Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.93

[1] Pagondas with this exhortation persuaded the Boeotians to march against the Athenians, and making them rise led them speedily on, for it was drawing towards night. And when he was near to their army, in a place from whence by the interposition of a hill they saw not each other, making a stand he put his army into order and prepared to give battle.

[2] When it was told Hippocrates, who was then at Delium, that the Boeotians were marching after them, he sends presently to the army, commanding them to be put in array. And not long after he came himself, having left some three hundred horse about Delium, both for a guard to the place if it should be assaulted, and withal to watch an opportunity to come upon the Boeotians when they were in fight.

[3] But for these, the Boeotians appointed some forces purposely to attend them. And when all was as it should be, they showed themselves from the top of the hill, where they sat down with their arms in the same order they were to fight in, being about seven thousand men of arms, of light-armed soldiers above ten thousand, a thousand horsemen, and five hundred targetiers.

[4] Their right wing consisting of the Thebans, and their partakers; in the middle battle were the Haliartians, Coronaeans, Copaeans, and the rest that dwell about the lake; in the left were the Thespians, Tanagraeans, and Orchomenians. The horsemen and light-armed soldiers were placed on either wing. The Thebans were ordered by twentyfive in file; but the rest, every one as it fell out.

[5] This was the preparation and order of the Boeotians.

[1] By these arguments Pagondas persuaded the Boeotians to attack the Athenians, and quickly breaking up his camp led his army forward, it being now late in the day. On nearing the enemy, he halted in a position where a hill intervening prevented the two armies from seeing each other, and then formed and prepared for action.

[2] Meanwhile Hippocrates at Delium , informed of the approach of the Boeotians, sent orders to his troops to throw themselves into line, and himself joined them not long afterwards, leaving about three hundred horse behind him at Delium , at once to guard the place in case of attack, and to watch their opportunity and fall upon the Boeotians during the battle.

[3] The Boeotians placed a detachment to deal with these, and when everything was arranged to their satisfaction appeared over the hill, and halted in the order which they had determined on, to the number of seven thousand heavy infantry, more than ten thousand light troops, one thousand horse, and five hundred targeteers.

[4] On their right were the Thebans and those of their province, in the center the Haliartians, Coronaeans, Copaeans, and the other people around the lake, and on the left the Thespians, Tanagraeans, and Orchomenians, the cavalry and the light troops being at the extremity of each wing. The Thebans formed twenty-five shields deep, the rest as they pleased.

[5] Such was the strength and disposition of the Boeotian army.

Durch diese Worte der Aneiferung überredete Pagondas
die Böoter zum Angriff auf die Athener, ließ das Heer aufbrechen
und setzte es eilig in Marsch; denn es war schon spät in der
Tageszeit. Als er aber in die Nähe des feindlichen Heeres gekommen war,
ließ er die Seinigen an einer Stelle Halt machen, wo beide Theile
eines dazwischen liegenden Hügels wegen einander nicht sehen konnten.
Hier stellte er sein Heer in Schlachtordnung und bereitete Alles zum
Gefecht vor. Hippokrates, der sich noch bei Delion befand, als ihm
das Anrücken der Böoter gemeldet wurde, sandte seinem Heere den
Befehl zu, sich in Schlachtordnung zu stellen, und kam bald darauf
auch selbst herbei, nachdem er bei Delion ungefähr dreihundert Reiter
zurückgelassen hatte, sowohl um den Ort gegen einen Angriff zu schützen,
als auch um auf Gelegenheit zu lauern, während der Schlacht den
Böotern in die Flanke zu fallen. Die Böoter aber stellten eine
Abthei lung zur Abwehr gegen diese Reiter auf, und als bei ihnen Alles in ¹
Ordnung war, erschienen sie über dem Kamme des Hügels und stell-i
ten sich in der Linie auf, wie sie ihnen bestimmt worden war, an Zahl
ungefähr siebentausend Schwerbewaffnete und über zehntausend Mann
leichterTruppen, nebst tausend Reitern und fünfhundert leichten
Schildträgern. Auf dem rechten Flügel standen die Thebaner und ihre
Unterthanen, in der Mitte die von Haliartos und Koronea und Kopä und
die Andern, die um den See wohnen, auf dem linken Flügel die
Thespier und Tanagräer und Orchomenier. Die Reiterei und die
leichten Truppen waren auf beide Flügel vertheilt. Die Thebaner standen
fünf und zwanzig Mann hoch ^-), die Uebrigen, wie es bei ihnen
grade anging. Dieß war die Stärke und die Aufstellung der Böoter.

