Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/411

 BATTLE OF DELIUM. 38V ' At the extremity of the line on each side, th i interposition of ravines prevented the actual meeting of the two armies : but throughout all the rest of the line, the clash was formidable and the conduct of both sides resolute. Both armies, maintaining their ranks compact and unbroken, came to the closest quarters ; to the contact and pushing of shields against each other. 1 On the left half of the Boeotian line, consisting of hoplites from Thespiae, Tanagra, and Orchomenus, the Athenians were victori- ous. The Thespians, who resisted longest, even after their com- rades had given way, were surrounded and sustained the most severe loss from the Athenians ; who in the ardor of success, while wheeling round to encircle the enemy, became disordered and came into conflict even with their own citizens, not recogniz- 'ing them at the moment : some loss of life was the consequence. While the left of the Boeotian line was thus worsted and driven back for protection to the right, the Thebans on that side gained decided advantage. Though the resolution and discipline of the Athenians was noway inferior, yet as soon as the action came to close quarters and to propulsion with shield and spear, the pro- digious depth of the Theban column (more than triple of the depth of the Athenians, twenty-five against eight) enabled them to bear down their enemies by mere superiority of weight and mass. Moreover, the Thebans appear to have been superior to the Athenians in gymnastic training and acquired bodily force, as they were inferior both in speech and in intelligence. The chosen Theban warriors in the front rank were especially superior : but apart from such superiority, if we assume simple equality of indi- vidual strength and resolution on both sides, 2 it is plain that when QduaavTOf, ol Boiurol, KapaKeTiEiiffaij.Evov ical G(j>iaiv ue 6tu Ta%suv Kal Ivravda Tlay&vdov, iraiuviaavref exrjeaav UKO TOV ZoQov, etc. This passage contradicts what is affirmed by Dr. Arnold, Poppo, and Gb'ller, to have been a general practice, that the soldiers " piled their armt and always attended the speeches of their generals without them." (See his note ad Thucyd. iv, 91.) 1 Thucyd. iv, 96. Kaprepy. [iaxq not u-&iafj.C> uamSuv ^vvsa~fjet t etc. Compare Xenophon, Cyropaed. vii, 1, 32. 2 The proverbial expression of Eoiuriav vv, " the Boeotian sow," was ancient even in the town of Pindar (Olymp. vi, 90, with the Schjlia ana Boeckh's note): compare also Ephorus, Pragment 67, ed. Marx: Diksexr