Histories

The reason for his marching away was that Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica was not a land fit for horses, and if he should be defeated in a battle, there was no way of retreat save one so narrow that a few men could prevent his passage.[*](He would have to retreat into Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia by way of the pass over Cithaeron.) He therefore planned to retreat to Thebes [23.3333,38.325] (Perseus) Thebes and do battle where he had a friendly city at his back and ground suitable for horsemen.

So Mardonius drew his men off, and when he had now set forth on his road there came a message that in addition to the others, an advance guard of a thousand Lacedaemonians had arrived at +Megara [23.35,38] (Perseus) Megara. When he heard this, he deliberated how he might first make an end of these. He accordingly turned about and led his army against +Megara [23.35,38] (Perseus) Megara, his cavalry going first and overrunning the lands of that city. That was the westernmost place in Europe (continent)Europe which this Persian army reached.

Presently there came a message to Mardonius that the Greeks were gathered together on the Isthmus. Thereupon he marched back again through Decelea; the rulers of Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia sent for those of the Asopus country who lived nearby, and these guided him to Sphendalae and from there to +Tanagra [23.6,38.3083] (Perseus) Tanagra.

Here he camped for the night, and on the next day he turned from there to Scolus, where he was in Theban territory. There he laid waste the lands of the Thebans, though they sided with the Persian part. This he did, not for any ill-will that he bore them, but because sheer necessity drove him to make a stronghold for his army and to have this for a refuge if the fortune of battle were other than he wished.

His army, stationed along the Asopus river, covered the ground from Erythrae past Hysiae and up to the lands of Plataea [23.2667,38.2] (Perseus) Plataea. I do not mean to say that the walled camp which he made was of this size; each side of it was of a length of about ten furlongs.