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B.C. 390-389.[104] At a later date the Achaeans, being in possession of
Calydon, a town from old times belonging to Aetolia, and having
further incorporated the Calydonians as citizens,[105] were under the
necessity of garrisoning their new possession. The reason was, that
the Arcarnanians were threatening the place with an army, and were
aided by contingents from Athens and Boeotia, who were anxious to help
their allies.[106] Under the strain of this combined attack the Achaeans
despatched ambassadors to Lacedaemon, who on arrival complained of the
unfair conduct of Lacedaemon towards themselves. "We, sirs," they
said, "are ever ready to serve in your armies, in obedience to
whatever orders you choose to issue; we follow you whithersoever you
think fit to lead; but when it comes to our being beleaguered by the
Acarnanians, with their allies the Athenians and Boeotians, you show
not the slightest concern. Understand, then, that if things go on thus
we cannot hold out; but either we must give up all part in the war in
Peloponnesus and cross over in full force to engage the Arcarnanians,
or we must make peace with them on whatever terms we can." This
language was a tacit threat that if they failed to obtain the
assistance they felt entitled to from Lacedaemon they would quit the
alliance.
The ephors and the assembly concluded that there was no alternative
but to assist the Achaeans in their campaign against the Acarnanians.
Accordingly they sent out Agesilaus with two divisions and the proper
complement of allies. The Achaeans none the less marched out in full
force themselves. No sooner had Agesilaus crossed the gulf than there
was a general flight of the population from the country districts into
the towns, whilst the flocks and herds were driven into remote
districts that they might not be captured by the troops. Being now
arrived on the frontier of the enemy's territory, Agesilaus sent to
the general assembly of the Acarnanians at Stratus,[107] warning them
that unless they chose to give up their alliance with the Boeotians
and Athenians, and to take instead themselves and their allies, he
would ravage their territory through its length and breadth, and not
spare a single thing. When they turned a deaf ear to this summons, the
other proceeded to do what he threatened, systematically laying the
district waste, felling the timber and cutting down the fruit-trees,
while slowly moving on at the rate of ten or twelve furlongs a day.
The Acarnanians, owing to the snail-like progress of the enemy, were
lulled into a sense of security. They even began bringing down their
cattle from their alps, and devoted themselves to the tillage of far
the greater portion of their fields. But Agesilaus only waited till
their rash confidence reached its climax; then on the fifteenth or
sixteenth day after he head first entered the country he sacrificed at
early dawn, and before evening had traversed eighteen miles[108] or so
of country to the lake[109] round which were collected nearly all the
flocks and herds of the Acarnanians, and so captured a vast quantity
of cattle, horses, and grazing stock of all kinds, besides numerous
slaves.
Having secured this prize, he stayed on the spot the whole of the
following day, and devoted himself to disposing of the captured
property by public sale. While he was thus engaged, a large body of
Arcarnanian light infantry appeared, and availing themselves of the
position in which Agesilaus was encamped against the mountain side,
assailed him with volleys of sling-stones and rocks from the
razor-edge of the mountain, without suffering any scathe themselves.
By this means they succeeded in dislodging and forcing his troops down
into the level plain, and that too at an hour when the whole camp was
engaged in preparations for the evening meal. As night drew on, the
Acarnanians retired; sentinels were posted, and the troops slept in
peace.
Next day Agesilaus led off his army. The exit from the plain and
meadow-land round the lake was a narrow aperture through a close
encircling range of hills. In occupation of this mountain barrier the
Acarnanians, from the vantage-ground above, poured down a continuous
pelt of stones and other missiles, or, creeping down to the fringes,
dogged and annoyed them so much that the army was no longer able to
proceed. If the heavy infantry or cavalry made sallies from the main
line they did no harm to their assailants, for the Acarnanians had
only to retire and they had quickly gained their strongholds. It was
too severe a task, Agesilaus thought, to force his way through the
narrow pass so sorely beset. He made up his mind, therefore, to charge
that portion of the enemy who dogged his left, though these were
pretty numerous. The range of hills on this side was more accessible
to heavy infantry and horse alike. During the interval needed for the
inspection of victims, the Acarnanians kept plying them with javelins
and bullets, and, coming into close proximity, wounded man after man.
But presently came the word of command, "Advance!" and the fifteen-
years-service men of the heavy infantry[110] ran forward, accompanied by
the cavalry, at a round pace, the general himself steadily following
with the rest of the column. Those of the Acarnanians who had crept
down the mountain side at that instant in the midst of their
sharpshooting turned and fled, and as they climbed the steep, man
after man was slain. When, however, the top of the pass was reached,
there stood the hoplites of the Acarnanians drawn up in battle line,
and supported by the mass of their light infantry. There they steadily
waited, keeping up a continuous discharge of missiles the while, or
launching their long spears; whereby they dealt wounds to the cavalry
troopers and death in some cases to the horses. But when they were all
but within the clutches of the advancing heavy infantry[111] of the
Lacedaemonians their firmness forsook them; they swerved and fled, and
there died of them on that day about three hundred. So ended the
affair.
Agesilaus set up a trophy of victory, and afterwards making a tour of
the country, he visited it with fire and sword.[112] Occasionally, in
obedience to pressure put upon him by the Achaeans, he would assault
some city, but did not capture a single one. And now, as the season of
autumn rapidly approached, he prepared to leave the country; whereupon
the Achaeans, who looked upon his exploits as abortive, seeing that
not a single city, willingly or unwillingly, had as yet been detached
from their opponents, begged him, as the smallest service he could
render them, at any rate to stay long enough in the country to prevent
the Acarnanians from sowing their corn. He answered that the course
they suggested ran counter to expediency. "You forget," he said, "that
I mean to invade your enemies again next summer; and therefore the
larger their sowing now, the stronger will be their appetite for peace
hereafter." With this retort he withdrew overland through Aetolia, and
by roads, moreover, which no army, small or great, could possibly have
traversed without the consent of the inhabitants. The Aetolians,
however, were only too glad to yield the Spartan king a free passage,
cherishing hopes as they did that he would aid them to recover
Naupactus. On reaching Rhium[113] he crossed the gulf at that point and
returned homewards, the more direct passage from Calydon to
Peloponnesus being effectually barred by an Athenian squadron
stationed at Oeniadae.
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