Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/329

 BATTLE OF CORINTH. 307 being exposed to the enemy, and at the same time tc be protected by the shield of a right-hand neighbor. 1 The Lacedoamonians in the one army, and the Thebans in the other, each inclined them- selves, and caused their respective armies to incline also, in a di- rection slanting to the right, so that the Lacedaemonians on their side considerably outflanked the Athenians on the opposite left. Out of the ten tribes of Athenian hoplites, it was only the six on the extreme left who came into conflict with the Lacedaemonians ; while the remaining four contended with the Tegeans who stood next to the Lacedaemonians on their own line. But the six ex- treme Athenian tribes were completely beaten, and severely handled, being taken in flank as well as in front by the Lacedae- monians. On the other hand, the remaining four Athenian tribes vanquished and drove before them the Tegeans ; and generally, along all the rest of the line, the Thebans, Argeians, and Corinthians were victorious, except where the troops of the Achaean Pellene stood opposed to those of the Boeotian Thespiae, where the battle was equal and the loss severe on both sides. The victorious con- federates, however, were so ardent and incautious in pursuit, as to advance a considerable distance and return with disordered ranks ; while the Lacedaemonians, who were habitually self-restraining in this particular, kept their order perfectly, attacking the Thebans, Argeians, and Corinthians to great advantage when returning to their camp. Several of the Athenian fugitives obtained shelter within the walls of Corinth ; in spite of the opposition of the philo- Laconian Corinthians, who insisted upon shutting the gates against them, and opening negotiations with Sparta. The Lacedaemonians however came so near that it was at last thought impossible to keep the gates open longer. Many of the remaining confederates were therefore obliged to be satisfied with the protection of their ancient camp ; 2 which seems, however, to have been situated in such de- fensible ground, 3 that the Lacedaemonians did not molest them La it. 1 See the instructive description of the battle of Mantineia in Thucyd v, 71. The allusion to this incident in Demosthenes (adv. Leptinem, c. 13, p. 472) is interesting, though indistinct. 3 Xen. Hellen. iv, 2, 19. /cat yap }v Auowv rb %upiov which illustrate!
 * Xen. Hellen. iv, 2, 20-23.