helots to a man, revolted; when, more
than that, the allies, save only quite a few, forsook her; (2) and
when united Hellas, so to speak, was marching on her--these Phliasians
remained stanch in their allegiance; and, in spite of the hostility of
the most powerful states of the Peloponnese, to wit the Arcardians and
the Argives, they insisted on coming to her aid. It fell to their lot
to cross into Prasiae as the rearguard of the reinforcements, which
consisted of the men of Corinth, of Epidaurus and of Troezen, of
Hermione, Halieis, and Sicyon and Pellene, in the days before any of
these had revolted. (3) Not even when the commander of the foreign
brigade, picking up the divisions already across, left them behind and
was gone--not even so did they flinch or turn back, but hired a guide
from Prasiae, and though the enemy was massed round Amyclae, slipped
through his ranks, as best they could, and so reached Sparta. It was
then that the Lacedaemonians, besides other honours conferred upon them,
sent them an ox as a gift of hospitality.

(2) See above, "VI." v. 29.

(3) See "Hell." VII. i. 18.

B.C. 369. Later on, when the enemy had retired from Laconia, the
Argives, ill brooking so much zeal for Lacedaemon on the part of Phlius,
marched in full force against the little state, and fell to ravaging
their territory. Even then they remained undaunted; and when the enemy
turned to retire, destroying all that he could lay hands upon, out
dashed the cavalry of the Phliasians and dogged his retreat. And
notwithstanding that the Argive's rear consisted of the whole of his
cavalry, with some companies of infantry to support them, they attacked
him, sixty in number, and routed his whole rearguard. They slew, indeed,
but a few of them; but, having so slain that handful, they paused and
erected a trophy in full sight of the Argive army with as little concern
as if they had cut down their enemies to a man.

Once again the Lacedaemonians and their allies were guarding Oneion, (4)
and the Thebans were threatening to scale the pass. The Arcadians and
Eleians (5) were moving forwards through Nemea to effect a junction with
the Thebans, when a hint was conveyed to them by some Phliasian exiles,
"Only show yourselves before Phlius and the town is yours." An agreement
was made, and in the dead of night a party consisting of the exiles
themselves and others with them, about six hundred in number, planted
themselves close under the wall