The Twitter Herodotus

9.11 The next day the Athenian messengers said they were leaving & that Athens would medize. The ephors surprised them w/news of their army.

9.12 The messengers left for the Isthmus. Meanwhile, the Argives sent a runner to Mardonius in Attica to tell him of the Spartans' approach.

9.13 Mardonius had been waiting for the Athenians to come to terms. When he heard the news, he burned Athens & withdrew toward Thebes.

9.14 M. turned toward Megara when he heard the enemy was there. His cavalry overran the country--the farthest west the Persians ever got.

9.15 M. then retreated to Thebes, where his men built a fort. Meanwhile, a man named Attaginus hosted a dinner for M. & 50 Persian grandees.

9.16 Thersander of Orchomenus told me this: a Persian he met at the dinner told him he expected very few Persians to survive the war.

9.17 The Phocians medized under compulsion & joined the Persians in Boeotia late. The Persian cavalry advanced against them as if to attack.

9.18 They encircled the Phocians & attacked but as quickly withdrew. It's not clear why. Mardonius later told them they needn't be afraid.

9.19 The Persians encamped along the Asopus River. The Greeks advanced into Boeotia & encamped opposite them in the foothills of Cithaeron.

9.20 Mardonius sent his cavalry against the Greeks. The cavalry, under the command of Masistius, attacked the Greeks in waves.