Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/325

 MUSTER NEAR CORINTH. 303 dient to muster their full Peloponnesian force and to act with vigor against the allies at Corinth, who were now assembling in con- siderable numbers. Aristodemus, guardian of the youthful king Agesipolis son of Pausanias, and himself of the Eurystheneid race, marched at the head of a body of six thousand Lacedaemonian hoplites j 1 the Spartan xenagi (or officers sent on purpose to con- duct the contingents from the outlying allies), successively brought in three thousand hoplites from Elis, Triphylia, Akroreia, and Lasion, fifteen hundred from Sikyon, three thousand from Epidaurus, Troezen, Hermione, and Halieis. None were sent from Phlias, on the plea (true or false 2 ) that in that city the moment was one of solemnity and holy truce. There were also hoplites from Tegea, Mantineia, and the Achaean towns, but their number is not given ; so that we do not know the full muster-roll on the Lacedaemonian side. The cavalry, six hundred in number, were all Lacedaemonian ; there were, moreover, three hundred Kretan bowmen, and four hundred slingers from different rural districts of Triphylia.3 The allied force of the enemy was already mustered near Cor- 1 Xen. Hellen. iv, 2, 16. Xenophon gives this total of six thousand as ii it were of Lacedaemonians alone. But if we follow his narrative, we shall Bee that there were unquestionably in the army troops of Tegea, Mantineia, and the Achaean towns (probably also some of other Arcadian towns,) pres- ent in the battle (iv, 2, 13, 18, 20). Can we suppose that Xenophon meant to include these allies in the total of six thousand, along with the Lacede- monians, which is doubtless a large total for Lacedaemonians alone'? Unless this supposition be admitted, there is no resource except to assume an omission, either of Xenophon himself, or of the copyist ; which omission in fact Gail and others do suppose. On the whole, I think they are right 5 for the number of hoplites on both sides would otherwise be prodigiously unequal ; while Xenophon says nothing to imply that the Lacedaemonian victory was gained in spite of great inferiority of number, and something which even implies thU; it must have been nearly equal (iv, 2, 13), though he is always disposed to compliment Sparta wherever he can. 2 From a passage which occurs somewhat later (iv, 4. 15), we may sus- pect that this was an excuse, and that the Phliasians were not very well affected to Sparta. Compare a similar case of excuse ascribed to the Man- tineians (v, 2; 2). 3 Diodorus (xh *3) gives a total of twenty-three thousand foot and five hundred horse, on the Lacedemonian side, but without enumerating items. On the side of the confederacy he states a total of inore than fifteei thousand foot and five hundred horse (c. 82 J.