History of the Peloponnesian War

As the battle was about to take place, Pleistoanax, the other king, set out with the older and younger men[*](cf. 5.64.3.) to bring succour, and got as far as Tegea; but learning there of the victory he returned.

The allies, too, from Corinth and from outside the Isthmus[*](cf. 5.64.4.) were turned back by messengers sent by the Lacedaemonians, who then likewise withdrew and, dismissing their allies, celebrated the festival of the Carneia; for it happened[*](Aug. 418 B.C.) to fall

at that time. And the charge brought against them at that time by the Hellenes, both of cowardice because of the calamity on the island of Sphacteria, and of general bad judgment and dilatoriness, they had wiped out by

this one action; they were thought to have incurred disgrace through ill-luck, but to be still the same in spirit. The day before this battle it happened also that the Epidaurians in full force invaded the territory of Argos, thinking to find it now undefended, and slew many of those who had been left behind as guards when the main body of the Argives had

taken the field. And now, since three thousand Elean hoplites had come to the aid of the Mantineans after the battle, and also one thousand Athenians in addition to their former contingent, all these allies marched at once against Epidaurus, while the Lacedaemonians were celebrating the Carneia, and proceeded to build a wall round the city, dividing

up the work. The rest indeed left off, but the Athenians soon finished the fortification of the promontory on which stood the Heraeum, which was the part that had been assigned to them. In this part of the fortification they left a garrison, to which all contributed, and then withdrew to their several cities. And so the summer ended.