thout having done anything worthy of their strength. Indeed
this was by far the finest Hellenic army ever yet brought together; and
it should have been seen while it was still united at Nemea, with the
Lacedaemonians in full force, the Arcadians, Boeotians, Corinthians,
Sicyonians, Pellenians, Phliasians and Megarians, and all these the
flower of their respective populations, thinking themselves a match not
merely for the Argive confederacy, but for another such added to it. The
army thus retired blaming Agis, and returned every man to his home. The
Argives however blamed still more loudly the persons who had concluded
the truce without consulting the people, themselves thinking that they
had let escape with the Lacedaemonians an opportunity such as they
should never see again; as the struggle would have been under the walls
of their city, and by the side of many and brave allies. On their return
accordingly they began to stone Thrasylus in the bed of the Charadrus,
where they try all military causes before entering the city. Thrasylus
fled to the altar, and so saved his life; his property however they
confiscated.

After this arrived a thousand Athenian heavy infantry and three hundred
horse, under the command of Laches and Nicostratus; whom the Argives,
being nevertheless loath to break the truce with the Lacedaemonians,
begged to depart, and refused to bring before the people, to whom they
had a communication to make, until compelled to do so by the entreaties
of the Mantineans and Eleans, who were still at Argos. The Athenians, by
the mouth of Alcibiades their ambassador there present, told the Argives
and the allies that they had no right to make a truce at all without
the consent of their fellow confederates, and now that the Athenians
had arrived so opportunely the war ought to be resumed. These arguments
proving successful with the allies, they immediately marched upon
Orchomenos, all except the Argives, who, although they had consented
like the rest, stayed behind at first, but eventually joined the others.
They now all sat down and besieged Orchomenos, and made assaults upon
it; one of their reasons for desiring to gain this place being that
hostages from Arcadia had been lodged there by the Lacedaemonians. The
Orchomenians, alarmed at the weakness of their wall and the numbers of
the enemy, and at the risk they ran of perishing before relief arrived,
capitulated upon condition of joining the league, of giving