Meanwhile Agesilaus was rapidly hastening with his reinforcements from Asia. He had reached Amphipolis when Dercylidas brought the news of this fresh victory of the Lacedaemonians; their own loss had been eight men, that of the enemy considerable. It was his business at the same time to explain that not a few of the allies had fallen also. Agesilaus asked, “Would it not be opportune1, Dercylidas, if the cities that have furnished us with contingents2 could hear of this victory as soon as possible?” And Dercylidas replied: “The news at any rate is likely to put them in better heart.” Then said the king: “As you were an eye-witness there could hardly be a better bearer of the news than yourself.” To this proposal Dercylidas lent a willing ear — to travel abroad271 was his special delight — and he replied, “Yes, under your orders.” “Then you have my orders,” the king said. “And you may further inform the states from myself that we have not forgotten our promise; if all goes well over here we shall be with them again ere long.” So Dercylidas set off on his travels, in the first instance to the Hellespont;272 while Agesilaus crossed Macedonia, and arrived in Thessaly. And now the men of Larissa, Crannon, Scotussa, and Pharsalus, who were allies of the Boeotians — and in fact all the Thessalians except the exiles for the time being — hung on his heels273 and did him damage.
For some while he marched his troops in a hollow square,274 posting half his cavalry4 in front and half on his rear; but finding that the Thessalians checked his passage by repeated charges from behind, he strengthened his rearguard by sending round the cavalry from his van, with the exception of his own personal escort.275 The two armies stood confronted in battle order; but the Thessalians, not liking5 the notion of a cavalry engagement with heavy infantry6, turned, and step by step retreated, while the others followed them with considerable caution. Agesilaus, perceiving the error under which both alike laboured, now sent his own personal guard of stalwart troopers with orders that both they and the rest of the horsemen should charge at full gallop,276 and not give the enemy the chance to recoil7. The Thessalians were taken aback by this unexpected onslaught, and half of them never thought of wheeling about, whilst those who did essay to do so presented the flanks of their horses to the charge,277 and were made prisoners. Still Polymarchus of Pharsalus, the general in command of their cavalry, rallied his men for an instant, and fell, sword in hand, with his immediate8 followers9. This was the signal for a flight so precipitate10 on the part of the Thessalians, that their dead and dying lined the road, and prisoners were taken; nor was any halt made until they reached Mount Narthacius. Here, then, midway between Pras and Narthacius, Agesilaus set up a trophy11, halting for the moment, in unfeigned satisfaction at the exploit. It was from antagonists12 who prided themselves on their cavalry beyond everything that he had wrested13 victory, with a body of cavalry of his own mustering14. Next day he crossed the mountains of Achaea Phthiotis, and for the future continued his march through friendly territory until he reached the confines of Boeotia.
Here, at the entrance of that territory, the sun (in partial eclipse)278 seemed to appear in a crescent shape, and the news reached him of the defeat of the Lacedaemonians in a naval15 engagement, and the death of the admiral Peisander. Details of the disaster were not wanting. The engagement of the hostile fleets took place off Cnidus. Pharnabazus, the Persian admiral, was present with the Phoenician fleet, and in front of him were ranged the ships of the Hellenic squadron under Conon. Peisander had ventured to draw out his squadron to meet the combined fleets, though the numerical inferiority of his fleet to that of the Hellenic navy under Conon was conspicuous16, and he had the mortification17 of seeing the allies who formed his left wing take to flight immediately. He himself came to close quarters with the enemy, and was driven on shore, on board his trireme, under pressure of the hostile rams18. The rest, as many as were driven to shore, deserted19 their ships and sought safety as best they could in the territory of Cnidus. The admiral alone stuck to his ship, and fell sword in hand.
It was impossible for Agesilaus not to feel depressed20 by those tidings at first; on further reflection, however, it seemed to him that the moral quality of more than half his troops well entitled them to share in the sunshine of success, but in the day of trouble, when things looked black, he was not bound to take them into his confidence. Accordingly he turned round and gave out that he had received news that Peisander was dead, but that he had fallen in the arms of victory in a sea-fight; and suiting his action to the word, he proceeded to offer sacrifice in return for good tidings,279 distributing portions of the victims to a large number of recipients21. So it befell that in the first skirmish with the enemy the troops of Agesilaus gained the upper hand, in consequence of the report that the Lacedaemonians had won a victory by sea.
To confront Agesilaus stood an army composed of the Boeotians, Athenians, Argives, Corinthians, Aenianians, Euboeans, and both divisions of the Locrians. Agesilaus on his side had with him a division280 of Lacedaemonians, which had crossed from Corinth, also half the division from Orchomenus; besides which there were the neodamodes281 from Lacedaemon, on service with him already; and in addition to these the foreign contingent3 under Herippidas;282 and again the quota22 furnished by the Hellenic cities in Asia, with others from the cities in Europe which he had brought over during his progress; and lastly, there were additional levies23 from the spot — Orchomenian and Phocian heavy infantry. In light-armed troops, it must be admitted, the numbers told heavily in favour of Agesilaus, but the cavalry283 on both sides were fairly balanced.
