taken, the rest of the country, they felt convinced, would speedily
follow.

The Acarnanians, finding themselves invaded by a large army by land, and
from the sea threatened by a hostile fleet, made no combined attempt
at resistance, but remained to defend their homes, and sent for help to
Phormio, who replied that, when a fleet was on the point of sailing from
Corinth, it was impossible for him to leave Naupactus unprotected. The
Peloponnesians meanwhile and their allies advanced upon Stratus in three
divisions, with the intention of encamping near it and attempting the
wall by force if they failed to succeed by negotiation. The order of
march was as follows: the centre was occupied by the Chaonians and the
rest of the barbarians, with the Leucadians and Anactorians and
their followers on the right, and Cnemus with the Peloponnesians and
Ambraciots on the left; each division being a long way off from, and
sometimes even out of sight of, the others. The Hellenes advanced in
good order, keeping a look-out till they encamped in a good position;
but the Chaonians, filled with self-confidence, and having the highest
character for courage among the tribes of that part of the continent,
without waiting to occupy their camp, rushed on with the rest of the
barbarians, in the idea that they should take the town by assault and
obtain the sole glory of the enterprise. While they were coming on, the
Stratians, becoming aware how things stood, and thinking that the defeat
of this division would considerably dishearten the Hellenes behind it,
occupied the environs of the town with ambuscades, and as soon as
they approached engaged them at close quarters from the city and the
ambuscades. A panic seizing the Chaonians, great numbers of them
were slain; and as soon as they were seen to give way the rest of the
barbarians turned and fled. Owing to the distance by which their allies
had preceded them, neither of the Hellenic divisions knew anything of
the battle, but fancied they were hastening on to encamp. However, when
the flying barbarians broke in upon them, they opened their ranks to
receive them, brought their divisions together, and stopped quiet where
they were for the day; the Stratians not offering to engage them, as the
rest of the Acarnanians had not yet arrived, but contenting themselves
with slinging at them from a distance, which distressed them greatly, as
there was no stirring without their armour. The Acarnanians would