by Polybius
21. Leaving directions with his officers and friends as to the coming engagement, Lycurgus himself left Sparta and occupied the ground near the Menelaïum, with as many as two thousand men. He agreed with the officers in the town that they should watch carefully, in order that, whenever he raised the signal, they might lead out their troops from the town at several points at once, and draw them up facing the Eurotas, at the spot where it is nearest the town. Such were the measures and designs of Lycurgus and the Lacedaemonians.
But lest ignorance of the locality should render my story unintelligible and vague, I must describe its natural features and general position: following my practice throughout this work of drawing out the analogies and likenesses between places which are unknown and those already known and described. For seeing that in war, whether by sea or land, it is the difference of position which generally is the cause of failure; and since I wish all to know, not so much what happened, as how it happened, I must not pass over local description in detailing events of any sort, least of all in such as relate to war: and I must not shrink from using as landmarks, at one time harbours and seas and islands, at another temples, mountains, or local names; or, finally, variations in the aspect of the heaven, these being of the most universal application throughout the world. For it is thus, and thus only, that it is possible, as I have said, to bring my readers to a conception of an unknown scene.
[1] γος]. τῆς γὰρ Σπάρτης τῷ μὲν καθόλου σχήματι περιφεροῦς ὑπαρχούσης καὶ κειμένης ἐν τόποις ἐπιπέδοις, κατὰ μέρος δὲ περιεχούσης ἐν αὑτῇ διαφόρους ἀνωμάλους καὶ βουνώδεις τόπους, [2] τοῦ δὲ ποταμοῦ παραρρέοντος ἐκ τῶν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς αὐτῆς μερῶν, ὃς καλεῖται μὲν Εὐρώτας, γίνεται δὲ τὸν πλείω χρόνον ἄβατος διὰ τὸ μέγεθος, [3] συμβαίνει τοὺς βουνοὺς ἐφ᾽ ὧν τὸ Μενελάιόν ἐστι πέραν μὲν εἶναι τοῦ ποταμοῦ, κεῖσθαι δὲ τῆς πόλεως κατὰ χειμερινὰς ἀνατολάς, ὄντας τραχεῖς καὶ δυσβάτους καὶ διαφερόντως ὑψηλούς, ἐπικεῖσθαι δὲ τῷ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν τοῦ ποταμοῦ διαστήματι κυρίως, [4] δι᾽ οὗ φέρεται μὲν ὁ προειρημένος ποταμὸς παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ λόφου ῥίζαν, ἔστι δ᾽ οὐ πλεῖον τὸ πᾶν διάστημα τριῶν ἡμισταδίων: [5] δι᾽ οὗ τὴν ἀνακομιδὴν ἔδει ποιεῖσθαι κατ᾽ ἀνάγκην τὸν Φίλιππον, ἐκ μὲν εὐωνύμων ἔχοντα τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἑτοίμους καὶ παρατεταγμένους, ἐκ δὲ δεξιῶν τόν τε ποταμὸν καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λυκοῦργον ἐπὶ τῶν λόφων ἐφεστῶτας. [6] ἐμεμηχάνηντο δέ τι πρὸς τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι καὶ τοιοῦτον οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι: φράξαντες γὰρ τὸν ποταμὸν ἄνωθεν ἐπὶ τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν βουνῶν ἐφῆκαν, οὗ διαβρόχου γενηθέντος, οὐχ οἷον τοὺς ἵππους, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἂν τοὺς πεζοὺς δυνατὸν ἦν ἐμβαίνειν. [7] διόπερ ἀπελείπετο παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν παρώρειαν ὑπὸ τοὺς λόφους τὴν δύναμιν ἄγοντας δυσπαραβοηθήτους καὶ μακροὺς αὑτοὺς ἐν πορείᾳ παραδιδόναι τοῖς πολεμίοις. εἰς ἃ βλέπων ὁ Φίλιππος, [8] καὶ βουλευσάμενος μετὰ τῶν φίλων, ἀναγκαιότατον ἔκρινε τῶν παρόντων τὸ τρέψασθαι πρώτους τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λυκοῦργον ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸ Μενελάιον τόπων. [9] ἀναλαβὼν οὖν τούς τε μισθοφόρους καὶ τοὺς πελταστάς, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις καὶ τοὺς Ἰλλυριούς, προῆγε διαβὰς τὸν ποταμὸν ὡς ἐπὶ τοὺς λόφους. [10] ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος, συνθεωρῶν τὴν ἐπίνοιαν τοῦ Φιλίππου, τοὺς μὲν μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ στρατιώτας ἡτοίμαζε καὶ παρεκάλει πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸ σημεῖον ἀνέφηνεν. [11] οὗ γενομένου παραυτίκα τοὺς πολιτικούς, οἷς ἐπιμελὲς ἦν, ἐξῆγον κατὰ τὸ συντεταγμένον πρὸ τοῦ τείχους, ποιοῦντες ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρατος
22. These then are the features of the country in question. Sparta, as a whole, is in the shape of a circle; and is situated on level ground, broken at certain points by irregularities and hills. The river Eurotas flows past it on the east, and for the greater part of the year is too large to be forded; and the hills on which the Menelaïum stands are on the other side of the river, to the south-east of the town, rugged and difficult of access and exceedingly lofty; they exactly command the space between the town and the Eurotas, which flows at the very foot of the hill, the whole valley being at this point no more than a stade and a half wide. Through this Philip was obliged to pass on his return march, with the city, and the Lacedaemonians ready and drawn up for battle, on his left hand, and on his right the river, and the division of Lycurgus posted upon the hills. In addition to these arrangements the Lacedaemonians had had recourse to the following device: They had dammed up the river above the town, and turned the stream upon the space between the town and the hills; with the result that the ground became so wet that men could not keep their feet, to say nothing of horses. The only course, therefore, left to the king was to lead his men close under the skirts of the hills, thus presenting to the attack of the enemy a long line of march, in which it was difficult for one part to relieve another.