Such were the forces of either party. I will describe the battle itself, if only on account of certain features which distinguish it from the battles of our time. The two armies met on the plain of Coronea — the troops of Agesilaus advancing from the Cephisus, the Thebans and their allies from the slopes of Helicon. Agesilaus commanded his own right in person, with the men of Orchomenus on his extreme left. The Thebans formed their own right, while the Argives held their left. As they drew together, for a while deep silence reigned24 on either side; but when they were not more than a furlong284 apart, with the loud hurrah285 the Thebans, quickening to a run, rushed furiously286 to close quarters; and now there was barely a hundred yards287 breadth between the two armies, when Herippidas with his foreign brigade, and with them the Ionians, Aeolians, and Hellespontines, darted25 out from the Spartans27’ battle-lines to greet their onset28. One and all of the above played their part in the first rush forward; in another instant they were288 within spear-thrust of the enemy, and had routed the section immediately before them. As to the Argives, they actually declined to receive the attack of Agesilaus, and betook themselves in flight to Helicon. At this moment some of the foreign division were already in the act of crowning Agesilaus with the wreath of victory, when some one brought him word that the Thebans had cut through the Orchomenians and were in among the baggage train. At this the Spartan26 general immediately turned his army right about and advanced against them. The Thebans, on their side, catching29 sight of their allies withdrawn30 in flight to the base of the Helicon, and anxious to get across to their own friends, formed in close order and tramped forward stoutly31.
At this point no one will dispute the valour of Agesilaus, but he certainly did not choose the safest course. It was open to him to make way for the enemy to pass, which done, he might have hung upon his heels and mastered his rear. This, however, he refused to do, preferring to crash full front against the Thebans. Thereupon, with close interlock of shield wedged in with shield, they shoved, they fought, they dealt death,289 they breathed out life, till at last a portion of the Thebans broke their way through towards Helicon, but paid for that departure by the loss of many lives. And now the victory of Agesilaus was fairly won, and he himself, wounded, had been carried back to the main line, when a party of horse came galloping32 up to tell him that something like eighty of the enemy, under arms, were sheltering under the temple, and they asked what they ought to do. Agesilaus, though he was covered with wounds, did not, for all that, forget his duty to God. He gave orders to let them retire unscathed, and would not suffer any injury to be done to them. And now, seeing it was already late, they took their suppers and retired33 to rest.
But with the morning Gylis the polemarch received orders to draw up the troops in battle order, and to set up a trophy, every man crowned with a wreath in honour of the god, and all the pipers piping. Thus they busied themselves in the Spartan camp. On their side the Thebans sent heralds34 asking to bury their dead, under a truce35; and in this wise a truce was made. Agesilaus withdrew to Delphi, where on arrival he offered to the god a tithe36 of the produce of his spoils — no less than a hundred talents.290 Gylis the polemarch meanwhile withdrew into Phocis at the head of his troops, and from that district made a hostile advance into Locris. Here nearly a whole day was spent by the men in freely helping37 themselves to goods and chattels38 out of the villages and pillaging39 the corn;291 but as it drew towards evening the troops began to retire, with the Lacedaemonians in the rear. The Locrians hung upon their heels with a heavy pelt40 of stones and javelins41. Thereupon the Lacedaemonians turned short round and gave chase, laying some of their assailants low. Then the Locrians ceased clinging to their rear, but continued their volleys from the vantage-ground above. The Lacedaemonians again made efforts to pursue their persistent42 foes43 even up the slope. At last darkness descended44 on them, and as they retired man after man dropped, succumbing45 to the sheer difficulty of the ground; some in their inability to see what lay in front, or else shot down by the enemy’s missiles. It was then that Gylis the polemarch met his end, as also Pelles, who was on his personal staff, and the whole of the Spartans present without exception — eighteen or thereabouts — perished, either crushed by stones or succumbing to other wounds. Indeed, except for timely aid brought from the camp where the men were supping, the chances are that not a man would have escaped to tell the tale.
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opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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contingents
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| （志趣相投、尤指来自同一地方的）一组与会者( contingent的名词复数 )； 代表团； （军队的）分遣队； 小分队 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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mustering
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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rams
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| n.公羊( ram的名词复数 )；(R-)白羊（星）座；夯；攻城槌v.夯实（土等）( ram的第三人称单数 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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recipients
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| adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器 | |
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quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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spartan
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| adj.简朴的，刻苦的；n.斯巴达；斯巴达式的人 | |
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spartans
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| n.斯巴达（spartan的复数形式） | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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heralds
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| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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pillaging
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的现在分词 ) | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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41
javelins
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| n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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42
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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44
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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45
succumbing
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的现在分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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