Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/289

KATTLE OF THE PAKTOLUS. 267 And marching to the temple of Artemis to dedicate their wreaths to the goddess." l Before Agesilaus was in condition to begin his military opera- tions for the spring, the first year of his command had passed over. Thirty fresh counsellors reached Ephesus from Sparta, su- perseding the first thirty under Lysander, who forthwith returned home. The army was now not only more numerous, but better trained, and more systematically arranged than in the preceding campaign. Agesilaus distributed the various divisions under the command of different members of the new Thirty ; the cavalry being assigned to Xenokles, the Neodamode hoplites to Skythes, the Cyreians to Herippidas, the Asiatic contingents to Migdon. He then gave out that he should march straight against Sardis. Nevertheless, Tissaphernes, who was in that place, construing this proclamation as a feint, and believing that the real march would be directed against Karia, disposed his cavalry in the plain of the Maeander as he had done in the preceding campaign ; while his infantry were sent still farther southward within the Karian frontier. On this occasion, however, Agesilaus marched as he had announced, hi the direction of Sardis. For three days he plundered the coun- try without seeing an enemy ; nor was it until the fourth day that the cavalry of Tissaphernes could be summoned back to oppose him ; the infantry being even yet at a distance. On reaching the banks of the river Paktolus, this Persian cavalry found the Greek light troops dispersed for the purpose of plunder, attacked them by surprise, and drove them in with considerable loss. Presently, however, Agesilaus came up, and ordered his cavalry to charge, anxious to bring on a battle before the Persian infantry could arrive in the field. In efficiency, it appears, the Persian cavalry was a full match for his cavalry, and in number apparently su- perior. But when he brought up his infantry, and caused his peltasts and younger hoplites to join the cavalry in a vigorous attack, victory soon declared on his side. The Persians were put to flight and many of them drowned in the Paktolus. Then 1 camp, too, was taken, with a valuable booty ; including several camels, which Agesilaus afterwards took with him into Greece, This success ensured to him the unopposed mastery of all the ter ' Xen. Hcllen. iii, 4 17,18; Xcn. Agesil. i, 26, 27.