History of the Peloponnesian War

The Argives discovered this and, it being now day, came to the rescue from Nemea. and falling in with the force of the Phliasians and Corinthians slew a few of the Phliasians, but had rather more of their own men slain by the Corinthians.

Meanwhile the Boeotians, Megarians and Sicyonians advanced toward Nemea as they had been ordered, but found the Argives no longer there; for these had gone down and, seeing their country being ravaged, were forming for battle, while the Lacedaemonians were preparing to meet them.

The Argives were hemmed in on all sides: in the direction of the plain the Lacedaemonians and their associates shut them off from the city; above were the Corinthians, Phliasians and Pellenians; towards Nemea were the Boeotians, Sicyonians, and Megarians. They had no cavalry at hand, for the Athenians[*](Upon their cavalry the Argives had relied. Their coming is announced 5.61.1.) alone of their allies had not yet arrived.

The main body of the Argives and their allies thought their present situation was not so very dangerous, but that the battle was likely to be fought under favourable circumstances, and that the Lacedaemonians had been cut off in their country and close to the city of Argos.

But two of the Argives—Thrasyllus, one of the five generals, and Alciphron, proxenus of the Lacedaemonians— when the two armies were all but in collision, went to Agis and urged him not to bring on a battle; for the Argives were ready to offer as well as to accept a fair and impartial arbitration of any complaint which the Lacedaemonians had against the Argives, and for the future to make a treaty and keep the peace.