Histories

While his comrades were fighting, he was carried out of the battle and died a lingering death, saying to Arimnestus, a Plataean, that it was not a source of grief to him to die for Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas' sake; his sorrow was rather that he had struck no blow and achieved no deed worthy of his merit, despite all his eager desire to do so.

Of the Athenians, Sophanes son of Eutychides is said to have won renown, a man from the town of Decelea, whose people once did a deed that was of eternal value, as the Athenians themselves say.

For in the past when the sons of Tyndarus were trying to recover Helen,[*](According to legend, the Dioscuri came to recover their sister Helen, who had been carried off to Aphidnae in Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica by Theseus and Pirithous.) after breaking into Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica with a great host, they turned the towns upside down because they did not know where Helen had been hidden, then (it is said) the Deceleans (and, as some say, Decelus himself, because he was angered by the pride of Theseus and feared for the whole land of Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica) revealed the whole matter to the sons of Tyndarus, and guided them to Aphidnae, which Titacus, one of the autochthonoi, handed over to to the Tyndaridae.

For that deed the Deceleans have always had and still have freedom at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta from all dues and chief places at feasts. In fact, even as recently as the war which was waged many years after this time between the Athenians and Peloponnesians, the Lacedaemonians laid no hand on Decelea when they harried the rest of Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica.[*](But in the later part of the Peloponnesian war the Lacedaemonians established themselves at Decelea and held it as a menace to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens (413 B.C.).)

From that town was Sophanes, who now was the best Athenian fighter in the battle, and about him two tales are told. According to the first, he bore an iron anchor attached to the belt of his cuirass with a chain of bronze. He would cast this anchor whenever he approached his enemies in an attack so that the enemy, as they left their ranks, might not be able to move him from his place. When they were put to flight, it was his plan that he would pull up his anchor and so pursue them.