The king was at a loss as to how to deal with the present difficulty. Epialtes son of Eurydemus, a Malian, thinking he would get a great reward from the king, came to speak with him and told him of the path leading over the mountain to +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae. In so doing he caused the destruction of the Hellenes remaining there.

Later he fled into +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly in fear of the Lacedaemonians, and while he was in exile, a price was put on his head by the Pylagori Cp. Hdt. 7.200 (note). when the Amphictyons assembled at Pylae. Still later he returned from exile to Anticyra and was killed by Athenades, a Trachinian.

Athenades slew Epialtes for a different reason, which I will tell later in my history,The expression suggests Herodotus' intention of continuing his history beyond 479, the year with which Book IX ends; but see How-Wells ad loc. but he was given no less honor by the Lacedaemonians. It was in this way, then, that Epialtes was later killed.