 The Persians tried to break the Greeks' spears by grabbing hold of them, but the Greeks responded by switching to swords.Mardonius was present at the scene, riding a white horse, and surrounded by a bodyguard of 1,000 men; while he remained, the Persians stood their ground.However, the Spartans closed in on Mardonius and a Spartan soldier named Arimnestus killed him.