Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/92

74 74 HISTORY OF GREECE. one of the olBc'al Spartans near him. Immediately, he gave the order for retreat, and the army, instead of being led to battle, was conducted out of the Argeian territory, through the Xemean road whereby the Bosotians had just been entering. But it re- quired all the habitual discipline of Lacedaemonian soldiers to make them obey this order of the Spartan king, alike unexpected and unwelcome. 1 For the army were fully sensible both of the prodigious advantages of their position, and of the overwhelming strength of the invading force, so that all the three divisions were loud in their denunciations of Agis, and penetrated with shame at the thoughts of so disgraceful a retreat. And when they all saw themselves in one united body at Nemea, previous to break- ing up and going home, so as to have before their eyes their own full numbers and the complete equipment of one of the finest Hellenic armies which had ever been assembled, the Argeian body of allies, before whom they were now retiring, appeared contemptible in the comparison, and they separated with yet warmer and more universal indignation against the king who had betrayed their cause. On returning home, Agis incurred not less blame from the Spartan authorities than from his own army, for having thrown away so admirable an opportunity of subduing Argos. This was assuredly no more than he deserved : but we read with no small astonishment that the Argeians and their allies on return- ing were even more exasperated against Thrasyllus, 2 whom they accused of having traitorously thrown away a certain victory They had indeed good ground, in the received practice, to cen sure him for having concluded a truce without taking the sens<" of the people. It. was their custom on returning from a march, to hold a public court-martial before entering the city, at a place called the Charadrus, or winter torrent near the walls, for the purpose of adjudicating on offences and faults committed in the army. Such was their wrath on this occasion against Thrasyllus, that they would scarcely be prevailed upon even to put him upon his trial, but began to stone him. He was forced to seek persona]