Two ranks deep would be pierced in a thousand places, overwhelmed. Yet it was all he could do. He sucked in air to give the order and felt his mouth sag as the helots around him suddenly doubled their pace and surged out. His Athenians could not stop them. They were like a flood. The officers he had lent them were left behind, revealed and marching alone.

Aristides felt fear surge. The helots would surely be slaughtered. Yet he did not think they would come back if he ordered them. He watched the enemy line grow and prayed Pausanias was watching and bringing down the main forces. His throat was like parchment, his lips cracking. It was too late to drink. The battle was upon them, whether they wanted it or not.

26

Mardonius was moving, his horse fighting a rein like a bar of brass along its neck. Along with its rider, the beast sensed rising excitement. Mardonius had watched a massive force heading away that morning and suspected a trap from the first moments. The Greeks were cunning bastards; he had learned that much from his own allies. Still, he had failed to see at first what they’d done. It was not a false trail to draw him off. The ruse had been in who they were – slaves, marching like soldiers. Alongside a few hoplites of Athens to make them look more fearsome than they could ever be.

His cavalry swirled around his centre, leaderless without Masistius, master of horse. Mardonius felt that loss with them as he moved out with regiments of infantry. When he reined in again, he was a rock in a vast sea, with men flowing past on all sides. Mardonius commanded the centre, Artabazus the left, while Hydarnes of the Immortals and the Thebans kept the right wing. Hydarnes had demanded that honour. His Immortals longed to face the red-cloaked Spartans, desperate to avenge their losses at Thermopylae. They would restore their reputation only over Spartan dead.

Mardonius stared up at the mountainside, where Greek forces were suddenly moving in glitters of silver and gold, sliding with him along the ridges, surging ahead of his army as they made their way down to the plain. He showed his teeth. Battle could not be avoided now, he was certain. He was the tempest and they were being drawn in. Piece by piece, city by city, called to judgement.