登陆注册
5541300000140

第140章

Here they were seen by the Argives and their allies, who immediately took up a strong and difficult position, and formed in order of battle. The Lacedaemonians at once advanced against them, and came on within a stone's throw or javelin's cast, when one of the older men, seeing the enemy's position to be a strong one, hallooed to Agis that he was minded to cure one evil with another; meaning that he wished to make amends for his retreat, which had been so much blamed, from Argos, by his present untimely precipitation. Meanwhile Agis, whether in consequence of this halloo or of some sudden new idea of his own, quickly led back his army without engaging, and entering the Tegean territory, began to turn off into that of Mantinea the water about which the Mantineans and Tegeans are always fighting, on account of the extensive damage it does to whichever of the two countries it falls into. His object in this was to make the Argives and their allies come down from the hill, to resist the diversion of the water, as they would be sure to do when they knew of it, and thus to fight the battle in the plain. He accordingly stayed that day where he was, engaged in turning off the water. The Argives and their allies were at first amazed at the sudden retreat of the enemy after advancing so near, and did not know what to make of it; but when he had gone away and disappeared, without their having stirred to pursue him, they began anew to find fault with their generals, who had not only let the Lacedaemonians get off before, when they were so happily intercepted before Argos, but who now again allowed them to run away, without any one pursuing them, and to escape at their leisure while the Argive army was leisurely betrayed.

The generals, half-stunned for the moment, afterwards led them down from the hill, and went forward and encamped in the plain, with the intention of attacking the enemy.

The next day the Argives and their allies formed in the order in which they meant to fight, if they chanced to encounter the enemy; and the Lacedaemonians returning from the water to their old encampment by the temple of Heracles, suddenly saw their adversaries close in front of them, all in complete order, and advanced from the hill. Ashock like that of the present moment the Lacedaemonians do not ever remember to have experienced: there was scant time for preparation, as they instantly and hastily fell into their ranks, Agis, their king, directing everything, agreeably to the law. For when a king is in the field all commands proceed from him: he gives the word to the Polemarchs; they to the Lochages; these to the Pentecostyes; these again to the Enomotarchs, and these last to the Enomoties. In short all orders required pass in the same way and quickly reach the troops;as almost the whole Lacedaemonian army, save for a small part, consists of officers under officers, and the care of what is to be done falls upon many.

In this battle the left wing was composed of the Sciritae, who in a Lacedaemonian army have always that post to themselves alone; next to these were the soldiers of Brasidas from Thrace, and the Neodamodes with them; then came the Lacedaemonians themselves, company after company, with the Arcadians of Heraea at their side. After these were the Maenalians, and on the right wing the Tegeans with a few of the Lacedaemonians at the extremity; their cavalry being posted upon the two wings. Such was the Lacedaemonian formation. That of their opponents was as follows: On the right were the Mantineans, the action taking place in their country; next to them the allies from Arcadia;after whom came the thousand picked men of the Argives, to whom the state had given a long course of military training at the public expense; next to them the rest of the Argives, and after them their allies, the Cleonaeans and Orneans, and lastly the Athenians on the extreme left, and lastly the Athenians on the extreme left, and their own cavalry with them.

Such were the order and the forces of the two combatants. The Lacedaemonian army looked the largest; though as to putting down the numbers of either host, or of the contingents composing it, I could not do so with any accuracy. Owing to the secrecy of their government the number of the Lacedaemonians was not known, and men are so apt to brag about the forces of their country that the estimate of their opponents was not trusted. The following calculation, however, makes it possible to estimate the numbers of the Lacedaemonians present upon this occasion. There were seven companies in the field without counting the Sciritae, who numbered six hundred men: in each company there were four Pentecostyes, and in the Pentecosty four Enomoties. The first rank of the Enomoty was composed of four soldiers: as to the depth, although they had not been all drawn up alike, but as each captain chose, they were generally ranged eight deep; the first rank along the whole line, exclusive of the Sciritae, consisted of four hundred and forty-eight men.

