Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/156

 148 LACEDAEMONIANS MAKE WAR UPON ARGOS [v seceded from thciii, while others were disaffected, and _, -, knowiner that if they did not quickly The Lacfdaentomaus ^. . at lciti;ih lahc the field take measurcs of precaution the evil in earnest. Their allies would Spread, made war on Argos with muster at Phl.us. ^j^^.j^ ^^^ _^j^. j-^^^^^^ including the IlclotS, under the command of Agis the son of Archidamus, the Lacedaemonian king. The Tegeans and the other Arcadian allies of the Lacedaemonians took part in the expedition. The rest of their allies, both from within and without the Peloponnesus, mustered at Phlius. Among the other contingents there came from Boeotia five thousand heavy-armed, and as many light-armed, five hundred cavalry, and attached to each horseman a foot-soldier ; and from Corinth two thousand heavy-armed, while the Phlias- ians joined with their whole force, because the army was to assemble in their country. 58 The Argives, having had previous notice of the Lacedae- ^,, . ,,, . monian preparations, and seeing that TheArgn'csandthetr '^ '^, ^ allies mareh into Ar- they Were actually on their march to cadia; there they find join the rcst of the army at Phlius, now the Laeedaemomans took the field themsclvcs. The Mantiu- isolatcd. But Af^is, , • n- 11 1 evades them and joins eans and their allies and three thou- thc rcst of the army at sand Elean hoplites came to their aid. ^"•^- They advanced to the territory of Methydrium in Arcadia, where they fell in with the Lace- daemonians. The two armies each occupied a hill, and the Argives, thinking that they now had the Lacedaemon- ians alone, prepared for action. But in the night Agis removed his forces unknown to them and went to join the allies at Phlius. At dawn the Argives became aware of his departure, and moved first towards Argos, then to the Nemcan road, by which they e.xpected the Lacedaemonians and their allies to descend into the plain. But Agis, instead of taking the road by which he was expected, led the Lacedaemonians, Arcadians, and Epidaurians by a more difficult path, and so made his way down ; the Corinthians, Pellenians, and Phliasians went by another