n the temple of Alea (28) ready to meet them. So,
keeping the Eurotas on their right, they tramped along, burning and
pillaging homesteads stocked with numerous stores. The feelings of the
citizens may well be imagined. The women who had never set eyes upon a
foe (29) could scarcely contain themselves as they beheld the cloud of
smoke. The Spartan warriors, inhabiting a city without fortifications,
posted at intervals, here one and there another, were in truth what they
appeared to be--the veriest handful. And these kept watch and ward. The
authorities passed a resolution to announce to the helots that whosoever
among them chose to take arms and join a regiment should have his
freedom guaranteed to him by solemn pledges in return for assistance in
the common war. (30) More than six thousand helots, it is said, enrolled
themselves, so that a new terror was excited by the very incorporation
of these men, whose numbers seemed to be excessive. But when it was
found that the mercenaries from Orchomenus remained faithful, and
reinforcements came to Lacedaemon from Phlius, Corinth, Epidaurus,
and Pellene, and some other states, the dread of these new levies was
speedily diminished.

(28) See Pausanias, III. xix. 7.

(29) See Plutarch, "Ages." xxxi. 3 (Clough, vol. iv. p. 38); Aristot.
"Pol." ii. 9-10.

(30) See below, VII. ii. 2.

The enemy in his advance came to Amyclae. (31) Here he crossed the
Eurotas. The Thebans wherever they encamped at once formed a stockade
of the fruit-trees they had felled, as thickly piled as possible, and
so kept ever on their guard. The Arcadians did nothing of the sort.
They left their camping-ground and took themselves off to attack the
homesteads and loot. On the third or fourth day after their arrival the
cavalry advanced, squadron by squadron, as far as the racecourse, (32)
within the sacred enclosure of Gaiaochos. These consisted of the
entire Theban cavalry and the Eleians, with as many of the Phocian
or Thessalian or Locrian cavalry as were present. The cavalry of the
Lacedaemonians, looking a mere handful, were drawn up to meet them. They
had posted an ambuscade chosen from their heavy infantry, the younger
men, about three hundred in number, in the house of the Tyndarids (33);
and while the cavalry charged, out rushed the three hundred at the
same instant at full pace. The enemy did not wait to receive the double
charge, but swerved, and at sight of that many also of the infan