§15.62.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Πελοπόννησον Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν Πολύτροπον στρατηγὸν ἐξέπεμψαν εἰς τὴν Ἀρκαδίαν, ἔχοντα πολιτικοὺς μὲν ὁπλίτας χιλίους, φυγάδας δʼ Ἀργείων καὶ Βοιωτῶν πεντακοσίους.
In the Peloponnese, the Lacedaemonians sent Polytropos as general into Arcadia, having with him one thousand citizen hoplites and five hundred exiles of the Argives and Boeotians.
οὗτος δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς Ὀρχομενὸν τὸν Ἀρκαδικὸν παρεφύλαττε τὴν πόλιν ταύτην, οἰκείως διακειμένην πρὸς τοὺς Σπαρτιάτας.
Having arrived at Arcadian Orchomenus, he guarded this city, which was friendly disposed toward the Spartans.
§15.62.2Λυκομήδης δʼ ὁ Μαντινεύς, στρατηγὸς ὢν τῶν Ἀρκάδων, παραλαβὼν τοὺς καλουμένους ἐπιλέκτους, ὄντας πεντακισχιλίους, ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ὀρχομενόν.
Lycomedes of Mantinea, being the general of the Arcadians, took the so-called select troops, who were five thousand in number, and came against Orchomenus.
προαγαγόντων δὲ τὴν δύναμιν Λακεδαιμονίων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐγένετο μάχη καρτερά, καθʼ ἣν ὅ τε στρατηγὸς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀνῃρέθη καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰς διακοσίους· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ συνεδιώχθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
When the Lacedaemonians led their force out of the city, a fierce battle took place, in which both the general of the Lacedaemonians was slain and about two hundred of the others; and the rest were pursued together into the city.
§15.62.3οἱ δὲ Ἀρκάδες, καίπερ νενικηκότες, ὅμως εὐλαβοῦντο τὸ βάρος τῆς Σπάρτης, καὶ καθʼ αὑτοὺς οὐχ ὑπέλαβον δυνήσεσθαι τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις διαπολεμεῖν.
The Arcadians, although they had been victorious, nevertheless feared the weight of Sparta, and did not suppose that by themselves they would be able to carry the war to an end against the Lacedaemonians.
διὸ καὶ παραλαβόντες Ἀργείους τε καὶ Ἠλείους, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλαν εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας, ἀξιοῦντες συμμαχίαν ποιήσασθαι κατὰ τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν, ὡς δʼ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς προσεῖχε, διαπρεσβευσάμενοι πρὸς τοὺς Θηβαίους ἔπεισαν αὐτοὺς συμμαχίαν συνθέσθαι κατὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων.
Therefore, having joined with them both the Argives and the Eleans, at first they dispatched ambassadors to Athens, requesting to make an alliance against the Spartans; but when no one paid attention to them, they sent embassies to the Thebans and persuaded them to conclude an alliance against the Lacedaemonians.
§15.62.4εὐθὺς οὖν οἱ Βοιωτοὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἐξῆγον, προσλαβόμενοι συμμάχους Λοκρούς τε καὶ Φωκεῖς.
Immediately, therefore, the Boeotians led out their force, taking as allies both the Locrians and the Phocians.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν προῆγον ἐπὶ τὴν Πελοπόννησον, βοιωταρχούντων Ἐπαμεινώνδου καὶ Πελοπίδου· τούτοις γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι βοιωτάρχαι παρεκεχωρήκεισαν ἑκουσίως τῆς στρατηγίας διά τε τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν τῶν ἀνδρῶν.
These, then, advanced into the Peloponnese, with Epaminondas and Pelopidas serving as boeotarchs; for the other boeotarchs had voluntarily yielded the command to them because of both the intelligence and the bravery of the men.
§15.62.5ὡς δὲ κατήντησαν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀρκαδίαν, ἧκον πρὸς αὐτοὺς πανδημεὶ οἵ τε Ἀρκάδες καὶ Ἠλεῖοι καὶ Ἀργεῖοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι σύμμαχοι πάντες.
When they arrived in Arcadia, the Arcadians, Eleans, Argives, and all the other allies came to meet them in full force.
ἀθροισθέντων δὲ πλειόνων ἢ πεντακισμυρίων, οἱ μὲν ἡγεμόνες αὐτῶν συνεδρεύσαντες ἔγνωσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν βαδίζειν τὴν Σπάρτην καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Λακωνικὴν πορθῆσαι.
When more than fifty thousand men had assembled, their leaders held a council and decided to march against Sparta itself and to ravage the whole of Laconia.