Their situation was in the highest
degree perilous. In front of them, cutting them off from the city of
Argos, was the flower of the Spartan army, reinforced by the troops of
Tegea and Arcadia; on their right flank the mountain slopes swarmed
with the infantry of Corinth and Phlius; and in the rear their retreat
was cut off by the thronging masses of Boeotians, who were now pouring
along the road from Nemea. They were fairly cut off, and seemed
delivered over to destruction; nevertheless, such was the presumptuous
confidence which possessed them, that they awaited eagerly the signal
for battle, crying out that they had caught the Spartans in a trap.
Fortunately for them there were two men among their leaders who took a
wiser view of the position; one of these was Alciphron, an official
who represented the interests of Sparta at Argos, [Footnote: The Greek
word is _Proxenos_,--a sort of consul.] and the other was
Thrasyllus, one of the five generals. These two men entered into a
parley with Agis, and by promising to satisfy the demands of Sparta
induced him to grant a truce. Agis then drew off his forces, and
returned by way of Nemea to Sparta; and the allies, much against their
will, were compelled to follow his example. Loud were the murmurs
among the confederates, and even among the Spartan soldiers, against
Agis, who had thrown away this golden opportunity of humbling the
pride of Argos, and brought dishonour on one of the finest armies that
had ever been led into the field by a Grecian general.
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