164 fflSTORY OF GREECE. near Erythrae, without choosing to adventure himself in the level ground. Mardonius, finding them not disposed to seek battle in the plain, despatched his numerous and excellent cavalry under Masistius, the most distinguished officer in his army, to attack them. For the most part, the ground was so uneven as to check their approach, — but the Megarian contingent, which happened to be more exposed than the rest, were so hard pressed that they were forced to send to Pausanias for aid. They appear to have had not only no cavalry, but no bowmen or light-armed troops of any sort with missile weapons ; while the Persians, excellent archers and darters, using very large bows, and trained in such accom- plishments from their earliest childhood, charged in successive squadrons and overwhelmed the Greeks with darts and arrows, — not omitting contemptuous taunts on their cowardice for keep- ing back from the plain.i So general was then the fear of the Persian cavalry, that I^usanias could find none of the Greeks, except the Athenians, willing to volunteer and go to the rescue of the Megarians. A body of Athenians, however, especially three hundred chosen troops under Olympiodorus, strengthened with some bowmen, immediately marched to the spot and took up the combat with the Persian cavalry. For some time the strug- gle was sharp and doubtful : at length the general, Masistius, — a man renowned for bravery, lofty in stature, clad in conspicu- ous armor, and mounted on a Nissean horse with golden trap- pings, — charging at the head of his troops, had his horse struck by an arrow in the side. The animal immediately reared and threw his master on the ground, close to the ranks of the Athe- nians, who, rushing forward, seized the horse, and overpowered Masistius before he could rise. So impenetrable were the de- fences of his helmet and breastplate,^ however, that they had considerable difficulty in killing hira, though he was in their power : at length a spearman pierced him in the eye. The death of the general passed unobserved by the Persian cavalry, but as soon as they missed him and became aware of the loss, ' About the missile weapons and skill of the Persians, see HeroJot.i, 136 ; Xenophon, Anabas. iii, 4, 17. CjTus the younger was eminent in the use both of the how and the jave- lin (Xenoph. Anab. i, 8, 26 ; i, 9, 5 : compare Cyropaed. i, 2, 4).
- See Quintus Crutius, iii, 11, 15 ; and the note of Miitzel.