Philip perceived these difficulties, and after consultation with his friends decided that the matter of most urgent necessity was to dislodge the division of Lycurgus, first of all, from the position near the Menelaïum. He took therefore his mercenaries, peltasts, and Illyrians, and advanced across the river in the direction of the hills. Perceiving Philip’s design, Lycurgus began getting his men ready, and exhorted them to face the battle, and at the same time displayed the signal to the forces in the town: whereupon those whose duty it was immediately led out the troops from the town, as had been arranged, and drew them up outside the wall, with the cavalry on their right wing.
[1] τοὺς ἱππεῖς. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐγγίσας τοῖς περὶ τὸν Λυκοῦργον τὸ μὲν πρῶτον αὐτοὺς ἐφῆκε τοὺς μισθοφόρους, [2] ἐξ οὗ καὶ συνέβη τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐπικυδεστέρως ἀγωνίζεσθαι τοὺς παρὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, ἅτε καὶ τοῦ καθοπλισμοῦ καὶ τῶν τόπων αὐτοῖς οὐ μικρὰ συμβαλλομένων. [3] ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς μὲν πελταστὰς ὁ Φίλιππος ὑπέβαλε τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις, ἐφεδρείας ἔχοντας τάξιν, τοῖς δ᾽ Ἰλλυριοῖς ὑπεράρας ἐκ πλαγίων ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἔφοδον, [4] τότε συνέβη τοὺς μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου μισθοφόρους ἐπαρθέντας τῇ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν καὶ πελταστῶν ἐφεδρείᾳ πολλαπλασίως ἐπιρρωσθῆναι πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον, τοὺς δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Λυκούργου, καταπλαγέντας τὴν τῶν βαρέων ὅπλων ἔφοδον, ἐγκλίναντας φυγεῖν. [5] ἔπεσον μὲν οὖν αὐτῶν εἰς ἑκατόν, ἑάλωσαν δὲ μικρῷ πλείους: οἱ δὲ λοιπο�
� διέφυγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος αὐτὸς ταῖς ἀνοδίαις ὁρμήσας νύκτωρ μετ᾽ ὀλίγων ἐποιήσατο τὴν εἰς πόλιν πάροδον. [6] Φίλιππος δὲ τοὺς μὲν λόφους τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς κατελάβετο, τοὺς δ᾽ εὐζώνους ἔχων καὶ πελταστὰς ἐπανῄει πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν. [7] Ἄρατος δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, ἄγων ἐκ τῶν Ἀμυκλῶν τὴν φάλαγγα, σύνεγγυς ἦν ἤδη τῆς πόλεως. [8] ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς διαβὰς τὸν ποταμὸν ἐφήδρευε τοῖς εὐζώνοις καὶ πελτασταῖς, ἔτι δὲ τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν, ἕως τὰ βαρέα τῶν ὅπλων ὑπ᾽ αὐτοὺς τοὺς βουνοὺς ἀσφαλῶς διῄει τὰς δυσχωρίας. [9] τῶν δ᾽ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπιβαλομένων ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς ἐφεδρεύουσι τῶν ἱππέων, καὶ γενομένης συμπλοκῆς ὁλοσχερεστέρας, καὶ τῶν πελταστῶν εὐψύχως ἀγωνισαμένων, [10] καὶ περὶ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν ὁ Φίλιππος ὁμολογούμενον προτέρημα ποιήσας, καὶ συνδιώξας τοὺς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἱππεῖς εἰς τὰς πύλας, μετὰ ταῦτα διαβὰς ἀσφαλῶς τὸν Εὐρώταν ἀπουράγει τοῖς αὑτοῦ φαλαγγίταις
23. When he had got within distance of Lycurgus, Philip at first ordered the mercenaries to charge alone: and, accordingly, their superiority in arms and position contributed not a little to give the Lacedaemonians the upper hand at the beginning of the engagement. But when Philip supported his men by sending his reserve of peltasts on to the field, and caused the Illyrians to charge the enemy on the flanks, the king’s mercenaries were encouraged by the appearance of these reserves to renew the battle with much more vigour than ever; while Lycurgus’s men, terrified at the approach of the heavy-armed soldiers, gave way and fled, leaving a hundred killed and rather more prisoners, while the rest escaped into the town. Lycurgus himself, with a