Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/359

 SUCCESS OF THE PELTASTS. 337 the beginning of his military career. 1 We must therefore pre- sume that these improvements were chiefly of later date, the sug- gestions of his personal experience ; but even now, the successes of his light troops were remarkable. Attacking Phlius, he en- trapped the Phliasians into an ambuscade, and inflicted on them a defeat so destructive that they were obliged to invoke the aid of a Lacedaemonian garrison for the protection of their city. He gained a victory near Sikyon, and carried his incursions over all Arcadia, to the very gates of the cities ; damaging the Arcadian hoplites so severely, that they became afraid to meet him in the field. His own peltasts, however, though full of confidence against these Pelo- ponnesian hoplites, still retained their awe and their reluctance to fight against Lacedaemonians ; 2 who, on their side, despised them, but despised their own allies still more. " Our friends fear these peltasts, as children fear hobgoblins," said the Lacedaemonians, sarcastically, endeavoring to set the example of courage by ostenta- tious demonstrations of their own around the walls of Corinth. 3 The breach made in the Long Walls of Corinth by Praxitas had laid open the road for a Peloponnesian army to march either into Attica or Bceotia. 4 Fortunately for the Athenians, they had sibly Iphikrates not only lengthened the weapon, but also improved its point and efficacy in other ways ; making it more analogous to the formi- dable Roman pilum. Whether he made any alteration in the pelta itself, we do not know. The name Iphikratides, given to these new-fashioned leggings or boots, proves to us that Wellington and Blucher are not the first eminent gene- rals who have lent an honorable denomination to boots and shoes. 1 Justin, vi, 5. 2 Xen. Hellen. iv, 4, 16 ; Diodor. xiv, 91. Toi)f (J.KVTOL AaKe6aijj.oviovf OVTU? av ol vre/lracrrat e6t:<5icrav, wf evrof U.K.OV- riafsLaro^ ov irpoarjsaav TOIQ ojiAtratf, etc. Compare the sentiment of the light troops in the attack of Sphakteria, when they were awe-struck and afraid at first to approach the Lacedaemonian hoplites rf/ yvu/jri dedov^ufievoi. ug M AaKs6aifj.ovi.ovf, etc. ( Thucyd. iv. 34). 3 Xen. Hellen. iv, 4, 17. wore ol fj.ev AaKedai/xovioi /cat eitianuKTEiv r<5A- uuv, uf ol avunaxot (j>o(3oivro Toi>e Tre/lracrraf, cjcnrep pop/iavac iraidapia, etc. This is a camp-jest of the time, which we have to thank Xenophon for preserving. 4 Xenoph. Agesil. ii, 17. avairsTaaar T/JC THeZoTrovvrjcov rug Trt'/lrtf, etc. Respecting the Long Walls of Corinth, as part of a line of defenco VOL. ix. 15 22oc.