同类推荐
  • 香宋词

    香宋词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 友人邀听歌有感

    友人邀听歌有感

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • La Grenadiere

    La Grenadiere

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说布施经

    佛说布施经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 晚晴见终南诸峰

    晚晴见终南诸峰

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 血族公主别想逃

    血族公主别想逃

    她,冷酷无情,是血族最高贵的公主;她,善良却屡遭欺负,他闯入了她们的世界,她爱他,想将他占为己有;她爱他,只想默默守候,她们将如何选择?
  • 野外历险故事(感动青少年的惊险历险故事)

    野外历险故事(感动青少年的惊险历险故事)

    我们编辑的这套《感动青少年的惊险历险故事》,共有10本,包括《荒岛历险故事》、《海上历险故事》、《沙漠历险故事》、《森林历险故事》、《古堡历险故事》、《登山历险故事》、《空中历险故事》、《野外历险故事》、《探险历险故事》和《恐怖历险故事》。这些作品汇集了古今中外著名的惊险、历险故事近百篇,其故事情节惊险曲折,引人入胜,阅读这些故事,不仅可以启迪智慧、增强思维,还可以了解社会、增长知识。
  • 农门新贵:邪王追妻

    农门新贵:邪王追妻

    陆芳菲穿越成农家小萝莉,便宜爹娘善良软弱,奶奶偏心大伯家,邻里乡亲狗眼看人低,好在老天待她不薄,赐她寻宝眼和异能,让她慢慢把家富!无奈发家途中冒出个美男王爷,还连带冒出一个神秘强大的亲伯父,亲伯父重情重义,美男王爷腹黑难缠,罢了,她勉强收了妖孽,看她如何把美男调教成宠妻爱家的好男人........(琉璃新书《绝世小狂妃:王爷,走着瞧》已发布)
  • 极至影录传

    极至影录传

    人生说白了就是你还活着,那些无知的生命们,那些无知的岁月,过往云烟的历史与现在等待你的又是什么。来吧!为了让世间万物知道自己还活着,存在着,“变强,成为最强”亦为了更强。
  • 野牛的故事

    野牛的故事

    这是一部中篇动物小说集,讲述了五个发生在非洲热带草原的动物故事。长颈鹿黑儿两个月大就与自己的家族失散,在非洲草原上艰难地长大,当长大后的黑儿重新找到自己的家族时,会发生怎样的事情?——《长颈鹿回家》非洲大草原遭受了百年不遇的大旱。在危急时刻,斑马铁蹄为了种群的未来,为了将诸多的斑马家族集合在一起形成大群,它向所有斑马家族的首领发起宣战……——《斑马父子》等。
  • 邱少云

    邱少云

    浴火永生,精神长存。《邱少云》讲述了革命烈士邱少云的英勇事迹,主要内容包括家破人亡、世态炎凉、颠沛流离、绝地反抗、光荣参军、军旅生活、忆苦思甜、立志援朝、满目疮痍、死守阵地、殊死搏斗、英勇反击等。
  • 老毕摩最后的法事

    老毕摩最后的法事

    阿麦按时醒来,是长期养成习惯的生理时钟起作用。她翻了一个身,床板吱吱地叫了两声。该赶在太阳醒来之前,早早起床的时候了。勤劳的彝族女性,从小到老,太阳不醒就起床,月亮瞌睡了才睡觉,她们一生到老或是在山上和地里忙活,或是在山间场坝歌舞娱乐,老古老辈没有早睡晚起的习惯。但今天,阿麦平白无故想赖床。昨晚的酒喝得实在太多了,浑身软瘫瘫的有气无力。狗在门外叫嚷,鸡在院中啼日,鸟在枝头鸣唱。彝家山寨的早晨,是被家畜和野鸟叫醒的。猪圈中的大母猪也哼哼叫开了声。
  • 能源博弈大战

    能源博弈大战

    以世界油气资源大势为背景,透过大国能源战略解读能源安全与能源外交博弈,针对科技进步下油气资源的延伸、替代能源的最新发展、各国对节能减排的共识、能源冲突解套以及国际合作中的求同存异、共谋多赢等问题,进行深入全面的论述,提出了独到新颖的见解。
  • 我还是觉得我有病

    我还是觉得我有病

    疑病,不敢碰触心理自我的脆弱,而总觉得身体自我有病,这一心理状态常常被忽视。本书具体分析了疑病产生的原因和表现形式,提供了诊断和评估的标准,提出了疑病的心理防护与调试的方法。
  • 大话西游之无敌唐僧

    大话西游之无敌唐僧

    青年唐三曾,穿越成唐三藏。携无敌系统,开始了祸害三界的旅程!…王母‘‘三藏哥哥人家这里有好东西呦’‘不错,是有好东西!’本书内容纯属虚构,如有雷同,纯属巧合!