of friends. But while he was on his way there came another messenger saying that there was a thousand Spartans in the land of Megara, having come in advance of the army; and, thinking that he might cut them off, he changed his purpose and marched toward Megara, while the horsemen ravaged the country. Nor did the Persians make their way toward the setting sun further than this. And now there came another messenger saying that the whole army of the Peloponnesians was at the Isthmus. Therefore he turned his course, and came into the territory of the Thebans. And here he encamped his army along the river Asopus from Erythræ to Platæa. And though the Thebans were friends to the Persians, he cut down all the trees in the country, not from hatred but from need, because he would have a rampart and a place of refuge if the battle should go against him. Such a rampart he made of ten furlongs every way.
While the Persians were building this defense a certain Theban made a great feast to Mardonius and the Persians. Concerning this feast Thersander, a notable citizen of Orchomenus, told this story to Herodotus: “I was called to this feast with other Thebans, fifty in all, and there were called also fifty Persians. We were not set apart, but on each crouch a Persian and a Theban; and when we had dined and were now drinking, the Persian that was on the same couch said to me in the Greek tongue, ‘Whence art thou?’ and I said, ‘I am of Orchomenus.’ Then said he, ‘Since thou hast eaten with me from the same table and poured out a libation from the same cup, I will leave with thee a memorial of my belief, and this the more that thou mayest look after thine own life. Thou seest these Persians that are feasting with us and this army that we left encamped on the river. Of all these thou shalt see in a short time but few remaining.’ And when the Persian had so spoken he wept bitterly. And I said to him, for I marveled much at his words, ‘Shouldst thou not tell this to Mardonius and to the Persians that are in high place with him?’ But the Persian answered, ‘O my friend, that which the Gods order a man can not change, for though he speak the truth no one will hearken