Death of Masistius
event · 2 works · 2 mentions · 2 anchored passages
cavalry battle · death of Masistius · the cavalry skirmish at Erythrae · the killing of Masistius
in the texts
The Histories
The sequence of the Greek advance to Erythrae, the relief of the Megarians, the cavalry charge, and the killing of Masistius, followed by mourning on both sides.
So the barbarians honored Masistius ' death in their customary way, but the Greeks were greatly encouraged that they withstood and drove off the charging horsemen.
When the Greeks did not come down into the plain, Mardonius sent against them his entire cavalry, whose commander was Masistius (whom the Greeks call Macistius), a man much honored among the Persians;
When the main body came to their aid, then it was the horsemen who could no longer hold their ground, nor help to recover the dead man, but rather lost others of their comrades in addition to Masistius.
Aristides
Cavalry skirmish near Plataea culminating in the death of the Persian commander Masistius.
Masistius, the commander of the Barbarian cavalry, a man of wonderful prowess and of surpassing stature and beauty of person, saw them coming, and at once wheeled his horse to face them and charged down upon them.
For they shore their own hair in tribute to Masistius, and that of their horses and mules, and filled the plain with their wailing cries.
Presently the horse of Masistius was hit with an arrow, and threw his rider, who lay where he fell, unable to raise himself, so heavy was his armour;