History of the Peloponnesian War

The Argives, having discovered it, advanced from Nemea, when it was now day, to their succour; and falling in with the forces of the Phliasians and Corinthians, killed a few of the former, but themselves had rather more killed by the latter.

And now the Boeotians, Megareans, and Sicyonians advanced, as they had been ordered, towards Nemea, and found the Argives no longer there; but they had gone down, on seing their property ravaged, and were forming for battle; while the Lacedaemonians also were preparing to meet them.

Now the Argives were intercepted in the midst of their enemies; for on the side of the plain the Lacedaemonians and those with them excluded them from their city; above them were the Corinthians, Phliasians, and Pellenians; and in the direction of Nemea the Boeotians, Sicyonians, and Megareans. They had no cavalry with them; [*]( Implying, of course, that the Athenians were the only people amongst he confederates who had any cavalry.) for the Athenians alone of all the allies had not yet joined them.

Now the mass of the Argives and their allies did not consider their present position so formidable; but fancied that the battle would be fought on favourable terms, and that they had intercepted the Lacedaemonians in their own country, and close by their city.

But two individuals of the Argives, Thrasyllus, one of the five generals, and Alciphron, the proxenus of the Lacedaemonians, when the armies were now on the very point of engaging, went to Agis, and in a conference urged him not to bring on a battle; since the Argives were prepared to give and accept fair and equal arbitration for whatever complaints the Lacedaemonians had against them, and to make a treaty and live in peace for the future.