full year had elapsed since the embarkation of Agesilaus,
and the time had come for the Thirty with Lysander to sail back home,
and for their successors, with Herippidas, to arrive. Among these
Agesilaus appointed Xenocles and another to the command of the cavalry,
Scythes to that of the heavy infantry of the enfranchised, (14)
Herippidas to that of the Cyreians, and Migdon to that of the
contingents from the states. Agesilaus gave them to understand that he
intended to lead them forthwith by the most expeditious route against
the stronghold of the country, (15) so that without further ceremony
they might prepare their minds and bodies for the tug of battle.
Tissaphernes, however, was firmly persuaded that this was only talk
intended to deceive him; Agesilaus would this time certainly invade
Caria. Accordingly he repeated his former tactics, transporting his
infantry bodily into Caria and posting his cavalry in the valley of the
Maeander. But Agesilaus was as good as his word, and at once invaded the
district of Sardis. A three days' march through a region denuded of the
enemy threw large supplies into his hands. On the fourth day the cavalry
of the enemy approached. Their general ordered the officer in charge of
his baggage-train to cross the Pactolus and encamp, while his troopers,
catching sight of stragglers from the Hellenic force scattered in
pursuit of booty, put several of them to the sword. Perceiving which,
Agesilaus ordered his cavalry to the rescue; and the Persians on their
side, seeing their advance, collected together in battle order to
receive them, with dense squadrons of horse, troop upon troop. The
Spartan, reflecting that the enemy had as yet no infantry to support
him, whilst he had all branches of the service to depend upon, concluded
that the critical moment had arrived at which to risk an engagement.
In this mood he sacrificed, and began advancing his main line of battle
against the serried lines of cavalry in front of him, at the same time
ordering the flower of his heavy infantry--the ten-years-service men
(16)--to close with them at a run, and the peltasts to bring up their
supports at the double. The order passed to his cavalry was to charge
in confidence that he and the whole body of his troops were close behind
them. The cavalry charge was received by the Persians without flinching,
but presently finding themselves environed by the full tide of war they
swerved. Some found a speedy grave with