Book 5
Having, then, so disposed his troops, Agis came down into the plain and proceeded to ravage Saminthus and other places.
The Argives discovered this and, it being now day, came to the rescue from Nemea. and falling in with the force of the Phliasians and Corinthians slew a few of the Phliasians, but had rather more of their own men slain by the Corinthians.
Meanwhile the Boeotians, Megarians and Sicyonians advanced toward Nemea as they had been ordered, but found the Argives no longer there; for these had gone down and, seeing their country being ravaged, were forming for battle, while the Lacedaemonians were preparing to meet them.
The Argives were hemmed in on all sides: in the direction of the plain the Lacedaemonians and their associates shut them off from the city; above were the Corinthians, Phliasians and Pellenians; towards Nemea were the Boeotians, Sicyonians, and Megarians. They had no cavalry at hand, for the AtheniansUpon their cavalry the Argives had relied. Their coming is announced 5.61.1. alone of their allies had not yet arrived.
The main body of the Argives and their allies thought their present situation was not so very dangerous, but that the battle was likely to be fought under favourable circumstances, and that the Lacedaemonians had been cut off in their country and close to the city of Argos.
But two of the Argives—Thrasyllus, one of the five generals, and Alciphron, proxenus of the Lacedaemonians— when the two armies were all but in collision, went to Agis and urged him not to bring on a battle; for the Argives were ready to offer as well as to accept a fair and impartial arbitration of any complaint which the Lacedaemonians had against the Argives, and for the future to make a treaty and keep the peace.
Those of the Argives who said these things spoke on their own authority and not by order of the people; and Agis, receiving the proposals for himself alone, not conferring with the majority, and without any deliberation on his own part further than to communicate the matter to a single one of the magistrates who accompanied the expedition, made a truce with the Argives for four months, within which time they were to fulfil their agreement.
And so he led off his army at once, without explanation to any of the allies. The Lacedaemonians and their allies followed his guidance out of respect for the law, but among themselves they loudly blamed Agis, considering that when there was opportunity for them to join battle under favourable conditions, and the Argives were cut off on all sides both by cavalry and infantry, they were going back home without doing anything worthy of their preparations.
For this was indeed the finest Hellenic force that had come together up to that time; and this was seen especially while it was still united at Nemea, including the Lacedaemonians in full force, the Arcadians, Boeotians, Corinthians, Sicyonians, Pellenians, Phliasians, and Megarians, all of them picked men from each nation, who felt themselves to be a match, not for the Argive confederacy only, but even for another such force in addition.
The army, then, thus blaming Agis, withdrew and dispersed severally to their homes.
But the Argives also on their part held in far greater blame those who had made the truce without consulting the people, as they too thought that the Lacedaemonians had escaped, though circumstances could never be more favourable for themselves; for the contest would have been near their own city and in concert with numerous and brave allies.
And so on their return they began to stone Thrasyllus in the bed of the Charadrus,Close under the north-east wall of the city. where before they enter the city all causes are tried that arise from an expedition. But he fled for refuge to the altar and was saved; his property however was confiscated.
After this, when Athenian reinforcements arrived, consisting of one thousand hoplites and three hundred cavalry, under the command of Laches and Nicostratus, the Argives—for they shrunk in spite of all from breaking off the truce with the Lacedaemonians—bade them go away, and would not comply with their wish to be brought before the people for negotiations, until the Mantineans and Eleans, who were still present, constrained them by their entreaties to do so.
The Athenians, then, through Alcibiades, who was present as ambassador, protested before the Argives and their allies that it was not right even to have made the truce without the consent of the rest of the allies, and now, since they themselves were present opportunely, they ought to resume the war.
Having persuaded the allies by their arguments, all of them except the Argives proceeded at once against Orchomenus in Arcadia; the Argives, though convinced, remained behind at first, then later came on too.
Taking post before Orchomenus, they all proceeded to besiege it and to make assaults, being especially desirous of getting possession of it because hostages from Arcadia were deposited there by the Lacedaemonians.
But the Orchomenians, fearing the weakness of the wall and the number of the enemy, and being apprehensive lest they might perish before relief came, capitulated on condition that they should be received as allies, should give hostages for themselves to the Mantineans, and should deliver up those whom the Lacedaemonians had deposited with them.
After this, being now in possession of Orchomenus, the allies deliberated which of the remaining places they should next proceed against. The Eleans were urging them to go against Lepreum, the Mantineans against Tegea; and the Argives and Athenians sided with the Mantineans.
The Eleans, then, becoming angry because they did not vote to go against Lepreum, went off home; but the rest of the allies began to make preparations at Mantinea to go against Tegea; and there were even some of the inhabitants of the town who were in favour of yielding the place to them.
But the Lacedaemonians, on their return from Argos after making the four months' truce, blamed Agis severely for not subduing Argos, when, in their judgment, the happy opportunity was such as had never been offered before; for it was not an easy matter to get together allies so many and so good.
But when the tidings came about the capture of Orchomenus also, they were far more angry, and in their wrath, contrary to their habit, at once resolved to raze his house and to fine him in the sum of ten thousand drachmas.About £6,730, $32,000.
