Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.67

[1] Now their left wing consisted of the Sciritae, which amongst the Lacedaemonians have ever alone that place. Next to these were placed the Brasideian soldiers lately come out of Thrace, and with them those that had been newly made free. After them in order the rest of the Lacedaemonians, band after band; and by them Arcadians, first the Heraeans, after these the Maenalians. In the right wing were the Tegeats, and a few Lacedaemonians in the point of the same wing. And upon the outside of either wing, the horsemen.

[2] So stood the Lacedaemonians. Opposite to them, in the right wing, stood the Mantineans, because it was upon their own territory; and with them such Arcadians as were of their league. Then the thousand chosen Argives, which the city had for a long time caused to be trained for the wars at the public charge, and next to them the rest of the Argives. After these, the Cleonaeans and Orneates, their confederates. And lastly, the Athenians, with the horsemen (which were also theirs) had the left wing.

[1] 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.

[2] 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 their own cavalry with them.

Damals nun standen auf ihrem linken Flügel die Skiriten,
welche allein unter den Lakedämoniern immer diese Stellung haben; ^{1 2}
nächst ihnen die Soldaten des Brasidas, die in den Thrakischen
Gränzlanden gefochten hatten, und bei ihnen die Neubürger; danach
hatten die Lakedämonier selbst ihre Schaaren der Reihe nach
aufgestellt und neben ihnen, von den-Arkadern die Heräer, danach die
Mänalier, und aus.dem rechten Flügel die Tegeaten, und eine geringe
Zahl Lakedämonier an der Spitze des Flügels; die Reiterei war auf
beide Flügel vertheilt. Dieß war die Aufstellung der Lakedämonier;
bei den Gegnern aber standen auf dem rechten Flügel
die'Mantineer,weil auf ihrem Grund und Boden geschlagen wurde; neben ihnen
die Bundesgenossen von den. Arkadern , danach die Tausend Mann
Kerntruppen der Argiver, welche die Stadt seit langer Zeit auf
öffentliche Kosten im Kriegswesen üben ließ 5"); an diese'reihten sich
die übrigen Argiver und mit ihnen ihre Bundesgenossen, die
Kleonäer und Orneaten, danach zuletzt an der Spitze des linken Flügels
die Athener und bei ihnen ihre eigene. Reiterei.

LXVII. A l’aile gauche allèrent se placer les scirites ¹ , ^{2 3 4} qui occupent toujours ce poste, et qui, seuls parmi les Lacédémoniens, forment un corps spécial; venaient ensuite les soldats qui avaient fait l’expédition de Thrace sous Brasidas, et avec eux les Néodamodes; immédiatement après, les Lacédémoniens disposés par cohortes, et auprès d’eux les Arcadiens-Héréens ⁵ , puis les Ménaliens; à l’aile droite les Tégéates, avec quelques Lacédémoniens à l’extrémité; la cavalerie lacédémonienne aux deux ailes.

Dans l’armée opposée, les Mantinéens occupaient l’aile droite, parce que l’affaire avait lieu sur leur territoire; près d’eux étaient les Arcadiens alliés; ensuite les mille soldats d’élite que depuis longtemps Argos entretenait à ses frais et faisait exercer au métier des armes ⁶ ; à la suite les autres Argiens, et après eux leurs alliés, les Cléoniens et les Ornéates; enfin les Athéniens, qui occupaient l’aile gauche et avaient avec eux leur cavalerie.

Dans cette journée, les Scirites ¹ occupèrent l’aile gauche, poste qui leur est exclusivement réservé. Venaient ensuite les soldats qui avaient fait sous Brasidas la campagne de Thrace, et avec eux les Néodamodes; puis les Lacédémoniens proprement dits, rangés par bataillons ; après eux, les Arcadiens d'Héréa, ceux de Ménale; enfin à l’aide droite les Tégéates ² , avec quelques Lacédémoniens à l’extrémité. La cavalerie flanquait les deux ailes. Telle était l’ordonnance des Lacédémoniens.