few followers going by a deserted and pathless route, made his way into the town under cover of night. Philip secured the hills by means of the Illyrians; and, accompanied by his light-armed troops and peltasts, rejoined his main forces. Just at the same time Aratus, leading the phalanx from Amyclae, had come close to the town. So the king, after recrossing the Eurotas, halted with his light-armed peltasts and cavalry until the heavy-armed got safely through the narrow part of the road at the foot of the hills. Then the troops in the city ventured to attack the covering force of cavalry. There was a serious engagement, in which the peltasts fought with conspicuous valour; and the success of Philip being now beyond dispute, he chased the Lacedaemonians to their very gates, and then, having got his army safely across the Eurotas he brought up the rear of his phalanx.
[1] ἤδη δὲ τῆς ὥρας συναγούσης, ἀπαναγκαζόμενος αὐτοῦ στρατοπεδεύειν, περὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν στενῶν ἔξοδον ἐχρήσατο στρατοπεδείᾳ, [2] κατὰ σύμπτωμα τῶν ἡγεμόνων περιβαλομένων τοιοῦτον τόπον οἷον οὐκ ἂν ἄλλον τις εὕροι βουλόμενος εἰς τὴν χώραν τῆς Λακωνικῆς παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν πόλιν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἰσβολήν. [3] ἔστι γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν προειρημένων στενῶν, ὅταν ἀπὸ τῆς Τεγέας ἢ καθόλου τῆς μεσογαίου παραγινόμενος ἐγγίζῃ τις τῇ Λακεδαίμονι, τόπος ἀπέχων μὲν τῆς πόλεως δύο μάλιστα σταδίους, ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ δὲ κείμενος τοῦ ποταμοῦ. [4] τούτου δὲ συμβαίνει τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν βλέπουσαν πλευρὰν περιέχεσθαι πᾶσαν ἀπορρῶγι μεγάλῃ καὶ παντελῶς ἀπροσίτῳ: τὸ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῖς κρημνοῖς τούτοις χωρίον ἐπίπεδόν ἐστι καὶ γεῶδες καὶ κάθυγρον, ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς εἰσαγωγὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξαγωγὰς τῶν δυνάμεων εὐφυῶς κείμενον, [5] ὥστε τὸν στρατοπεδεύσαντα ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ κατασχόντα τὸν ὑπερκείμενον λόφον δοκεῖν μὲν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ στρατοπεδεύειν διὰ τὴν παράθεσιν τῆς πόλεως, στρατοπεδεύειν δ᾽ ἐν καλλίστῳ, κρατοῦντα τῆς εἰσόδου καὶ τῆς διόδου τῶν στενῶν. [6] πλὴν ὅ γε Φίλιππος, καταστρατοπεδεύσας ἐν τούτῳ μετ᾽ ἀσφαλείας, τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τὴν μὲν ἀποσκευὴν προαπέστειλε, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἐξέταξεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις εὐσύνοπτον τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως. [7] χρόνον μὲν οὖν τινα βραχὺν ἔμεινε, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κλίνας ἐπὶ κέρας ἦγε ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Τεγέαν. [8] συνάψας δὲ τοῖς τόποις ἐν οἷς Ἀντίγονος καὶ Κλεομένης συνεστήσαντο τὸν κίνδυνον, αὐτοῦ κατεστρατοπέδευσε. [9] τῇ δ᾽ ἑξῆς θεασάμενος τοὺς τόπους καὶ θύσας τοῖς θεοῖς ἐφ᾽ ἑκατέρου τῶν λόφων, ὧν ὁ μὲν Ὄλυμπος, ὁ δ᾽ Εὔας καλεῖται, μετὰ ταῦτα προῆγε, στερροποιησάμενος τὴν οὐραγίαν. [10] ἀφικόμενος δ᾽ εἰς Τεγέαν καὶ λαφυροπωλήσας πᾶσαν τὴν λείαν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ποιησάμενος δι᾽ Ἄργους τὴν πορείαν, ἧκε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς Κόρινθον. [11] παρόντων δὲ πρεσβευτῶν παρά τε Ῥοδίων καὶ Χίων περὶ διαλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου, χρηματίσας τούτοις καὶ συνυποκριθεὶς καὶ φήσας ἕτοιμος εἶναι διαλύεσθαι καὶ νῦν καὶ πάλαι πρὸς Αἰτωλούς, τούτους μὲν ἐξέπεμπε, διαλέγεσθαι κελεύσας καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς περὶ τῆς διαλύσεως, [12] αὐτὸς δὲ καταβὰς εἰς τὸ Λέχαιον ἐγίνετο περὶ πλοῦν, ἔχων τινὰς πράξεις ὁλοσχερεστέρας ἐν τοῖς περὶ Φωκίδα τόποις.
