The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 04 : $b Greece to the Roman Conquest
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 04 : $b Greece to the Roman Conquest
World history
When things were progressing in this way, Pausanias the king, filled with
envy at the thought of Lysander’s succeeding in these measures, and so at
once winning reputation and making Athens his own, gained the consent of
three of the ephors, and led out an expedition.[4] All the allies also
joined him, except the Bœotians and Corinthians.
Pausanias encamped on a spot called Halipedum, near Piræus, himself
occupying the right wing, and Lysander, with his mercenaries, the left.
And he sent ambassadors to those in Piræus, telling them to go away to
their own homes; but when they did not obey his message, he made an
assault (so far, at least, as noise went), that he might not openly
appear to wish them well. When he had retired with no result from the
assault, the day following he took two brigades of the Lacedæmonians,
and three squadrons of the Athenian cavalry, and went along to the
Mute Harbour, reconnoitring in what direction Piræus was most easy to
circumvallate.
On his retiring, a party of the besieged ran up and caused him trouble;
annoyed at which, he ordered the horse to charge them at full speed,
and such as had passed the period of youth ten years to accompany them,
while he himself followed with the rest. And they slew about thirty of
the light-armed, and pursued the rest to the theatre in Piræus. There
all the targeteers and heavy infantry of the party in Piræus happened
to be arming themselves. And now the light-armed immediately running
forward began darting, throwing, shooting, slinging. The Lacedæmonians,
when many were being wounded, being very hard pressed, began slowly to
retreat; and upon this their opponents threw themselves on them much more
vigorously. Seeing this, Thrasybulus and the rest of the heavy-armed went
to the support of their men, and quickly drew themselves up in front of
the others, eight deep. Pausanias, being very hard pressed, and having
retired about four or five furlongs to a hill, sent orders for the
Lacedæmonians and the rest of the allies to advance and join him. There
having formed his phalanx very deep, he led it against the Athenians.
They received his charge, but then some of them were driven into the mud
at Halæ, and the rest gave way, about a hundred and fifty of them being
slain. Pausanias erected a trophy, and withdrew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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