iltiades's interview with the priestess.--Her
instructions.--Miltiades attempts to enter the temple of Ceres.--He
dislocates a limb.--Miltiades returns to Athens.--He is
impeached.--Miltiades is condemned.--He dies of his wound.--The fine
paid.--Proposed punishment of Timo.--Timo saved by the Delphic
oracle.--Another expedition against Greece.--Preparations.--Necessity
for settling the succession.--Darius's two sons.--Their claims to the
throne.--Xerxes declared heir.--Death of Darius.--Character of
Darius.--Ground of his renown.

The city of Athens and the plain of Marathon are situated upon a
peninsula. The principal port by which the city was ordinarily
approached was on the southern shore of the peninsula, though the
Persians had landed on the northern side. Of course, in their retreat
from the field of battle, they fled to the north. When they were
beyond the reach of their enemies and fairly at sea, they were at
first somewhat perplexed to determine what to do. Datis was extremely
unwilling to return to Darius with the news of such a defeat. On the
other hand, there seemed but little hope of any other result if he
were to attempt a second landing.

Hippias, their Greek guide, was killed in the battle. He expected to
be killed, for his mind, on the morning of the battle, was in a state
of great despondency and dejection. Until that time he had felt a
strong and confident expectation of success, but his feelings had then
been very suddenly changed. His confidence had arisen from the
influence of a dream, his dejection from a cause more frivolous still;
so that he was equally irrational in his hope and in his despair.

The omen which seemed to him to portend success to the enterprise in
which he had undertaken to act as guide, was merely that he dreamed
one night that he saw, and spent some time in company with, his
mother. In attempting to interpret this dream in the morning, it
seemed to him that Athens, his native city, was represented by his
mother, and that the vision denoted that he was about to be restored
to Athens again. He was extremely elated at this supernatural
confirmation of his hopes, and would have gone into the battle certain
of victory, had it not been that another circumstance occurred at the
time of the landing to blast his hopes. He had, himself, the general
charge of the disembarkation. He stationed the ships at their proper
places near the shore, and formed the men upon the beach as they