aid to any that
perished, for the Greeks, knowing that death awaited them at the hands
of those who were going round the mountain, being desperate and
regardless of their own lives, displayed the utmost possible valor
against the barbarians.

Already were most of their javelins broken and they had begun to
despatch the Persians with their swords. In this part of the struggle
fell Leonidas, fighting valiantly, and with him other eminent Spartans,
whose names, seeing they were deserving men, I have ascertained; indeed,
I have ascertained the names of the whole three hundred. On the side of
the Persians also, many other eminent men fell on this occasion, and
among them two sons of Darius, Abrocomes and Hyperanthes, born to Darius
of Phrataguna, daughter of Artanes; but Artanes was brother to king
Darius, and son of Hystaspes, son of Arsames. He, when he gave his
daughter to Darius, gave him also all his property, as she was his only
child.

Accordingly, two brothers of Xerxes fell at this spot fighting for the
body of Leonidas, and there was a violent struggle between the Persians
and Lacedaemonians, until at last the Greeks rescued it by their valor
and four times repulsed the enemy. Thus the contest continued until
those with Ephialtes came up. When the Greeks heard that they were
approaching, from this time the battle was altered; for they retreated
to the narrow part of the way, and passing beyond the wall came and took
up their position on the rising ground all in a compact body with the
exception of the Thebans. The rising ground is at the entrance where the
stone lion now stands to the memory of Leonidas. On this spot, while
they defended themselves with swords--such as had them still
remaining--and with hands and teeth, the barbarians overwhelmed them
with missiles, some of them attacking them in front, having thrown down
the wall, and others surrounding and attacking them on every side.

Though the Lacedaemonians and Thespians behaved in this manner, yet
Dieneces, a Spartan, is said to have been the bravest man. They relate
that he made the following remark before they engaged with the Medes,
having heard a Trachinian say that when the barbarians let fly their
arrows they would obscure the sun by the multitude of their shafts, so
great was their number; but he, not at all alarmed at this, said,
holding in contempt the numbers of the Medes, that "their Trachinian
friend told them everything to their advantage, s