ns was to
secure the farms and country houses against the plunderings and forays
to which they would be exposed, if there were no armed force to
protect them. With this object a protecting force was despatched to
the "boundary estates," (2) about two miles south of Phyle. This corps
consisted of the Lacedaemonian guards, or nearly all of them, and two
divisions of horse. (3) They encamped in a wild and broken district, and
the round of their duties commenced.

(1) "A strong fortress (the remains of which still exist) commanding
the narrow pass across Mount Parnes, through which runs the direct
road from Thebes to Athens, past Acharnae. The precipitous rock on
which it stands can only be approached by a ridge on the eastern
side. The height commands a magnificent view of the whole Athenian
plain, of the city itself, of Mount Hymettus, and the Saronic
Gulf,"--"Dict. of Geog., The demi of the Diacria and Mount
Parnes."

(2) Cf. Boeckh, "P. E. A." p. 63, Eng. ed.

(3) Lit. tribes, each of the ten tribes furnishing about one hundred
horse.

But by this time the small garrison above them had increased tenfold,
until there were now something like seven hundred men collected in
Phyle; and with these Thrasybulus one night descended. When he was not
quite half a mile from the enemy's encampment he grounded arms, and a
deep silence was maintained until it drew towards day. In a little while
the men opposite, one by one, were getting to their legs or leaving the
camp for necessary purposes, while a suppressed din and murmur arose,
caused by the grooms currying and combing their horses. This was the
moment for Thrasybulus and his men to snatch up their arms and make a
dash at the enemy's position. Some they felled on the spot; and routing
the whole body, pursued them six or seven furlongs, killing one
hundred and twenty hoplites and more. Of the cavalry, Nicostratus, "the
beautiful," as men called him, and two others besides were slain; they
were caught while still in their beds. Returning from the pursuit,
the victors set up a trophy, got together all the arms they had taken,
besides baggage, and retired again to Phyle. A reinforcement of horse
sent from the city could not discover the vestige of a foe; but waited
on the scene of battle until the bodies of the slain had been picked up
by their relatives, when they withdrew again to the city.

After this the Thirty, who had begun to realise t