§9.71.1ἠρίστευσε δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων πεζὸς μὲν ὁ Περσέων, ἵππος δὲ ἡ Σακέων, ἀνὴρ δὲ λέγεται Μαρδόνιος·
Of the barbarians, those who fought best were the Persian infantry, the Sacae cavalry, and among individuals Mardonius is said to have been the best.
Ἑλλήνων δέ, ἀγαθῶν γενομένων καὶ Τεγεητέων καὶ Ἀθηναίων, ὑπερεβάλοντο ἀρετῇ Λακεδαιμόνιοι.
Of the Greeks, although the Tegeans and Athenians behaved gallantly, the Lacedaemonians surpassed them in valor.
§9.71.2ἄλλῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ ἔχω ἀποσημήνασθαι (ἅπαντες γὰρ οὗτοι τοὺς κατʼ ἑωυτοὺς ἐνίκων), ὅτι δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἰσχυρότερον προσηνείχθησαν καὶ τούτων ἐκράτησαν.
I have no other means to prove this (for all of these defeated those who stood against them) except that the Lacedaemonians engaged with the stronger force and overcame them.
καὶ ἄριστος ἐγένετο μακρῷ Ἀριστόδημος κατὰ γνώμας τὰς ἡμετέρας, ὃς ἐκ Θερμοπυλέων μοῦνος τῶν τριηκοσίων σωθεὶς εἶχε ὄνειδος καὶ ἀτιμίην.
And by far the best of all, in our judgment, was Aristodemus, who, being the only one of the three hundred saved from Thermopylae, lay under reproach and dishonor.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἠρίστευσαν Ποσειδώνιός τε καὶ Φιλοκύων καὶ Ἀμομφάρετος ὁ Σπαρτιήτης.
After him, Poseidonius, Philocyon, and Amompharetus the Spartan distinguished themselves.
§9.71.3καίτοι γενομένης λέσχης ὃς γένοιτο αὐτῶν ἄριστος, ἔγνωσαν οἱ παραγενόμενοι Σπαρτιητέων Ἀριστόδημον μὲν βουλόμενον φανερῶς ἀποθανεῖν ἐκ τῆς παρεούσης οἱ αἰτίης, λυσσῶντά τε καὶ ἐκλείποντα τὴν τάξιν ἔργα ἀποδέξασθαι μεγάλα, Ποσειδώνιον δὲ οὐ βουλόμενον ἀποθνήσκειν ἄνδρα γενέσθαι ἀγαθόν· τοσούτῳ τοῦτον εἶναι ἀμείνω.
However, when a discussion arose as to who among them had been the best, the Spartans who were present judged that Aristodemus, wishing openly to die because of the charge lying upon him, had performed great deeds, acting with frenzy and leaving his post, whereas Poseidonius, though not wishing to die, had proven himself a brave man; and that by so much was the latter better.
§9.71.4ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ φθόνῳ ἂν εἴποιεν·
But this they might have said even out of envy.
οὗτοι δὲ τοὺς κατέλεξα πάντες, πλὴν Ἀριστοδήμου, τῶν ἀποθανόντων ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ τίμιοι ἐγένοντο· Ἀριστόδημος δὲ βουλόμενος ἀποθανεῖν διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίην οὐκ ἐτιμήθη.
Now all of these whom I have mentioned, except Aristodemus, among those who died in this battle, were held in honor; but Aristodemus, because he wished to die for the reason aforesaid, was not honored.