hese, and when everything was arranged
to their satisfaction appeared over the hill, and halted in the order
which they had determined on, to the number of seven thousand heavy
infantry, more than ten thousand light troops, one thousand horse, and
five hundred targeteers. On their right were the Thebans and those of
their province, in the centre the Haliartians, Coronaeans, Copaeans,
and the other people around the lake, and on the left the Thespians,
Tanagraeans, and Orchomenians, the cavalry and the light troops being at
the extremity of each wing. The Thebans formed twenty-five shields deep,
the rest as they pleased. Such was the strength and disposition of the
Boeotian army.

On the side of the Athenians, the heavy infantry throughout the whole
army formed eight deep, being in numbers equal to the enemy, with the
cavalry upon the two wings. Light troops regularly armed there were none
in the army, nor had there ever been any at Athens. Those who had joined
in the invasion, though many times more numerous than those of the
enemy, had mostly followed unarmed, as part of the levy in mass of the
citizens and foreigners at Athens, and having started first on their way
home were not present in any number. The armies being now in line and
upon the point of engaging, Hippocrates, the general, passed along the
Athenian ranks, and encouraged them as follows:

"Athenians, I shall only say a few words to you, but brave men require
no more, and they are addressed more to your understanding than to your
courage. None of you must fancy that we are going out of our way to
run this risk in the country of another. Fought in their territory the
battle will be for ours: if we conquer, the Peloponnesians will never
invade your country without the Boeotian horse, and in one battle you
will win Boeotia and in a manner free Attica. Advance to meet them
then like citizens of a country in which you all glory as the first in
Hellas, and like sons of the fathers who beat them at Oenophyta with
Myronides and thus gained possession of Boeotia."

Hippocrates had got half through the army with his exhortation, when
the Boeotians, after a few more hasty words from Pagondas, struck up the
paean, and came against them from the hill; the Athenians advancing to
meet them, and closing at a run. The extreme wing of neither army came
into action, one like the other being stopped by the water-courses in
the way; the rest engaged with the utmost obstinacy