I stood on Marathon's old plain
and saw Miltiades again,
before ten thousand men of Athens;
and, bolder than their thousand spears, Plateans,
a little band who, too, would die
and on those marshes, ******, lie
rather than exchange the sword
for chains and curses of a Persian lord.

Many are the years since then.
But still their spirit breathes, for when
we contemplate their great success,
unknowingly their ancient souls we bless.