Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/350

 342 PHOCION. ungovernable themselves, but an actual hinderance to the rest ; and further, being conscious to themselves of the neglect of their duty, they would be less ready to mis- represent the action, or raise a cry against them at their return home. When the enemy drew nigh, he bade his men stand to their arms, until he had finished the sacri- fice, in which he spent a considerable time, either by some difficulty of the thing itself, or on purpose to invite the enemy nearer. Plutarch, interpreting this tardiness as a failure in his courage, fell on alone with the mercena- ries, which the cavalry perceiving, could not be contained, but issuing also out of the camp, confusedly and in disor- der, spurred up to the enemy. The first who came up were defeated, the rest were put to the rout, Plutarch himself took to flight, and a body of the enemy advanced in the hope of carrying the camp, supposing themselves to have secured the victory. But by this time, the sacrifice being over, the Athenians within the camp came forward, and falling upon them put them to flight, and killed the greater number as they fled among the intrenchments, while Phocion ordering his infantry to keep on the watch and rally those who came in from the previous flight, himself, with a body of his best men, engaged the enemy in a sharp and bloody fight, in which all of them behaved with signal courage and gallantry. Thallus, the son of Cineas, and Glaucus, of Polymedes, who fought near the general, gained the honors of the day. Cleophanes, also, did good service in the battle. Recovering the cav- alry from its defeat, and with his shouts and encourage- ment bringing them up to succor the general, who was in danger, he confirmed the victory obtained by the infantry. Phocion now expelled Plutarch from Eretria, and pos- sessed himself of the very important fort of Zaretra, sit- uated where the island is pinched in, as it were, by the seas on each side, and its breadth most reduced to a nar-