Classical literature; Greece -- History -- Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C.; Greece -- History -- Spartan and Theban Supremacies, 404-362 B.C.
Time advanced, and Teleutias was in conduct of another expedition
against the city of Olynthus. His object was to destroy any timber
(2) still left standing, or fields still cultivated in the hostile
territory. This brought out the Olynthian cavalry, who, stealthily
advancing, crossed the river which washes the walls of the town, and
again continued their silent march right up to the adversary's camp.
At sight of an audacity which nettled him, Teleutias at once ordered
Tlemonidas, the officer commanding his light infantry division, to
charge the assailants at the run. On their side the men of Olynthus,
seeing the rapid approach of the light infantry, wheeled and quietly
retired until they had recrossed the river, drawing the enemy on,
who followed with conspicuous hardihood. Arrogating to themselves the
position of pursuers towards fugitives, they did not hesitate to cross
the river which stood between them and their prey. Then the Olynthian
cavalry, choosing a favourable moment, when those who had crossed seemed
easy to deal with, wheeled and attacked them, putting Tlemonidas himself
to the sword with more than a hundred others of his company. Teleutias,
when he saw what was happening, snatched up his arms in a fit of anger
and began leading his hoplites swiftly forward, ordering at the same
time his peltasts and cavalry to give chase and not to slacken. Their
fate was the fate of many before and since, who, in the ardour of
pursuit, have come too close to the enemy's walls and found it hard to
get back again. Under a hail of missiles from the walls they were forced
to retire in disorder and with the necessity of guarding themselves
against the missiles. At this juncture the Olynthians sent out their
cavalry at full gallop, backed by supports of light infantry; and
finally their heavy infantry reserves poured out and fell upon the
enemy's lines, now in thorough confusion. Here Teleutias fell fighting,
and when that happened, without further pause the troops immediately
about him swerved. Not one soul longer cared to make a stand, but the
flight became general, some fleeing towards Spartolus, others in the
direction of Acanthus, a third set seeking refuge within the walls of
Apollonia, and the majority within those of Potidaea. As the tide of
fugitives broke into several streams, so also the pursuers divided
the work between them; this way and that they poured, dealing death
wholesale. So perished the pith and kernel of the armament.
(2) I.e. fruit-trees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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