33.15
Androsthenes, in perfect ignorance of all
this, marched out from Corinth and encamped by the Nemea, a stream which
divides the territory of Corinth from that of Sicyon. Here, leaving half his
army in camp, he formed the other half and the whole of the cavalry into
three divisions and ordered them to make simultaneous raids in the territories
of Pellene, Sicyon and Phlius. The three divisions marched off on their
separate errands. As soon as intelligence of this was brought to Nicostratus
at Cleonae, he promptly sent a strong detachment of mercenaries to seize the
pass leading to Corinth. He followed with his army in two columns, the
cavalry forming an advanced guard. In one column marched the mercenaries
and light infantry; in the other the hoplites, the main strength of all Greek
armies. When they were not far from the hostile camp some of the Thracians
began to attack the parties of the enemy scattered in the fields. The camp
was filled with sudden alarm and the commander was surprised and
bewildered. He had never seen the enemy, unless it were a few here and
there on the hills before Sicyon, as they did not venture on the lower ground,
and he never supposed that they would leave their position at Cleonae and
take the aggressive against him. The dispersed parties were recalled to camp
by sound of trumpet, and, ordering the soldiers to seize their arms with all
speed, he hurried out, of the camp with a weak force and formed his line on
the river bank. The other troops had hardly had time to collect and form, and
did not withstand the first charge, but the Macedonians, who formed the
bulk of the fighting line, made the victory for a long time doubtful. At length,
with their flank exposed by the flight of the rest of the army and subjected to
two separate attacks from the light infantry on their flank and the hoplites
and heavy armed on their front, they began to give ground, and, as the
pressure increased, turned and fled. The greater number flung away their
arms and, abandoning all hope of holding their camp, made for Corinth.
Against these Nicostratus sent his mercenaries in pursuit, and despatched the
cavalry and Thracian auxiliaries to attack the plundering parties round
Sicyon. Here too there was great slaughter, almost more, in fact, than in the
actual battle. Some who had been ravaging the country round Pellene and
Phlius were returning to camp, in no military formation and unaware of all
that had happened, when they fell in with the enemy patrols where they had
expected to find their own. Others, seeing men running in all directions,
suspected what had happened and fled with such precipitation that they lost
themselves and even the peasantry were able to cut them off. 1500 men fell
on that day and 300 prisoners were secured. The whole of Achaia was
delivered from a great fear.
