A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Athens Prepares for Battle 163
disposed to the Athenians and had been serviceable to
them on many occasions before that time, and would be so
also yet again.
Believing that this tale was true, the Athenians,
when their affairs had now been prosperously settled.
In a cave on
established under the Acropohs a temple of Pan, and in declivity. .
consequence of this message they propitiate him with
sacrifice offered every year and with a torch-race.
However at that time, the time namely when he said Pheidipthat
Pan appeared to him, this Pheidippides having been
sent by the generals was in Sparta on the next day after
that on which he left the city of the Athenians; and when
peaJs fo'the
^a"i^^°'
he had come to the magistrates he said: " Lacedsemonians, Hdt. vi. 106.
the Athenians make request of you to come to their help
and not to allow a city most anciently established among On Marathe
Hellenes to fall into slavery by means of barbarians; 120-2; In-'^"'
for even now Eretria has been enslaved and Hellas has "/"' World,
167-70.
become the weaker by a city of renown." He, as I say,
reported to them that with which he had been charged
and it pleased them well to come to help the Athenians;
but it was impossible for them to do so at once, since they
did not desire to break their law; for it was the ninth day
of the month and on the ninth day they said they would
not go forth, nor until the circle of the moon should be full.
Now the opinions of the generals of the Athenians were The Athendivided,
and the one party urged that they should not
^
liberate.
fight a battle, seeing that they were few to fight with the j^dt vi 109
army of the Medes, while the others, and among them
Miltiades, advised that they should do so; and when they
were divided and the worse opinion was like to prevail. At this time
then, since he who had been appointed by lot to be pole- march was
march of the Athenians had a vote in addition to the ten appointeTby
(for in old times the Athenians gave the polemarch an
lot; p- 128
above,
.
equal vote with the generals) and at that time the pole-