XCIII. Pagondas, par ces exhortations, décida les Béotiens à marcher contre les Athéniens ; il donna aussitôt l’ordre de se porter en avant et se mit à la tête de l’armée. Le jour était déjà avancé ; arrivé près du camp athénien, il prit position dans un lieu où les deux armées, séparées par une colline, ne pouvaient se voir ; il rangea ses troupes et se prépara au combat. Hippocrates était encore à Délium. Dès qu’il eut appris la marche des Béotiens, il envoya à l’armée l’ordre de se mettre en bataille, et arriva lui-même peu de temps après. Il avait laissé aux environs de Délium environ trois cents cavaliers, afin de protéger la place, si on tentait de l’attaquer, et en même temps pour épier l’occasion favorable, el tomber sur les Béotiens pendant le combat. Mais les Béotiens leur opposèrent des troupes pour les tenir en échec ; toutes leurs dispositions faites, ils parurent sur le sommet de la colline et prirent position dans l’ordre où ils devaient combattre ; ils avaient sous les armes sept mille hoplites, plus de dix mille hommes de troupes légères, mille cavaliers et cinq cents peltastes. Les Thébains et leurs tributaires formaient l’aile droite. Au centre étaient les habitants d’Haliarte, de Coronée, de Copée et de toute la région qui avoisine le lac. Ceux de Thespies, de Tanagre et d’Orchomène occupaient la gauche. Chacune des ailes était flanquée de cavalerie et de troupes légères. Les Thébains étaient rangés sur vingtcinq hommes de profondeur, les autres à volonté. Telles étaient les dispositions et l’ordonnance de l’armée béotienne.

Cette exhortation de Pagondas détermina les Boétiens à livrer bataille. Il mit aussitôt l’armée en mouvement ; car le jour commençait à baisser. Parvenu à portée de Pennemf, il prit position derrière une colline qui formait un rideau entre les deux armées ; puis il rangea ses troupes et se prépara au combat. Hippocratès était encore à Délion. Informé de l’approche des Béotiens, il envoya sur-le-champ à l’armée athénienne l’ordre de se mettre en bataille. Lui-même arriva peu après. Il avait laissé devant Délion environ trois cents cavaliers pour couvrir cette place en cas d’attaque et pour charger en temps opportun les ennemis pendant l’action. Ceux-ci leur opposèrent un corps capable de les contenir.

Quand les Béotiens eurent achevé leurs dispositions, ils commencèrent à se montrer sur le sommet de la colline, où ils firent halte en ordre de combat. Ils avaient sept mille hoplites, plus de dix mille hommes légèrement armés, mille cavaliers et cinq cents peltastes. Les Thébains et leurs sujets occupaient la droite ; au centre étaient les Haliartiens, les Co-ronéens , les Copéens et autres riverains du lac ¹ ; à la gauche les Thespiens, les Tanagréens et les Orchoméniens. Les deux ailes étaient appuyées par la cavalerie et par les troupes légères. Les Thébains étaient rangés sur vingt-cinq de hauteur, les autres à volonté. Telles étaient les dispositions et l’ordonnance de l’armée béotienne.

[1] With such exhortations Pagondas persuaded the Boeotians to attack the Athenians, then quickly broke camp and led on his army, for it was already late in the day. When he drew near their army he halted at a place from which, because of an intervening hill, the two armies could not see each other, and there drew up and prepared for battle.

[2] Meanwhile Hippocrates, who was at Delium, on being informed that the Boeotians were coming on, sent orders to the army to fall in line, and himself not long afterwards joined them, leaving about three hundred cavalry at Delium, to guard it in case of attack and also to watch for an opportunity to fall upon the Boeotians in the course of the battle.

[3] But the Boeotians set a detachment to ward these off. Then when everything was ready they appeared over the hill and halted, drawn up in the order in which they were to fight, about seven thousand hoplites, over ten thousand light-armed troops, one thousand cavalry, and five hundred peltasts.

[4] On the right were the Thebans and their allies; in the centre the Haliartians, Coronaeans, Copaeans, and the other people around the lake; ¹ on the left the Thespians, Tanagraeans and Orchomenians. On either wing were the cavalry and the light-armed troops. The Thebans were marshalled in ranks twenty-five shields deep, the rest as chance directed in each case.

[5] Such were the preparations of the Boeotians and their order of battle.

