or cavalry--had been noted; and
Callias, the son of Hipponicus, (16) who was in command of the Athenian
hoplites, and Iphicrates at the head of his peltasts, saw no risk in
attacking with the light brigade. Since if the enemy continued his
march by the high road, he would be cut up by showers of javelins on his
exposed right flank; or if he were tempted to take the offensive, they
with their peltasts, the nimblest of all light troops, would easily slip
out of the grasp of his hoplites.

(12) See Grote, "H. G." ix. 488.

(13) Observed on three days of the month Hecatombaeus (= July). See
Muller's "Dorians," ii. 360. For Amyclae, see Leake, "Morea," i.
ch. iv. p. 145 foll.; Baedeker's "Greece," p. 279.

(14) See below, "Hell." VI. iv. 12; and "Pol. Lac." xi. 4, xiii. 4.

(15) Lit. "twenty or thirty stades."

(16) See Cobet, "Prosop. Xen." p. 67 foll.

With this clearly-conceived idea they led out their troops; and while
Callias drew up his heavy infantry in line at no great distance from the
city, Iphicrates and his peltasts made a dash at the returning division.

The Lacedaemonians were presently within range of the javelins. (17)
Here a man was wounded, and there another dropped, not to rise again.
Each time orders were given to the attendant shield-bearers (18) to pick
up the men and bear them into Lechaeum; and these indeed were the
only members of the mora who were, strictly speaking, saved. Then the
polemarch ordered the ten-years-service men (19) to charge and drive off
their assailants. Charge, however, as they might, they took nothing by
their pains--not a man could they come at within javelin range. Being
heavy infantry opposed to light troops, before they could get to close
quarters the enemy's word of command sounded "Retire!" whilst as soon
as their own ranks fell back, scattered as they were in consequence of
a charge where each man's individual speed had told, Iphicrates and his
men turned right about and renewed the javelin attack, while others,
running alongside, harassed their exposed flank. At the very first
charge the assailants had shot down nine or ten, and, encouraged by
this success, pressed on with increasing audacity. These attacks told so
severely that the polemarch a second time gave the order (and this time
for the fifteen-years-service men) to charge. The order was promptly
obeyed, but on retiring they lost more men than on the first occasion,
and it was not until the pick