Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/95

77 AGIS NEAR MANTIXEIA. 77 somewhat less pressing, they sent back to Sparta one-sixth part of the forces, for home defence, the oldest as well as the youngest men. The remainder marched forward to Tegea, where they were speedily joined by their Arcadian allies. They farther sent messages to the Corinthians and Boeotians, as well as to the Phocians and Lokrians, invoking the immediate pres- ence of these contingents in the territory of Mantineia. The arrival of such reinforcements, however, even with all possible zeal on the part of the cities contributing, could not be looked for without some lapse of time ; the rather, as it appears, that they could not get into the territory of Mantineia except by passing through that of Argos, 1 which could not be safely attempted until they had all formed a junction. Accordingly Agis, impatient to redeem his reputation, marched at once with the Lacedaemonians and the Arcadian allies present, into the ter ritory of Mantineia, and took up a position near the Herakleion, or temple of Herakles, 2 from whence he began to ravage the neighboring lands. The Argeians and their allies presently came forth from Mantineia, planted themselves near him, but on very rugged and impracticable ground, and thus offered him battle. Nothing daunted by the difficulties of the position, he marshalled his army and led it up to attack them. His rashness on the present occasion might have produced as much mischief as his inconsiderate concession to Thrasyllus near Argos, had not an ancient Spartan called out to him that he was now merely proceeding " to heal mischief by mischief." So forcibly was Agis impressed either with this timely admonition, or by the closer view of the position which he had undertaken to assault, that he suddenly halted the army and gave orders for retreat, though actually within distance no greater than the cast of a javelin from the enemy. 3 Thucyd. v, G4. ^vvcK/.r/s yap 6iu fieaov. 2 The Lacedaemonian kings appear to have felt a sense of protection in encamping near a temple of Herakles, their heroic progenitor (see Xcno- phon, Hellen. vii, 1, 31). 3 Thncyd. v, 65. See an exclamation by an old Spartan mentioned as productive of important consequences, at the moment when a battle was going to commence, in Xenophon. Hellen. vii, 4, 25.