proclaim that they were to
get breakfast, then they should take up their arms and go to attack the
Argives. This was carried out even so by the Lacedemonians; for as the
Argives were getting breakfast according to the herald's proclamation,
they attacked them; and many of them they slew, but many more yet took
refuge in the sacred grove of Argos, and upon these they kept watch,
sitting round about the place. Then Cleomenes did this which follows:--

79. He had with him deserters, and getting information by inquiring of
these, he sent a herald and summoned forth those of the Argives who were
shut up in the sanctuary, mentioning each by name; and he summoned
them forth saying that he had received their ransom. Now among the
Peloponnesians ransom is two pounds weight of silver 68 appointed to be
paid for each prisoner. So Cleomenes summoned forth about fifty of the
Argives one by one and slew them; and it chanced that the rest who were
in the enclosure did not perceive that this was being done; for since
the grove was thick, those within did not see how it fared with those
who were without, at least until one of them climbed up a tree and saw
from above that which was being done. Accordingly they then no longer
came forth when they were called.

80. So Cleomenes thereupon ordered all the Helots to pile up brushwood
round the sacred grove; and they obeying, he set fire to the grove. And
when it was now burning, he asked one of the deserters to what god the
grove was sacred, and the man replied that it was sacred to Argos. When
he heard that, he groaned aloud and said, "Apollo who utterest oracles,
surely thou hast greatly deceived me, saying that I should conquer
Argos: I conjecture that the oracle has had its fulfilment for me
already.".

81. After this Cleomenes sent away the greater part of his army to go
back to Sparta, but he himself took a thousand of the best men and went
to the temple of Hera to sacrifice: and when he wished to sacrifice upon
the altar, the priest forbade him, saying that it was not permitted
by religious rule for a stranger to sacrifice in that place. Cleomenes
however bade the Helots take away the priest from the altar and scourge
him, and he himself offered the sacrifice. Having so done he returned
back to Sparta;.

82, and after his return his opponents brought him up before the Ephors,
saying that he had received gifts and therefore had not conquered Argos,
when he might easily have conque