The histories of Herodotus;

32 HERODOTUS—BOOK I, CLIO [8(^82
the camels and saw them than they wheeled round, and the
hopes of Croesus were destroyed. Nevertheless, the Lydians
were not therefore discouraged, but when they perceived what
had happened, leaped from their horses and engaged with the
Persians on foot ; at last, when many had fallen on both sides,
the Lydians were put to flight, and being shut up within the
walls, were besieged by the Persians.
Siege was then laid to them; but Croesus, thinking it
would last a long time, sent other messengers from the city to
his allies ; for those whom he had sent before requested them
to assemble at Sardis on the fifth month, but he sent out these
last to request them to succour him with all speed, as he was
already besieged. He sent therefore to the rest of his allies,
and especially to the Lacedaemonians ; but at that very time the
Spartans themselves happened to have a quarrel with the Argians
about a tract called Thyrea, for this Thyrea, which
properly belongs to the territory of Argos, the Spartans had
seized. And indeed the country that lies westward as far as
Malea, both on the continent, and the island Cythera and the
other islands, belongs to the Argians. The Argians having
advanced to the defence of their country which had been thus
seized upon, both parties, upon a conference, agreed that three
hundred men on each side should engage, and that whichever
party was victorious should be entitled to the disputed territory:
but it was stipulated that the main body of each army
should withdraw to their own country, and not remain while
the engagement was going on, lest, if the armies were present,
either side, seeing their countrymen in distress, should come
to their assistance. Having agreed to these terms, the armies
withdrew, and the picked men on each side remaining behind
engaged : they fought with such equal success that of
the six hundred, only three men were left alive; of the Argians,
Alcenor and Chromius, and of the Lacedaemonians,
Othryades ; these survived when night came on. The two
Argians, thinking themselves victorious, ran to Argus with
the news ; but Othryades, the Lacedaemonian, having stripped
the corpses of the Argians, and carried their arms to his own
camp, continued at his post. On the next day both armies,
being informed of the event, met again in the same place, and
the one side alleging
for a time both laid claim to the victory ;
that the greater number of their men survived, the other
side urging that those survivors had fled, and that their countryman
had kept the field and spoiled their dead. At length,
from words they betook themselves to blows ; and when many
had fallen on both sides, the Lacedaemonians obtained the vie-