Mardonius Pausanias | Hi guys, I'm BAAAAACK! So now we know all about the armies that clashed at Plataea, but an army is only as good as it's leader, (right?). So I did a bit of digging and found some basic information on the two generals. The Greeks were led by the Spartan prince and son of Cleombrotus, Pausanias. He gained the upper hand in the battle when Mardonius died, but more on that later. The Persians were led by the general Mardonius. Mardonius was the son of the Persian nobleman Gobryas. He was first sent to Greece to punish Athens for aiding Ionia during the Ionian Revolt, but we all know how that ended, (if not, look up the battle of Marathon on google, it's that easy). Fun fact, during the Battle of Plataea, when his advisors suggested that they go back and get their riches to bribe the Greek generals, he said no because he wanted to fight honorably! While he was chasing the Greeks, Mardonius suddenly died! No one knows for sure how, but he died a happy man, thinking that the battle was won. Shortly after he died though, the Persians fell into disarray, giving the Spartans enough time to regroup. Anyways, I will see you guys in my next post. |