Defeat of Lycurgus Near Sparta
When he had got within distance of Lycurgus, Philip
at first ordered the mercenaries to charge alone: and, accordingly, their superiority in arms and position contributed not a
little to give the Lacedaemonians the upper hand at the
beginning of the engagement. But when Philip supported his
men by sending his reserve of peltasts on to the field, and
caused the Illyrians to charge the enemy on the flanks, the
king's mercenaries were encouraged by the appearance of
these reserves to renew the battle with much more vigour than
ever; while Lycurgus's men, terrified at the approach of the
heavy-armed soldiers, gave way and fled, leaving a hundred killed
and rather more prisoners, while the rest escaped into the
town. Lycurgus himself, with a few followers going by a
deserted and pathless route, made his way into the town
under cover of night. Philip secured the hills by means of
the Illyrians; and, accompanied by his light-armed troops and
peltasts, rejoined his main forces. Just at the same time
Aratus, leading the phalanx from Amyclae, had come close
to the town. So the king, after re-crossing the Eurotas, halted
with his light-armed peltasts and cavalry until the heavy-armed
got safely through the narrow part of the road at the foot of
the hills. Then the troops in the city ventured to attack the
covering force of cavalry. There was a serious engagement,
in which the peltasts fought with conspicuous valour; and the
success of Philip being now beyond dispute, he chased the
Lacedaemonians to their very gates, and then, having got his
army safely across the Eurotas he brought up the rear of his
phalanx.
