Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/75

I 89-92] THE ATHENIANS FORTIFY DELIUM 67 had once existed had fallen down. They began their work on the third day after their departure from Athens, and continued all this day and the next and the following day until the midday meal. When it was nearly finished the army retired from Delium to a distance of a little more than a mile, intending to go home. The greater part of the light-armed troops proceeded on their march, but the hoplites piled their arms and rested. Hippocrates, who had remained behind, was occupied in placing the guards at their posts, and in superintending the completion of that part of the outworks which was still unfinished. Meanwhile the Boeotians were gathering at Tanagra. 91 All the forces from the different cities ^, „ , The Boeotians at had now arrived. They saw that the //,,, i„stigation of Pa- Athenians were already marching gondas determine to homewards, and most of the Boeotarchs P^'^^^^f'^ Athenians across the border, (who are in number eleven) disapproved of giving battle, because the enemy had left the Boeotian territor}'. For when the Athenians rested in their march they were just on the borders of Oropia. But Pagondas the son of Aeoladas, one of the two Boeotarchs from Thebes, who was in command at the time (the other being Arianthidas the son of Lysimachidas), ^ wanted to fight % believing that the risk was worth encountering. So calling the soldiers to him in successive divisions, that they might not all leave their arms at once, he exhorted the Boeotians to march against the Athenians and to hazard battle, in the following words :— ' Men of Boeotia, no one among us generals should ever 92 have allowed the thought to enter his mind that we ought not to fight with the Athenians, even although we may not overtake them on Boeotian soil. They have crossed our frontier ; it is Boeotia in which they have built a fort, and Boeotia which they intend to lay waste. Our enemies " Or, omitting the words ' who was in command at the time ' : ' wanted to fight while he held the command.'