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　brought　us　to　fight？…　men　who　contend　with　one　another；　not　for　money；　but　for　honour！〃　　　　　A　little　before　this；　and　just　after　the　blow　had　been　struck　at　Thermopylae；　a　herald　was　sent　into　Phocis　by　the　Thessalians；　who　had　always　been　on　bad　terms　with　the　Phocians；　and　especially　since　their　last　overthrow。　For　it　was　not　many　years　previous　to　this　invasion　of　Greece　by　the　king；　that　the　Thessalians；　with　their　allies；　entered　Phocis　in　full　force；　but　were　defeated　by　the　Phocians　in　an　engagement　wherein　they　were　very　roughly　handled。　The　Phocians；　who　had　with　them　as　soothsayer　Tellias　of　Elis；　were　blocked　up　in　the　mountain　of　Parnassus；　when　the　following　stratagem　was　contrived　for　them　by　their　Elean　ally。　He　took　six　hundred　of　their　bravest　men；　and　whitened　their　bodies　and　their　arms　with　chalk；　then　instructing　them　to　slay　every　one　whom　they　should　meet　that　was　not　whitened　like　themselves；　he　made　a　night　attack　upon　the　Thessalians。　No　sooner　did　the　Thessalian　sentries；　who　were　the　first　to　see　them；　behold　this　strange　sight；　than；　imagining　it　to　be　a　prodigy；　they　were　all　filled　with　affright。　From　the　sentries　the　alarm　spread　to　the　army；　which　was　seized　with　such　a　panic　that　the　Phocians　killed　four　thousand　of　them；　and　became　masters　of　their　dead　bodies　and　shields。　Of　the　shields　one　half　were　sent　as　an　offering　to　the　temple　at　Abae；　the　other　half　were　deposited　at　Delphi；　while　from　the　tenth　part　of　the　booty　gained　in　the　battle；　were　made　the　gigantic　figures　which　stand　round　the　tripod　in　front　of　the　Delphic　shrine；　and　likewise　the　figures　of　the　same　size　and　character　at　Abae。　　　　　Besides　this　slaughter　of　the　Thessalian　foot　when　it　was　blockading　them；　the　Phocians　had　dealt　a　blow　to　their　horse　upon　its　invading　their　territory；　from　which　they　had　never　recovered。　There　is　a　pass　near　the　city　of　Hyampolis；　where　the　Phocians；　having　dug　a　broad　trench；　filled　up　the　void　with　empty　wine…jars；　after　which　they　covered　the　place　with　mould；　so　that　the　ground　all　looked　alike；　and　then　awaited　the　coming　of　the　Thessalians。　These；　thinking　to　destroy　the　Phocians　at　one　sweep；　rushed　rapidly　forward；　and　became　entangled　in　the　wine…jars；　which　broke　the　legs　of　their　horses。　　　　　The　Thessalians　had　therefore　a　double　cause　of　quarrel　with　the　Phocians；　when　they　dispatched　the　herald　above　mentioned；　who　thus　delivered　his　message：…　　　　　〃At　length　acknowledge；　ye　men　of　Phocis；　that　ye　may　not　think　to　match　with　us。　In　times　past；　when　it　pleased　us　to　hold　with　the　Greeks；　we　had　always　the　vantage　over　you；　and　now　our　influence　is　such　with　the　barbarian；　that；　if　we　choose　it；　you　will　lose　your　country；　and　（what　is　even　worse）　you　will　be　sold　as　slaves。　However；　though　we　can　now　do　with　you　exactly　as　we　like；　we　are　willing　to　forget　our　wrongs。　Quit　them　with　a　payment　of　fifty　talents　of　silver；　and　we　undertake　to　ward　off　the　evils　which　threaten　your　country。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　message　which　the　Thessalians　sent。　The　Phocians　were　the　only　people　in　these　parts　who　had　not　espoused　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　and　it　is　my　deliberate　opinion　that　the　motive　which　swayed　them　was　none　other…　neither　more　nor　less…　than　their　hatred　of　the　Thessalians：　for　had　the　Thessalians　declared　in　favour　of　the　Greeks；　I　believe　that　the　men　of　Phocis　would　have　joined　the　Median　side。　As　it　was；　when　the　message　arrived；　the　Phocians　made　answer；　that　〃they　would　not　pay　anything…　it　was　open　to　them；　equally　with　the　Thessalians；　to　make　common　cause　with　the　Medes；　if　they　only　chose　so　to　do…　but　they　would　never　of　their　own　free　will　become　traitors　to　Greece。〃　　　　　On　the　return　of　this　answer；　the　Thessalians；　full　of　wrath　against　the　Phocians；　offered　themselves　as　guides　to　the　barbarian　army；　and　led　them　forth　from　Trachinia　into　Doris。　In　this　place　there　is　a　narrow　tongue　of　Dorian　territory；　not　more　than　thirty　furlongs　across；　interposed　between　Malis　and　Phocis；　it　is　the　tract　in　ancient　times　called　Dryopis；　and　the　land；　of　which　it　is　a　part；　is　the　mother…country　of　the　Dorians　in　the　Peloponnese。　This　territory　the　barbarians　did　not　plunder；　for　the　inhabitants　had　espoused　their　side；　and　besides；　the　Thessalians　wished　that　they　should　be　spared。　　　　　From　Doris　they　marched　forward　into　Phocis；　but　here　the　inhabitants　did　not　fall　into　their　power：　for　some　of　them　had　taken　refuge　in　the　high　grounds　of　Parnassus…　one　summit　of　which；　called　Tithorea；　standing　quite　by　itself；　not　far　from　the　city　of　Neon；　is　well　fitted　to　give　shelter　to　a　large　body　of　men；　and　had　now　received　a　number　of　the　Phocians　with　their　movables；　while　the　greater　portion　had　fled　to　the　country　of　the　Ozolian　Locrians；　and　placed　their　goods　in　the　city　called　Amphissa；　which　lies　above　the　Crissaean　plain。　