e ashamed of
deserting their positions when hard pressed; flight and attack are
with them equally honourable, and afford no test of courage; their
independent mode of fighting never leaving any one who wants to run away
without a fair excuse for so doing. In short, they think frightening
you at a secure distance a surer game than meeting you hand to hand;
otherwise they would have done the one and not the other. You can thus
plainly see that the terrors with which they were at first invested are
in fact trifling enough, though to the eye and ear very prominent. Stand
your ground therefore when they advance, and again wait your opportunity
to retire in good order, and you will reach a place of safety all the
sooner, and will know for ever afterwards that rabble such as these, to
those who sustain their first attack, do but show off their courage by
threats of the terrible things that they are going to do, at a distance,
but with those who give way to them are quick enough to display their
heroism in pursuit when they can do so without danger."

With this brief address Brasidas began to lead off his army. Seeing
this, the barbarians came on with much shouting and hubbub, thinking
that he was flying and that they would overtake him and cut him off. But
wherever they charged they found the young men ready to dash out against
them, while Brasidas with his picked company sustained their onset. Thus
the Peloponnesians withstood the first attack, to the surprise of the
enemy, and afterwards received and repulsed them as fast as they came
on, retiring as soon as their opponents became quiet. The main body of
the barbarians ceased therefore to molest the Hellenes with Brasidas in
the open country, and leaving behind a certain number to harass their
march, the rest went on after the flying Macedonians, slaying those
with whom they came up, and so arrived in time to occupy the narrow pass
between two hills that leads into the country of Arrhabaeus. They knew
that this was the only way by which Brasidas could retreat, and now
proceeded to surround him just as he entered the most impracticable part
of the road, in order to cut him off.

Brasidas, perceiving their intention, told his three hundred to run on
without order, each as quickly as he could, to the hill which seemed
easiest to take, and to try to dislodge the barbarians already there,
before they should be joined by the main body closing round him. These
attacked and overpow