History of the Peloponnesian War

It happened too, that Agis, on perceiving the Lacedaemonian left wing, which was opposed to the Montineans and the thousand Argives, to be hard pressed, gave orders for the whole army to advance to the support of the division which was being defeated.

And when this was done, the Athenians meanwhile, as the enemy's forces passed on and withdrew from them, escaped at their leisure, and with them the beaten division of the Argives. The Mantineans and their allies, on the other hand, and the picked men of the Argives, were no longer disposed to press on their adversaries; but seeing their own side defeated, and the Lacedaemonians advancing against them, they took to flight.

And of the Mantineans many were slain, but of the picked Argives the great majority escaped. However, the flight and retreat were not hard pressed, nor to any great distance; for though the Lacedaemonians, until they have routed their enemies, fight for a long time, and stubbornly, as regards standing their ground; yet when they have routed them, they pursue but for a short time and for a little distance.

Of such a character then, and answering as nearly as possible to this description, was the battle—the greatest that had occurred for a very long time amongst the Greeks, and fought by the most considerable states.

The Lacedaemonians, after piling their arms in front of the enemy's dead, immediately erected a trophy, and stripped the slain; and taking up their own dead carried them back to Tegea, where they were buried, while they restored the enemy's under truce.

There were killed, of the Argives, Orneans, and Cleonaeans, seven hundred; of the Mantineans, two hundred; and the same number of the Athenians including the Aeginetans, with their generals. On the side of the Lacedaemonians, the allies did not suffer to such an extent that any number worth mentioning were killed; and of themselves it was difficult to learn the truth, but about three hundred were said to have fallen.