24. But it was now getting late: and being obliged to encamp, he availed himself for that purpose of a place at the very mouth of the pass, his officers having chanced already to have selected that very place; than which it would be impossible to find one more advantageous for making an invasion of Laconia by way of Sparta itself. For it is at the very commencement of this pass, just where a man coming from Tegea, or, indeed, from any point in the interior, approaches Sparta; being about two stades from the town and right upon the river. The side of it which looks towards the town and river is entirely covered by a steep, lofty, and entirely inaccessible rock; while the top of this rock is a table-land of good soil and well supplied with water, and very conveniently situated for the exit and entrance of troops. A general, therefore, who was encamped there, and who had command of the height overhanging it, would evidently be in a place of safety as regards the neighbouring town, and in a most advantageous situation as commanding the entrance and exit of the narrow pass. Having accordingly encamped himself on this spot in safety, next day Philip sent forward his baggage; but drew out his army on the table-land in full view of the citizens, and remained thus for a short time. Then he wheeled to the left and marched in the direction of Tegea; and when he reached the site of the battle of Antigonus and Cleomenes, h
e encamped there. Next day, having made an inspection of the ground and sacrificed to the gods on both the eminences, Olympus and Evas, he advanced with his rear-guard strengthened. On arriving at Tegea he caused all the booty to be sold; and then, marching through Argos, arrived with his whole force at Corinth. There ambassadors appeared from Rhodes and Chios to negotiate a suspension of hostilities; to whom the king gave audience, and feigning that he was, and always had been, quite ready to come to terms with the Aetolians, sent them away to negotiate with the latter also; while he himself went down to Lechaeum, and made preparations for an embarkation, as he had an important undertaking to complete in Phocis.
[1] κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον καὶ Μεγαλέαν καὶ Πτολεμαῖον, ἔτι πεπεισμένοι καταπλήξεσθαι τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ λύειν τῷ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τὰς προγεγενημένας ἁμαρτίας, ἐνέβαλον λόγους εἴς τε τοὺς πελταστὰς καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ λεγομένου παρὰ τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ἀγήματος, [2] ὅτι κινδυνεύουσι μὲν ὑπὲρ πάντων, γίνεται δ᾽ αὐτοῖς οὐδὲν τῶν δικαίων οὐδὲ κομίζονται τελείας τὰς ὠφελείας τὰς γινομένας αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἐθισμῶν. [3] δι᾽ ὧν παρώξυναν τοὺς νεανίσκους συστραφέντας ἐγχειρῆσαι διαρπάζειν μὲν τὰς τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων φίλων καταλύσεις, ἐκβάλλειν δὲ τὰς θύρας καὶ κατακόπτειν τὸν κέραμον τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως αὐλῆς. [4] τούτων δὲ συμβαινόντων, καὶ τῆς πόλεως ὅλης ἐν θορύβῳ καὶ ταραχῇ καθεστώσης, ἀκούσας ὁ Φίλιππος, ἧκε μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐκ τοῦ Λεχαίου θέων εἰς τὴν πόλιν. [5] καὶ συναγαγὼν εἰς τὸ θέατρον τοὺς Μακεδόνας τὰ μὲν παρεκάλει, τὰ δ᾽ ἐπέπληττε πᾶσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις. [6] θορύβου δ᾽ ὄντος καὶ πολλῆς ἀκρισίας, καὶ τῶν μὲν οἰομένων δεῖν ἄγειν καὶ καταλεύειν τοὺς αἰτίους, τῶν δὲ διαλύεσθαι καὶ μηδενὶ μνησικακεῖν, [7] τότε μὲν ὑποκριθεὶς ὡς πεπεισμένος καὶ παρακαλέσας πάντας ἐπανῆλθε, σαφῶς μὲν εἰδὼς τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς τῆς κινήσεως γεγονότας, οὐ προσποιηθεὶς δὲ διὰ τὸν καιρόν.