crying with a loud voice, “Men of Ionia that chance to hear me, listen to that which I now say, for the Persians will understand none of my words. When we join battle, remember all of you first Freedom, and then our watchword, and this is Hebe. And if there are any that chance not to hear me, let others tell my words to them.” Now the purpose of these words was the same as of the words which Themistocles wrote upon the rocks at Artemisium. If they came not to the knowledge of the Persians, then they might persuade the Ionians; but if they came to their knowledge they would cause the Persians to put no trust in their allies. When Leotychides had ended speaking these words, the allies brought their ships to the land and disembarked, and set themselves in array for the battle.
But the Persians, when they saw how the Greeks set themselves in array, considered the words which had been spoken to the Ionians. And first of all they took away from the men of Samos their arms, suspecting that they favored the Greeks. This they did because the men of Samos had paid the ransom of five hundred Athenians whom the armies of the King had found lingering in the land of Attica, and had carried away captive into Asia. Next after this they sent the men of Miletus to keep the ways that led to the heights of Mycale, for they knew the country. This they said, but in truth they desired to keep them outside the camp. Thus did the Persians seek to guard themselves against the Ionians, if these were minded to help the Greeks; and after this they made a rampart of wicker shields to be a defence against the enemy.
And now the Greeks, all things being ready, began to go forward against the barbarians. And lo! as they went there ran a rumor through the whole army and at the same time they saw a herald’s staff lying on the sea-shore. And the rumor was this, that the Greeks were doing battle in the land of Bœotia with the army of Mardonius, and were prevailing over it. And this is one of the many proofs that the gods have a thought for the affairs of men; for how else, when it had chanced that this battle at