But he besought them to do none of these things, promising that he would wipe out the charges by some brave deed when he took the field again; if not, they might then do what they wished.
So they refrained from the fine and the razing of his house, but for the present enacted a law which had no precedent among them; for they chose ten of the Spartiates as counsellorsCompare similar proceedings in 2.85.1; 3.69.1; 8.39.2. for him without whose consent it was not lawful for him to lead an army out of the city.
Meanwhile word came from their friendsAs opposed to the faction mentioned at the end of ch. lxii. in Tegea that, unless they should come quickly, Tegea would go over to the Argives and their allies, and already had all but done so.
Whereupon succour was sent, both of the Lacedaemonians themselves and of the Helots, in full force, promptly and on such a scale as never before.
These advanced to Orestheum in Maenalia, and gave orders to their allies among the Arcadians to get together and come close upon their heels to Tegea. After going, all together, as far as the Orestheum, they sent home from there a sixth part of their force—in which were included the older and younger men—to keep guard at home, and with the remainder of their army reached Tegea, where not long afterwards the allies from Arcadia arrived. They sent also to Corinth and to the Boeotians, Phocians and Locrians, bidding them bring aid in all haste to Mantinea.
But to some this was a sudden call, and it was not easy for them, except in a body and after waiting for one another, to go through the enemy's country; for that closed the way, lying just between. Nevertheless they hurried on.
But the Lacedaemonians, taking up the allies of the Arcadians that were present, invaded Mantinea, and encamping at the sanctuary of Heracles proceeded to ravage the country.
But the Argives and their allies, on seeing them, took up a position that was steep and difficult of access, and drew up for battle.
The Lacedaemonians went against them at once, advancing within a stone's throw or a javelin's cast; then one of the older men, seeing that they were going against a strong place, called out to Agis that he thought to cure one ill with another, meaning that the motive of his present unseasonable eagerness was to make amends for the culpable retreat from Argos.cf. 5.61.1; 5.63.2.
Agis, then, whether on account of this call, or because it suddenly struck him, too, that some other course was better than the one he was following, led his army back again in all haste without coming into conflict.
Then when he had reached Tegean territory he set about diverting into Mantinean territory the stream of water about which the Mantineans and Tegeates are always warring, on account of the harm it commonly does to whichever country it empties into. He wished to make the troops on the hillie. χωρίον ἐρυμνόν mentioned above. come down to prevent the diversion of the water as soon as they should hear about it, and thus force them to fight the battle in the plain.
So he lingered for that day in the neighbourhood of the stream and set about diverting it; but the Argives and their allies were at first amazed at their opponents' sudden withdrawal after coming close, and were at a loss what to make of it; afterwards, however, when the enemy had withdrawn out of sight, while they themselves kept quiet and did not follow after them, they began again to find fault with their own generals because on a previous occasion the Lacedaemonians, when fairly caught near Argos, had been allowed to escape, and now when they were running away no one pursued them; on the contrary, the enemy were quietly making good their safety, while they themselves were being betrayed.
The generals were confounded for the moment by the outcry, but afterwards they moved the troops from the hill and going forward into the plain encamped there, with the intention of advancing against the enemy.
On the next day the Argives and their allies drew up in the order in which they intended to fight if they fell in with the enemy; and the Lacedaemonians, going away from the stream and back to their old camp at the sanctuary of Heracles, suddenly saw the enemy close at hand, all by that time in order of battle and occupying an advanced position away from the hill.
Never had the Lacedaemonians, as far back as they remembered, been in such consternation as on this occasion. Their preparation had to be made on short notice; and at once in haste they fell into their own array, king Agis directing each movement as the law prescribed.
For when a king leads all orders are given by him: he himself gives the necessary order to the polemarchs,Commanders of the six morae, according to Xen. Const. Lac. 11.4 they to the commanders of battalions, these to the captains of companies, these again to the commanders of platoons, and these to the platoons.
So the special orders, if they wish to give any, proceed in the same way, and reach their destination quickly; for almost the whole army of the Lacedaemonians consists of officers over officers, and the responsibility for the execution of orders devolves upon many.
On this occasion there were posted on the left wing the Sciritae,Inhabitants of the rough hilly country towards the territory of Tegea. who alone of the Lacedaemonians always have that post by themselves; next to them the soldiers who had served with Brasidas in Thrace, and with them the Neodamodes; next the Lacedaemonians themselves, with their battalions posted one after another, and by them the Heraeans of Arcadia; after these the Maenalians; on the right wing the Tegeates, with a few of the Lacedaemonians holding the end of the line; and on either wing the cavalry.
The Lacedaemonians were thus arrayed. On their enemy's side the Mantineans had the right wing, because the action was to be fought in their country; by their side were their Arcadian allies; then the thousand picked men of the Argives, for whom the state had for a long time furnished at public expense training in matters pertaining to war; next to them the rest of the Argives; after these their allies, the Cleonaeans and Orneates; then the Athenians last, on the left wing, and with them their own cavalry.