Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/157

 58, 59] MOVEMENTS OF THE TIVO ARMIES 149 steep pass ; the Boeotians, Megarians, and Sicyonians he commanded to descend by the Nemean road, where the Argives had taken up their position, in order that, if the Argives should return and attack his own division of the army in the plain, they might be pursued and harassed by their cavalry. Having made these dispositions, and having come down into the plain, he began to devastate Saminthus and the neighbourhood. It was now daylight, and the Argives, who had become 59 aware of his movements, quitted Nemea The Argives are snr- and went in search of the enemy, rounded by the emmy, T- i • lU nui' • J /"• w/;o enlcr the Arrive Lncountering the rhliasian and Lor- ^ ., ■ ., j- ° _ territory tn three at- inthian forces, they killed a few of the visions; they are in Phliasians, and had rather more of their *>'« ntmost danger, of, 1-I1JU ii n • i. • ivhich they are wholly own troops killed by the Lormthians. . , , ^ -^ _ _ iinconsaous, zchen two The Boeotians, Megarians, and Sicyon- 0/ their leading men ians marched as they were ordered propose a truce. towards Nemea, but found the Argives no longer there, for by this time they had descended from the high ground, and seeing their lands ravaged were drawing up their troops in order of battle. The Lacedaemonians pre- pared to meet them. The Argives were now surrounded by their enemies ; for on the side of the plain the Lace- daemonians and their division of the army cut them off from the city ; from the hills above they were hemmed in by the Corinthians, Phliasians and Pellenians, towards Nemea by the Boeotians, Sicyonians, and Megarians, and in the absence of the Athenians, who alone of their allies had not arrived, they had no cavalry. The main body of the Argives and their allies had no conception of their danger. They thought that their position was a favour- able one, and that they had cut off the Lacedaemonians in their own country and close to the city of Argos. But two of the Argives, Thrasyllus one of the five generals, and Alciphron the proxenus of the Lacedaemonians, came to Agis when the armies were on the point of engaging, and urged him privately not to fight ; the Argives were ready to