t Thymaus, which belongs to the Agraeans, and
descended into the Argive territory after nightfall, and passing
between the city of Argos and the Acarnanian posts at Crenae, joined the
Ambraciots at Olpae.

Uniting here at daybreak, they sat down at the place called Metropolis,
and encamped. Not long afterwards the Athenians in the twenty ships came
into the Ambracian Gulf to support the Argives, with Demosthenes and two
hundred Messenian heavy infantry, and sixty Athenian archers. While the
fleet off Olpae blockaded the hill from the sea, the Acarnanians and a
few of the Amphilochians, most of whom were kept back by force by the
Ambraciots, had already arrived at Argos, and were preparing to give
battle to the enemy, having chosen Demosthenes to command the whole of
the allied army in concert with their own generals. Demosthenes led them
near to Olpae and encamped, a great ravine separating the two armies.
During five days they remained inactive; on the sixth both sides formed
in order of battle. The army of the Peloponnesians was the largest and
outflanked their opponents; and Demosthenes fearing that his right might
be surrounded, placed in ambush in a hollow way overgrown with bushes
some four hundred heavy infantry and light troops, who were to rise up
at the moment of the onset behind the projecting left wing of the enemy,
and to take them in the rear. When both sides were ready they joined
battle; Demosthenes being on the right wing with the Messenians and a
few Athenians, while the rest of the line was made up of the different
divisions of the Acarnanians, and of the Amphilochian carters. The
Peloponnesians and Ambraciots were drawn up pell-mell together, with
the exception of the Mantineans, who were massed on the left, without
however reaching to the extremity of the wing, where Eurylochus and his
men confronted the Messenians and Demosthenes.

The Peloponnesians were now well engaged and with their outflanking wing
were upon the point of turning their enemy's right; when the Acarnanians
from the ambuscade set upon them from behind, and broke them at the
first attack, without their staying to resist; while the panic into
which they fell caused the flight of most of their army, terrified
beyond measure at seeing the division of Eurylochus and their best
troops cut to pieces. Most of the work was done by Demosthenes and his
Messenians, who were posted in this part of the field. Meanwhile the
Ambraciots (who are