Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/96

78 78 IIISTJKV OF GREECE. His march was now intended to draw the Argeians away from the difficult ground which they occupied. On the frontier between Mantineia and Tegea both situated on a lofty but inclosed plain, drained only by katabothra, or natural subterra- nean channels in the mountains was situated a head of water. the regular efflux of which seems to have been kept up by joint operations of both cities for their mutual benefit. Thither Agis now conducted his army, for the purpose of turning the water towards the side of Mantineia, where it would occasion serious damage ; calculating that the Mantineians and their allies would certainly descend from their position to hinder it. No stratagem however was necessary to induce the latter to adopt this reso- lution. For so soon as they saw the Lacedaemonians, after advancing to the foot of the hill, first suddenly halt, next retreat, and lastly disappear, their surprise was very great : and this sur- prise was soon converted into contemptuous confidence and im- patience to pursue the flying enemy. The generals not sharing such confidence, hesitated at first to quit their secure position : upon which the troops became clamorous, and loudly denounced them for treason in letting the Lacedaemonians quietly escape a second time, as they had before done near Argos. These gener- als would probably not be the same with those who had incurred, a short time before, so much undeserved censure for their con- vention with Agis : but the murmurs on the present occasion, hr.rdly less unreasonable, drove them, not without considerable doned the hill, marched down into the plain so as to approach the Lacedaemonians, and employed the next day in arranging themselves in good battle order, so as to be ready to fight at a moment's notice. Meanwhile it appears that Agis had found himself disap pointed in his operations upon the water. He had either not done so much damage, or not spread so much terror, as he had expected : and he accordingly desisted, putting himself again in march to resume his position at the Herakleion, and supposing that his enemies still retained their position on the hill. But in the course of this march he came suddenly upon the Argeian and allied army where he was not in the least prepared to see them : they were not only in the plain, but already drawn up in perfect
 * hame and confusion, to give orders for advance. They aban-