within the capital. The king
answered with a smile: "I know your desire is not so much to see your
soldiers as to feast your eyes on the good fortune of your friends, and
to measure its magnitude. Wait then, I will conduct you myself; with
me you will be better able to discover the true value of what has taken
place." And he was as good as his word. Next day he sacrificed, and led
his army up to the gates of Corinth. The trophy he respected, but not
one tree did he leave standing--chopping and burning, as proof positive
that no one dared to face him in the field. And having so done, he
encamped about Lechaeum; and as to the Theban ambassadors, in lieu
of letting them pass into the city, he sent them off by sea across to
Creusis.

But in proportion to the unwontedness of such a calamity befalling
Lacedaemonians, a widespread mourning fell upon the whole Laconian army,
those alone excepted whose sons or fathers or brothers had died at their
post. The bearing of these resembled that of conquerors, (12) as with
bright faces they moved freely to and fro, glorying in their domestic
sorrow. Now the tragic fate which befell the division was on this wise:
It was the unvaried custom of the men of Amyclae to return home at
the Hyacinthia, (13) to join in the sacred paean, a custom not to be
interrupted by active service or absence from home or for any other
reason. So, too, on this occasion, Agesilaus had left behind all the
Amyclaeans serving in any part of his army at Lechaeum. At the right
moment the general in command of the garrison at that place had posted
the garrison troops of the allies to guard the walls during his absence,
and put himself at the head of his division of heavy infantry with that
of the cavalry, (14) and led the Amyclaeans past the walls of Corinth.
Arrived at a point within three miles or so (15) of Sicyon, the
polemarch turned back himself in the direction of Lechaeum with his
heavy infantry regiment, six hundred strong, giving orders to the
cavalry commandant to escort the Amyclaeans with his division as far as
they required, and then to turn and overtake him. It cannot be said that
the Lacedaemonians were ignorant of the large number of light troops and
heavy infantry inside Corinth, but owing to their former successes they
arrogantly presumed that no one would attack them. Within the capital
of the Corinthians, however, their scant numbers--a thin line of heavy
infantry unsupported by light infantry