Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/163

66-68] ARRAY OF THE TWO ARMIES 155 lost : immediately they hurried every man to his own place, the king Agis, according to the law, directing their several movements. For when the king is in the field nothing is done without him ; he in person gives general orders to the polemarchs, which they convey to the commanders of divisions ; these again to the commanders of fifties, the commanders of fifties to the commanders of enomoties, and these to the enomoty. In like manner any more precise instructions are passed down through the army, and quickly reach their destination. For almost the whole Lacedaemonian army are officers who have officers under them, and the responsibility of executing an order de- volves upon many. On this occasion the Sciritae formed the left wing, 67 a position to which in the Lacedae- Disposition of the monian army they have a peculiar and tyoops. exclusive right. Next to the Sciritae were placed the troops who had served in Chalcidice under Brasidas, and with them the Neodamodes. Next in order were ranged the several divisions of the Lacedaemonian arm}', and near them the Heraeans of Arcadia; next the Maenalians, and on the right wing the Tegeans, and a few Lacedaemonians at the extreme point of the line ; the cavalry were placed on both wings. This was the order of the Lacedaemonians. On the right wing of the enemy were placed the Man- tineans, because the action was to be fought in their country, and next to them such of the Arcadians as were their allies. Then came the select force of a thousand Argives, whom the city had long trained at the public expense in military exercises ; next the other Argives, and after them their allies, the Cleonaeans and Orneatae. Last of all the Athenians occupied the left wing, supported by their own cavalry. Such was the order and composition of the two armies : 68 that of the Lacedaemonians appeared to be the larger, but what the number was, either of the several contingents, or of the total on either side, I cannot pretend exactly to