Dans l’armée opposée, les Mantinéens occupaient la droite, parce que l’affaire avait lieu sur leur territoire ³ . Immédiatement après étaient les alliés d’Arcadie; puis les mille soldats d'élite, auxquels depuis longtemps la ville d’Argos fournissait à ses frais l’instruction militaire; ensuite les autres Argiens, et après eux leurs alliés de Cléones et d’Ornées ⁴ ; enfin les Athéniens à l’extrême gauche, soutenus par leurs cavaliers.

[1] On this occasion there were posted on the left wing the Sciritae, ¹ who alone of the Lacedaemonians always have that post by themselves; next to them the soldiers who had served with Brasidas in Thrace, and with them the Neodamodes; next the Lacedaemonians themselves, with their battalions posted one after another, and by them the Heraeans of Arcadia; after these the Maenalians; on the right wing the Tegeates, with a few of the Lacedaemonians holding the end of the line; and on either wing the cavalry.

[2] The Lacedaemonians were thus arrayed. On their enemy's side the Mantineans had the right wing, because the action was to be fought in their country; by their side were their Arcadian allies; then the thousand picked men of the Argives, for whom the state had for a long time furnished at public expense training in matters pertaining to war; next to them the rest of the Argives; after these their allies, the Cleonaeans and Orneates; then the Athenians last, on the left wing, and with them their own cavalry.

[1] On that occasion the Sciritae formed their left wing; who alone of the Lacedaemonians have always that post by themselves. Next to them were the soldiers who had served with Brasidas in Thrace, and the Neodamodes with them. Then came the Lacedaemonians themselves, with their lochi posted one after the other; by their side the Arcadians of Heraea; after them the Maenalians; and on the right wing the Tegeans, with a few of the Lacedaemonians holding the extreme position. Their cavalry was posted on each wing.

[2] The Lacedaemonians, then, were drawn up in this way. On the side of their opponents, their right wing was occupied by the Mantineans, because the action was to be fought in their country; and by their side were the Arcadian allies. Then came the thousand picked men of the Argives, for whom the state had for a long time furnished at the public expense a course of training in military matters; next to them the other Argives; and after these, their allies the Cleonaeans and Orneans; then the Athenians, holding the extreme left, and their own cavalry with them.

[1] Tunc autem in sinistro quidem ipsorum cornu collocati erant Sciritae, qui soli ex Lacedaemoniis hunc ordinem pro se ipsi semper obtinent; juxta hos Brasidiani milites ex Thracia reversi, et cum illis neodamodes; deinde jam ipsi Lacedaemonii deinceps lochos constituebant, et juxta eos ex Arcadibus Heraeenses; post hos Maenalii, et in dextro cornu Tegeatae et pauci Lacedaemoniorum, qui extremam ejus partem tenebant, et ipsorum equitatus in utroque cornu collocatus. Atque Lacedaemonii quidem sic erant instructi;

[2] hostium vero iis oppositorum dex- trum quidem cornu Mantinei tenebant, quod in eorum tei 1 a res gereretur; juxta ipsos vero erant socii ex Arcadia pro- tecti, deinde Argivorum mille delecti, quibuu» jampridem civitas in rebus bellicis sese exercendi facultatem praebebat, et prope ipsos erant ceteri Argivi, et post eos ipsorum socii, Cleonaei et Orneatae, deinde Athenienses postremi, sinistrum cornu tenentes, et domesticus cum ipsis equitatus.

Stavano adunque allora sul corno loro sinistro gli Scinti ( che soli tra’ Lacedemoni tengono da per sè cotesto posto. Presso di questi i soldati brasidiani di Tracia, e con loro i Neodamodi. Seguivano poi i Lacedemoni prò pio colle compagnie poste per ordine, e appresso loro gli Ereesi di Arcadia : quindi i Menalii, e sul corno destro i Tegeati con pochi Lacedemoni che occupavano {’estremità ; e ai due lati la cavalleria. Tale era l’ordinanza de9 Lacedemoni. Nell’esercito opposto tenevano l' ala destra i Mantineesi, perchè la battaglia era sul loro territorio : appresso venivano gli alleati di Arcadia, di poi mille Argivi di scelta milizia, che da molto tempo la città a pubbliche spese faceva esercitare nella guerra. Accosto ad essi gli altri Argivi; e dopo questi i Cleonesi e gli Orneati, loro alleati: finalmente sull’estremità gli Ateniesi che tenevano il corno sinistro con la propria cavallerìa.