§6.77.1Ἀργεῖοι δὲ ἐβοήθεον πυνθανόμενοι ταῦτα ἐπὶ θάλασσαν·
The Argives, on learning this, marched to the sea to help.
ὡς δὲ ἀγχοῦ μὲν ἐγίνοντο τῆς Τίρυνθος, χώρῳ δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κεῖται Ἡσίπεια οὔνομα, μεταίχμιον οὐ μέγα ἀπολιπόντες ἵζοντο ἀντίοι τοῖσι Λακεδαιμονίοισι.
And when they came near Tiryns, at this place which is named Hesipeia, leaving no great space between the armies, they encamped opposite the Lacedaemonians.
ἐνθαῦτα δὴ οἱ Ἀργεῖοι τὴν μὲν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ μάχην οὐκ ἐφοβέοντο, ἀλλὰ μὴ δόλῳ αἱρεθέωσι·
There indeed the Argives did not fear an open battle, but rather that they might be taken by guile.
§6.77.2καὶ γὰρ δή σφι ἐς τοῦτο τὸ πρῆγμα εἶχε τὸ χρηστήριον τὸ ἐπίκοινα ἔχρησε ἡ Πυθίη τούτοισί τε καὶ Μιλησίοισι, λέγον ὧδε. "
ἀλλʼ ὅταν ἡ θήλεια τὸν ἄρσενα νικήσασα
ἐξελάσῃ καὶ κῦδος ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἄρηται,
πολλὰς Ἀργείων ἀμφιδρυφέας τότε θήσει.
For indeed they had an oracle which pointed to this very matter, which the Pythia had delivered in common to them and to the Milesians, saying as follows: "But when the female, having conquered the male, shall drive him out and win glory among the Argives, then she shall make many of the Argive women tear both their cheeks.
ὧς ποτέ τις ἐρέει καὶ ἐπεσσομένων ἀνθρώπων
δεινὸς ὄφις τριέλικτος ἀπώλετο δουρὶ δαμασθείς. " §6.77.3ταῦτα δὴ πάντα συνελθόντα τοῖσι Ἀργείοισι φόβον παρεῖχε.
Thus shall one of future generations say hereafter: 'The dread thrice-coiled serpent has perished, vanquished by the spear.'" All these things coming together brought fear upon the Argives.
καὶ δή σφι πρὸς ταῦτα ἔδοξε τῷ κήρυκι τῶν πολεμίων χρᾶσθαι, δόξαν δέ σφι ἐποίεον τοιόνδε· ὅκως ὁ Σπαρτιήτης κῆρυξ προσημαίνοι τι Λακεδαιμονίοισι, ἐποίευν καὶ οἱ Ἀργεῖοι τὠυτὸ τοῦτο.
And so it seemed good to them to make use of the enemy's herald, and having so decided, they acted as follows: whenever the Spartan herald made any signal to the Lacedaemonians, the Argives also did this very same thing.