History of the Peloponnesian War

Not long afterwards there came from Egesta three hundred horsemen, and from the Sicels, Naxians, and some others about one hundred; and the Athenians had already two hundred and fifty, for whom they received some horses from the Egestaeans and Catanaeans and purchased others; so that altogether six hundred and fifty cavalry were mustered.

Placing a garrison at Labdalum, the Athenians advanced to Syce, where they took position and built the round fort[*](Syke (ie. a place set with fig-trees; see Steph. s. v συκαί)is probably to be located in the middle of the plateau of Epipolae. Here the Athenians built first a circular fort, which later was the starting-point for the wall of circumvallation extending northward towards Trogilus and southward to the Great Harbour. See Map, and also Holm ii. 387 and Freeman, Sic. iii. 662 ff.) with all speed. The Syracusans were struck with consternation by the rapidity of their building; and they went out against them, determined to give battle and not look on idly.

And when they were already drawing up for the conflict the generals of the Syracusans, seeing that their own army had become disordered and did not readily get into line, led them back to the city, all save a part of the cavalry. These remained behind and tried to prevent the Athenians from bringing stones and scattering to any great distance.

But one tribal[*](φυλή is here used for τάξις, the term being borrowed from the civil classification. Each of the ten tribes furnished a division (τάξις).) division of the Athenian hoplites, and with these all their cavalry, attacked and routed the Syracusan cavalry, killed some, and set up a trophy of the cavalry fight.