all that was reasonable, and of those in authority he held Cleonnis and Damis in special honour. He also paid great attention to the allies, and sent gifts to the most influential Arcadians both at Argos and Sicyon. And in the war which was carried on in the reign of Aristodemus they pillaged from time to time, and in the summertime made incursions into one another’s country. There were counter-incursions into Laconia on the part of the Arcadians with the Messenians. But the Argives did not think it well openly to proclaim their hostility against the Lacedæmonians, but made their preparations so as to strike in when the fray begun. CHAPTER XI. In the fifth year of the reign of Aristodemus, when both nations were about to take the field again after open proclamation of war, both very much weakened by the length and expenses of the war, then allies came to both, to the Lacedæmonians the Corinthians alone of all the Peloponnesians, and to the Messenians the Arcadians in full force, and picked men from Argos and Sicyon. The Lacedæmonians placed the Corinthians and Helots and the provincials in the centre, and themselves with their kings took up their position on the wings, in deeper and fuller formation than was ever before adopted. And the dispositions of Aristodemus and his staff for the battle were as follows. For all the Arcadians or Messenians that were strong in body and stout of heart, but had not good weapons, he picked out the best arms, and when the action became hot, posted them among the Argives and Sicyonians: and extended his line so as not to be taken in flank by the enemy. And he took care that his men were so placed that they had the mountain Ithome in their rear. And he appointed Cleonnis to the command here, and himself and Damis stayed with the light-armed troops, and a few slingers and archers: most in this part of the army were well adapted physically for attack and retreat, and lightly armed. Each had a breastplate or shield, but such as were deficient in this respect had goatskins and sheepskins, or the skins of wild beasts, the Arcadian mountaineers in particular had the skins of wolves and bears. And each had several javelins, and some had lances. And these lay in ambush in Ithome where they could be best concealed from sight. And the heavy armed troops of the Messenians and the allies stood the first onset of the Lacedæmonians, and afterwards were in all respects full of bravery. They were outnumbered by the enemy, but being picked men they fought against an armed mob and not against men of equal discipline to themselves, consequently they held out much longer through their bravery and skill. Moreover the light-armed troops of the Messenians, when the signal was given, rushed against the Lacedæmonians and hemmed them in, and hurled their javelins at their flanks, and the bolder of them rushed in and fought hand to hand. And the Lacedæmonians, though