spartans lamented not of
dying, but of doing so without striking a blow to the enemy.
Pausanius
continued to offer sacrifice and to wait for a favorable omen.
Distressed, he called on the Goddess Hera. The omens suddenly changed
and became favorable. Then the Spartans, followed by their Thegean
allies, attacked.
There were 53,000 Greeks in all, opposing
the Persians much superior forces. The Athenians were elsewhere
engaging the Thebes and could not be counted on for help. That did not
deter the Spartans, who led the attack.
The Persians protected
themselves with their shields, forming a line behind which other
soldiers could send arrows, which took their toll on the Spartans.
Still, the Spartans kept on coming. Eventually, the came upon the line
of shields and overran it. There ensued a hand-to-hand combat in which
the Persians fought bravely, but without armor they were no match for
the Spartans. The Spartan Army, with shields touching each other, kept
on advancing and overcoming any obstacle in their way.
The
Persians resisted valiantly. They fought with everything they had.
Mardonius on his white horse and surrounded by his elite troops, fought
to the end, inspiring his men. In time, the Greeks were able to kill
Mardonius and his elite troops. The rest of the Persians then retreated
to their fort, seeking refuge within its wooden walls.
The
Spartans, great soldiers though they were on the field of battle, had
little experience in attacking forts or in sieges. Their efforts proved
useless. The Persians, aware of their disadvantage in the open field,
were not about to come out into the open to fight them. There was an
impasse.
Meanwhile, the Athenians had been fighting the
Thebes. Here, it was not a battle of Europeans against Asiatic, but
Europeans against Europeans. Both sides were well equipped and equally
brave. The battle was fierce and prolonged. In the end, the Athenians
were victorious and the Thebes completely annihilated.
As soon
as their battle with the Thebes was over, the Athenians did not stop to
lick their wounds. They marched right away to aid the Spartans. Their
unbelievable bravery and dedication to duty set new standards in
history.
The Athenians, motivated as they were after their
hard-fought victory over Thebes, was an unstoppable force. When they
joined the Spartans and the Thegeans, the wooden fort could not hold
them back. Their fierce attack overcame the fort and its defenders.
Then, there followed such a carnage that it is reported that, out of
260,000 Persians, only about 3,000 survived. The Persian Empire dreams
of overcoming Greece had ended.
Returning to Athens, the
victorious Athenians found the city totally destroyed. Lesser men may
have despaired; not so the Athenians. The soldier once again became the
artisan; inherited and acquired skills went to work hard. In the span
of time of only one generation, they built such a magnificent city,
such beautiful, airy yet strong temples and public buildings, that
their ruins, even after twenty five centuries, still remain as a mute
tribute to the fathers of our civilization.
Mardonius, seeing next morning the columns of
Greeks retreating upward on the hills, from his camp by the river, was
prompt to pursue them. He could not see however, the Spartans who had
remained hidden behind the low hills, which arose from the valley.
Pausanius
was offering sacrifice and asking for a good omen, as the Persians
approached. Less disciplined soldiers may have despaired; not so the
Spartans. Even as the approaching Persians discovered them and came
within bow distance, they began showering them with arrows, which
pierced their shields and killed them. The Spartans lamented not of
dying, but of doing so without striking a blow to the enemy.
Pausanius
continued to offer sacrifice and to wait for a favorable omen.
Distressed, he called on the Goddess Hera. The omens suddenly changed
and became favorable. Then the Spartans, followed by their Thegean
allies, attacked.
There were 53,000 Greeks in all, opposing
the Persians much superior forces. The Athenians were elsewhere
engaging the Thebes and could not be counted on for help. That did not
deter the Spartans, who led the attack.
The Persians protected
themselves with their shields, forming a line behind which other
soldiers could send arrows, which took their toll on the Spartans.
Still, the Spartans kept on coming. Eventually, the came upon the line
of shields and overran it. There ensued a hand-to-hand combat in which
the Persians fought bravely, but without armor they were no match for
the Spartans. The Spartan Army, with shields touching each other, kept
on advancing and overcoming any obstacle in their way.
The
Persians resisted valiantly. They fought with everything they had.
Mardonius on his white horse and surrounded by his elite troops, fought
to the end, inspiring his men. In time, the Greeks were able to kill
Mardonius and his elite troops. The rest of the Persians then retreated
to their fort, seeking refuge within its wooden walls.
The
Spartans, great soldiers though they were on the field of battle, had
little experience in attacking forts or in sieges. Their efforts proved
useless. The Persians, aware of their disadvantage in the open field,
were not about to come out into the open to fight them. There was an
impasse.
Meanwhile, the Athenians had been fighting the
Thebes. Here, it was not a battle of Europeans against Asiatic, but
Europeans against Europeans. Both sides were well equipped and equally
brave. The battle was fierce and prolonged. In the end, the Athenians
were victorious and the Thebes completely annihilated.
As soon
as their battle with the Thebes was over, the Athenians did not stop to
lick their wounds. They marched right away to aid the Spartans. Their
unbelievable bravery and dedication to duty set new standards in
history.
The Athenians, motivated as they were after their
hard-fought victory over Thebes, was an unstoppable force. When they
joined the Spartans and the Thegeans, the wooden fort could not hold
them back. Their fierce attack overcame the fort and its defenders.
Then, there followed such a carnage that it is reported that, out of
260,000 Persians, only about 3,000 survived. The Persian Empire dreams
of overcoming Greece had ended.
Returning to Athens, the
victorious Athenians found the city totally destroyed. Lesser men may
have despaired; not so the Athenians. The soldier once again became the
artisan; inherited and acquired skills went to work hard. In the span
of time of only one generation, they built such a magnificent city,
such beautiful, airy yet strong temples and public buildings, that
their ruins, even after twenty five centuries, still remain as a mute
tribute to the fathers of our civilization.
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