The　land　of　Phocis；　however；　was　entirely　overrun；　for　the　Thessalians　led　the　Persian　army　through　the　whole　of　it；　and　wherever　they　went；　the　country　was　wasted　with　fire　and　sword；　the　cities　and　even　the　temples　being　wilfully　set　alight　by　the　troops。　　　　　The　march　of　the　army　lay　along　the　valley　of　the　Cephissus；　and　here　they　ravaged　far　and　wide；　burning　the　towns　of　Drymus；　Charadra；　Erochus；　Tethronium；　Amphicaea；　Neon；　Pedieis；　Triteis；　Elateia；　Hyampolis；　Parapotamii；　and　Abae。　At　the　last…named　place　there　was　a　temple　of　Apollo；　very　rich；　and　adorned　with　a　vast　number　of　treasures　and　offerings。　There　was　likewise　an　oracle　there　in　those　days；　as　indeed　there　is　at　the　present　time。　This　temple　the　Persians　plundered　and　burnt；　and　here　they　captured　a　number　of　the　Phocians　before　they　could　reach　the　hills；　and　caused　the　death　of　some　of　their　women　by　ill…usage。　　　　　After　passing　Parapotamii；　the　barbarians　marched　to　Panopeis；　and　now　the　army　separated　into　two　bodies；　whereof　one；　which　was　the　more　numerous　and　the　stronger　of　the　two；　marched；　under　Xerxes　himself；　towards　Athens；　entering　Boeotia　by　the　country　of　the　Orchomenians。　The　Boeotians　had　one　and　all　embraced　the　cause　of　the　Medes；　and　their　towns　were　in　the　possession　of　Macedonian　garrisons；　whom　Alexander　had　sent　there；　to　make　it　manifest　to　Xerxes　that　the　Boeotians　were　on　the　Median　side。　Such　then　was　the　road　followed　by　one　division　of　the　barbarians。　　　　　The　other　division　took　guides；　and　proceeded　towards　the　temple　of　Delphi；　keeping　Mount　Parnassus　on　their　right　hand。　They　too　laid　waste　such　parts　of　Phocis　as　they　passed　through；　burning　the　city　of　the　Panopeans；　together　with　those　of　the　Daulians　and　of　the　Aeolidae。　This　body　had　been　detached　from　the　rest　of　the　army；　and　made　to　march　in　this　direction；　for　the　purpose　of　plundering　the　Delphian　temple　and　conveying　to　King　Xerxes　the　riches　which　were　there　laid　up。　For　Xerxes；　as　I　am　informed；　was　better　acquainted　with　what　there　was　worthy　of　note　at　Delphi；　than　even　with　what　he　had　left　in　his　own　house；　so　many　of　those　about　him　were　continually　describing　the　treasures…　more　especially　the　offerings　made　by　Croesus　the　son　of　Alyattes。　　　　　Now　when　the　Delphians　heard　what　danger　they　were　in；　great　fear　fell　on　them。　In　their　terror　they　consulted　the　oracle　concerning　the　holy　treasures；　and　inquired　if　they　should　bury　them　in　the　ground；　or　carry　them　away　to　some　other　country。　The　god；　in　reply；　bade　them　leave　the　treasures　untouched…　〃He　was　able；〃　he　said；　〃without　help　to　protect　his　own。〃　So　the　Delphians；　when　they　received　this　answer；　began　to　think　about　saving　themselves。　And　first　of　all　they　sent　their　women　and　children　across　the　gulf　into　Achaea；　after　which　the　greater　number　of　them　climbed　up　into　the　tops　of　Parnassus；　and　placed　their　goods　for　safety　in　the　Corycian　cave；　while　some　effected　their　escape　to　Amphissa　in　Locris。　In　this　way　all　the　Delphians　quitted　the　city；　except　sixty　men；　and　the　Prophet。　　　　　When　the　barbarian　assailants　drew　near　and　were　in　sight　of　the　place；　the　Prophet；　who　was　named　Aceratus；　beheld；　in　front　of　the　temple；　a　portion　of　the　sacred　armour；　which　it　was　not　lawful　for　any　mortal　hand　to　touch；　lying　upon　the　ground；　removed　from　the　inner　shrine　where　it　was　wont　to　hang。　Then　went　he　and　told　the　prodigy　to　the　Delphians　who　had　remained　behind。　Meanwhile　the　enemy　pressed　forward　briskly；　and　had　reached　the　shrine　of　Minerva　Pronaia；　when　they　were　overtaken　by　other　prodigies　still　more　wonderful　than　the　first。　Truly　it　was　marvel　enough；　when　warlike　harness　was　seen　lying　outside　the　temple；　removed　there　by　no　power　but　its　own；　what　followed；　however；　exceeded　in　strangeness　all　prodigies　that　had　ever　before　been　seen。　The　barbarians　had　just　reached　in　their　advance　the　chapel　of　Minerva　Pronaia；　when　a　storm　of　thunder　burst　suddenly　over　their　heads…　at　the　same　time　two　crags　split　off　from　Mount　Parnassus；　and　rolled　down　upon　them　with　a　loud　noise；　crushing　vast　numbers　beneath　their　weight…　while　from　the　temple　of　Minerva　there　went　up　the　war…cry　and　the　shout　of　victory。　　　　　All　these　things　together　struck　terror　into　the　barbarians；　who　forthwith　turned　and　fled。　The　Delphians；　seeing　this；　came　down　from　their　hiding…places；　and　smote　them　with　a　great　slaughter；　from　which　such　as　escaped　fled　str