Histories

These had been fighters on shipboard, till Mardonius while yet at Phalerum disembarked them from their ships; for the Egyptians were not appointed to serve in the land army which Xerxes led to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens. Of the barbarians, then, there were three hundred thousand, as I have already shown. As for the Greek allies of Mardonius, no one knows the number of them (for they were not counted), I suppose them to have been mustered to the number of fifty thousand. These were the footmen that were set in array; the cavalry were separately ordered.

On the second day after they had all been arrayed according to their nations and their battalions, both armies offered sacrifice. It was Tisamenus who sacrificed for the Greeks, for he was with their army as a diviner; he was an Elean by birth, a Clytiad of the Iamid clan,[*](The Iamidae were a priestly family, the members of which were found in all parts of Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas. The Clytiadae were also Elean priests, but quite separate from the Iamidae; so Stein is probably right in bracketing *klutia/dhn.) and the Lacedaemonians gave him the freedom of their city.

This they did, for when Tisamenus was inquiring of the oracle at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi concerning offspring, the priestess prophesied to him that he should win five great victories. Not understanding that oracle, he engaged in bodily exercise, thinking that he would then be able to win in similar sports. When he had trained himself for the Five Contests,[*](The five events of the Pentathlum were running, jumping, wrestling, and throwing of the spear and the discus.) he came within one wrestling bout of winning the Olympic prize, in a match with Hieronymus of +Andros [24.9,37.816] (inhabited place), Nisos Andros, Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Andros.

The Lacedaemonians, however, perceived that the oracle given to Tisamenus spoke of the lists not of sport but of war, and they attempted to bribe Tisamenus to be a leader in their wars jointly with their kings of Heracles' line.

When he saw that the Spartans set great store by his friendship, he set his price higher, and made it known to them that he would do what they wanted only in exchange for the gift of full citizenship and all of the citizen's rights.

Hearing that, the Spartans at first were angry and completely abandoned their request; but when the dreadful menace of this Persian host hung over them, they consented and granted his demand. When he saw their purpose changed, he said that he would not be content with that alone; his brother Hegias too must be made a Spartan on the same terms as himself.

By so saying he imitated Melampus, in so far as one may compare demands for kingship with those for citizenship. For when the women of Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos had gone mad, and the Argives wanted him to come from Pylos [21.7083,36.9167] (Perseus) Pylos and heal them of that madness,[*](According to the legend, the Argive women were driven mad by Dionysus for refusing to take part in his orgies, and cured by Melampus. Many Greek authors refer to it, with varying details.) Melampus demanded half of their kingship for his wages.