§15.68.1τούτων δὲ πραχθέντων Ἀρκάδες καὶ Ἀργεῖοι καὶ Ἠλεῖοι συμφρονήσαντες ἔγνωσαν στρατεύειν ἐπὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, καὶ πρεσβεύσαντες πρὸς Βοιωτοὺς ἔπεισαν αὐτοὺς κοινωνεῖν τοῦ πολέμου.
When these things had been accomplished, the Arcadians, Argives, and Eleans, having come to a common agreement, resolved to campaign against the Lacedaemonians, and having sent ambassadors to the Boeotians, they persuaded them to take part in the war.
οἱ δʼ Ἐπαμεινώνδαν καταστήσαντες ἡγεμόνα μετʼ ἄλλων βοιωταρχῶν, ἐξέπεμψαν στρατιώτας πεζοὺς μὲν ἑπτακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δʼ ἑξακοσίους.
And they, having appointed Epaminondas as commander along with other Boeotarchs, sent out seven thousand infantry and six hundred cavalry.
Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ πυθόμενοι τὴν Βοιωτῶν στρατιὰν παριοῦσαν εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον, ἐξέπεμψαν δύναμιν καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς Χαβρίαν.
The Athenians, having learned that the Boeotian army was passing into the Peloponnese, sent out a force and Chabrias as general in command of it.
§15.68.2οὗτος δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς Κόρινθον, καὶ προσλαβόμενος καὶ παρὰ Μεγαρέων καὶ Πελληνέων, ἔτι δὲ Κορινθίων στρατιώτας, στρατόπεδον συνεστήσατο ἀνδρῶν μυρίων·
He, having arrived at Corinth and having taken in addition soldiers from the Megarians and Pellenians, and also from the Corinthians, assembled an army of ten thousand men.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων παραγενομένων εἰς Κόρινθον συνήχθησαν οἱ σύμπαντες οὐκ ἐλάττους δισμυρίων.
After this, when the Lacedaemonians and the other allies had arrived at Corinth, the whole force assembled was no fewer than twenty thousand.
§15.68.3ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὀχυρώσασθαι τὰς παρόδους καὶ διακωλύειν τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς τῆς εἰς Πελοπόννησον εἰσβολῆς.
Therefore, it seemed best to them to fortify the passes and to prevent the Boeotians from invading the Peloponnese.
ἀρξάμενοι δʼ ἀπὸ Κεγχρεῶν μέχρι Λεχαίου σταυρώμασι καὶ βαθείαις τάφροις διελάμβανον τὸν τόπον·
Starting from Cenchreae as far as Lechaeum, they blocked off the area with palisades and deep trenches.
ταχὺ δὲ τῶν ἔργων συντελουμένων διά τε τὴν πολυχειρίαν καὶ τὰς προθυμίας τῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἔφθασαν τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς πάντα τόπον ὀχυρώσαντες.
And since the works were completed quickly because of both the large number of hands and the eagerness of the men, they anticipated the Boeotians by fortifying the whole place.
§15.68.4ὁ δʼ Ἐπαμεινώνδας ἥκων μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπεσκέψατο, καὶ κατανοήσας εὐεφοδώτατον εἶναι τόπον καθʼ ὃν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι παρεφύλαττον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον προεκαλεῖτο τοὺς πολεμίους εἰς παράταξιν, σχεδὸν τριπλασίους ὄντας τοῖς πλήθεσιν, οὐδενὸς δὲ τολμῶντος ἐκτὸς τοῦ τειχίσματος προελθεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ χαρακώματος ἀμυνομένων ἁπάντων, προσῆγε τὴν βίαν τοῖς πολεμίοις.
Epaminondas, having arrived with his force, reconnoitered, and having understood that the place where the Lacedaemonians were keeping guard was the easiest to assault, at first challenged the enemy to a pitched battle, although they were nearly threefold in numbers; but as no one dared to come out beyond the fortification, and all defended themselves from the rampart, he brought force against the enemy.
§15.68.5κατὰ πάντα μὲν οὖν τὸν τόπον ἐγίνοντο προσβολαὶ καρτεραί, μάλιστα δὲ κατὰ Λακεδαιμονίους, εὐεφόδων ὄντων καὶ δυσφυλάκτων τῶν τόπων.
Strong assaults were made in every direction, but especially against the Lacedaemonians, as their positions were easily approachable and difficult to guard.
μεγάλης δὲ φιλοτιμίας γενομένης παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις, Ἐπαμεινώνδας ἔχων μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν Θηβαίων μόγις ἐβιάσατο τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους·
As a great rivalry arose on both sides, Epaminondas, having with him the best of the Thebans, with difficulty forced back the Lacedaemonians.
διακόψας δὲ τὴν φυλακὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν διαγαγὼν παρῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον, διαπραξάμενος ἔργον οὐδὲν τῶν προκατειργασμένων καταδεέστερον.
Having broken through their guard and led his force through, he passed into the Peloponnese, having achieved a deed in no way inferior to his previous accomplishments.