[1] By thus exhorting the Boeotians, Pagondas persuaded them to go against the Athenians, and quickly breaking up his camp, led the army forward (for it was now late in the day). On approaching near to their forces, he placed his troops in a position where, in consequence of a hill intervening, the armies did not see each other;

[2] and there he drew them up, and made his arrangements for battle. When Hippocrates, who was still at Delium, received tidings of the advance of the Boeotians, he sent to his troops, with orders to throw themselves into line, and himself joined them soon after, leaving three hundred horse at Delium, both to defend it if any one came against it, and to watch their opportunity and fall upon the Boeotians during the engagement.

[3] Against these the Boeotians posted a division to resist their charge; and when all was well arranged by them, they appeared over the hill, and halted in the order they intended to fight in, to the number of about seven thousand heavy-armed, more than ten thousand light-armed, one thousand horse, and five hundred targeteers.

[4] The right wing was held by the Thebans and those of the same division of Boeotia; the cen tre by the Haliartians, Coronaeans, Copaeans, and the other people round the lake; the left by the Thespians, Tanagraeans, and Orchomenians. The cavalry and light-armed were posted on each flank. The Thebans formed their line five-and-twenty deep; the rest, as might happen.

[5] These then were the forces and the dispositions of the Boeotians.

[1] Pagondas bis verbis Boeotos adhortatus persuasit, ut irent adversus Athenienses, confestimque motis castris exercitum eduxit; jam enim et serum diei erat. Quum autem ad eorum castra prope accessisset, in' loco subsistens, unde colle interjecto alteri alteros conspicere non poterant, aciem instruebat et ut ad proelium se praeparabat

[2] Hippocrates autem, qui apud Delium erat, quum ei nuntiatum esset Boeotos accedere, mittit ad exercitum imperans, ut in suo quisque ordine consisterent, nec multo post ipse adfuit, relictis ferme trecentis equitibus circa Delium, tum ad loci custodiam, si qua manus eum adoreretur, tum etiam ut occasione observata Boeotos in ipso proelio a tergo aggrederentur.

[3] Boeoti vero his opposuerunt, qui vim eorum propulsarent, et quum omnes ipsorum res recte haberent, in summo colle apparuerunt, et cum armis ibi substiterunt acie instructa, ut pugnaturi erant, septem ferme gravis armature millia, levis vero supra decem millia, equites mille et peltati quingenti.

[4] Dextrum autem cornu tenebant Thebani eorumque contributi, medii vero erant Haliartii et Coronaei et Copaeeuses, ceterique lacus accolae; sinistrum vero tenebant Thespienses et Tanagraei et Orchomenii. In cornu autem utroque erat equitatus, et levis armatura. Et Thebani quidem milites in quinos et vicenos in altitudinem digesserant, reliqui vero ut quibusque contigit.

[5] Atque hic quidem erat Boeotorum apparatus haecque aciei instructae ratio;

Con questa esortazione Pagonda persuase i Beozii ad andar contro gli Ateniesi ; e poiché era già sul tardi del giorno, mosso subito il campo si mise alla testa dell’esercito. Quando fu vicino all’accampamento degli Ateniesi fece alto ove una collina trapposta impediva ai due eserciti di vedersi scambievolmente ; schierò le sue genti e si disponeva alla battaglia. Ippocrate che era a Delio, avuto contezza che i Beozii gli venivano addosso, spedisce al suo esercito imponendo di mettersi in ordinanza : e poco dopo parti anch’ egli, lasciati circa quattrocento cavalli ne’contorni di Delio per guardarlo, se mai qualche corpo nemico volesse assalirlo, e per cogliere insiemi l'opportunità di sorprendere i Beozii nelFatto della battaglia. E i Beozii destinarono alcune squadre per far fronte a costoro ; e quando ebbero tutto in ordine si fecero vedere di sulla collina; e si misero sulle armi in quella ordinanza colla quale dovevano combattere. Erano in tutti forse settemila di milizia grave , e di leggera sopra diecimila , con mille cavalli e cinquecento palvesari. I Tebani con quelli del loro comune tenevano l’ala destra ; il centro gli Aliarti, i Coronei, i Copeesi, e gli altri abitanti sul lago di Copa ; la sinistra i Tespiesi, i Tanagresi e gli Orcomenii. L’una e l’altra ala era coperta dalla cavalleria e dalle genti leggere. I Tebani erano schierati con venticinque di fronte ; egli altri senza verun ordine stabilito. Tale era l’apparecchio e l’ordinanza de’ Beozii.