§9.58.1Μαρδόνιος δὲ ὡς ἐπύθετο τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀποιχομένους ὑπὸ νύκτα εἶδέ τε τὸν χῶρον ἔρημον, καλέσας τὸν Ληρισαῖον Θώρηκα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφεοὺς αὐτοῦ Εὐρύπυλον καὶ Θρασυδήιον ἔλεγε §9.58.2ὦ παῖδες Ἀλεύεω, ἔτι τί λέξετε τάδε ὁρῶντες ἔρημα;
When Mardonius learned that the Greeks had departed under cover of night and saw the place empty, he called Thorax of Larissa and his brothers Eurypylus and Thrasydeius, and said: "O sons of Aleuas, what will you say now, when you see these places empty?
ὑμεῖς γὰρ οἱ πλησιόχωροι ἐλέγετε Λακεδαιμονίους οὐ φεύγειν ἐκ μάχης, ἀλλὰ ἄνδρας εἶναι τὰ πολέμια πρώτους·
For you, their neighbors, used to say that the Lacedaemonians did not flee from battle, but were the first of men in warfare.
τοὺς πρότερόν τε μετισταμένους ἐκ τῆς τάξιος εἴδετε, νῦν τε ὑπὸ τὴν παροιχομένην νύκτα καὶ οἱ πάντες ὁρῶμεν διαδράντας· διέδεξάν τε, ἐπεί σφεας ἔδεε πρὸς τοὺς ἀψευδέως ἀρίστους ἀνθρώπων μάχῃ διακριθῆναι, ὅτι οὐδένες ἄρα ἐόντες ἐν οὐδαμοῖσι ἐοῦσι Ἕλλησι ἐναπεδεικνύατο.
You saw them before changing their position, and now during the past night we all see that they have run away; and they have shown, since they had to be distinguished in battle against those who are truly the best of men, that being themselves nobodies, they were merely showing off among Greeks who are also nobodies.
§9.58.3καὶ ὑμῖν μὲν ἐοῦσι Περσέων ἀπείροισι πολλὴ ἔκ γε ἐμεῦ ἐγίνετο συγγνώμη, ἐπαινεόντων τούτους τοῖσί τι καὶ συνῃδέατε· Ἀρταβάζου δὲ θῶμα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐποιεύμην τὸ καὶ καταρρωδῆσαι Λακεδαιμονίους καταρρωδήσαντά τε ἀποδέξασθαι γνώμην δειλοτάτην, ὡς χρεὸν εἴη ἀναζεύξαντας τὸ στρατόπεδον ἰέναι ἐς τὸ Θηβαίων ἄστυ πολιορκησομένους· τὴν ἔτι πρὸς ἐμεῦ βασιλεὺς πεύσεται.
And for you, who are inexperienced with the Persians, there was much forgiveness on my part when you praised these men because of some things you were conscious of; but I wondered even more at Artabazus, because he feared the Lacedaemonians, and having feared them, put forward a most cowardly opinion, that it was necessary to break up the camp and go to the city of the Thebans to be besieged; of which opinion the King shall yet hear from me.
§9.58.4καὶ τούτων μὲν ἑτέρωθι ἔσται λόγος.
But of these matters there will be a discussion elsewhere.
νῦν δὲ ἐκείνοισι ταῦτα ποιεῦσι οὐκ ἐπιτρεπτέα ἐστί, ἀλλὰ διωκτέοι εἰσὶ ἐς ὃ καταλαμφθέντες δώσουσι ἡμῖν τῶν δὴ ἐποίησαν Πέρσας πάντων δίκας.
Now, however, we must not allow them to do these things, but they must be pursued until they are overtaken and pay us the penalty for all that they have done to the Persians."