§9.8.1δοκεῖ δέ μοι δικαίως ἄν τις ἐπισημήνασθαι κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν τάς τε Καρχηδονίων καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἀρετὰς καὶ φιλοτιμίας ἐν τῷ πολεμεῖν.
And it seems to me that one might justly point out at this time the valor and rivalry of both the Carthaginians and the Romans in their conduct of the war.
§9.8.2καθάπερ γὰρ Ἐπαμινώνδαν τὸν Θηβαῖον θαυμάζουσι πάντες, διότι παραγενόμενος εἰς Τεγέαν μετὰ τῶν συμμάχων καὶ θεωρήσας τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους αὐτούς τε πανδημεὶ παραγεγονότας εἰς Μαντίνειαν καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους εἰς ταύτην ἡθροικότας τὴν πόλιν, ὡς παραταξομένους τοῖς Θηβαίοις, §9.8.3δειπνοποιήσασθαι τοῖς αὑτοῦ καθʼ ὥραν παραγγείλας ἐξῆγε τὴν δύναμιν ἄρτι τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπιγινομένης, ὡς τῆς παρατάξεως χάριν σπεύδων εὐκαίρους τινὰς προκαταλαβέσθαι τόπους, §9.8.4τοιαύτην δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς δόξαν ἐνεργασάμενος προῆγε, ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν τὴν Λακεδαίμονα, §9.8.5προσμίξας δὲ περὶ τρίτην ὥραν τῇ πόλει παραδόξως καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Σπάρτην ἔρημον τῶν βοηθησόντων, μέχρι μὲν ἀγορᾶς ἐβιάσατο καὶ κατέσχε τῆς πόλεως τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐστραμμένους τόπους. §9.8.6γενομένης δὲ περιπετείας, καί τινος αὐτομόλου τὴν νύκτα διαπεσόντος εἰς τὴν Μαντίνειαν καὶ διασαφήσαντος Ἀγησιλάῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ συμβαῖνον, καὶ τῶν βοηθούντων παραγενομένων εἰς τὸν τῆς καταλήψεως καιρόν,
For just as everyone admires Epaminondas the Theban, because, having arrived at Tegea with his allies and having observed that the Lacedaemonians themselves had come with their whole force to Mantinea and that their allies had assembled in this city, with the intention of drawing up against the Thebans, having ordered his own men to take their dinner in due time, he led out his force just as night was coming on, pretending to hasten to pre-occupy certain favorable positions for the sake of drawing up for battle, and having produced such an impression among the many, he advanced, making his march towards Lacedaemon itself, and having unexpectedly approached the city about the third hour and found Sparta empty of those who would defend it, he forced his way as far as the marketplace and occupied the places of the city turned towards the river.
§9.8.7ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀπεσφάλη, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τὸν Εὐρώταν ἀριστοποιησάμενος καὶ προσαναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν ἐκ τῆς κακοπαθείας, ὥρμα πάλιν ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδόν, §9.8.8συλλογιζόμενος ὅτι συμβήσεται τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τῶν συμμάχων παραβεβοηθηκότων εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην ἔρημον πάλιν καταλείπεσθαι τὴν Μαντίνειαν· ὃ καὶ συνέβη γενέσθαι.
But a turn of fortune having occurred, and a certain deserter having slipped away by night to Mantinea and made clear to King Agesilaus what was happening, and the rescuers having arrived at the very moment of the occupation, he was frustrated of this hope; but after this, having given his force their meal near the Eurotas and recovered them from their fatigue, he set out again, turning back along the same road, calculating that, since the Lacedaemonians and their allies had rushed to the rescue of Sparta, Mantinea would again be left empty; which indeed came to pass.
§9.8.9διὸ παρακαλέσας τοὺς Θηβαίους καὶ χρησάμενος ἐνεργῷ τῇ νυκτοπορείᾳ παρῆν καὶ προσέμισγε τῇ Μαντινείᾳ περὶ μέσον ἡμέρας, ἐρήμῳ τελέως ὑπαρχούσῃ τῶν βοηθησόντων.
Wherefore, having encouraged the Thebans and made use of an active night march, he was present and approached Mantinea about midday, which was completely empty of defenders.
§9.8.10οἱ δʼ Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον σπουδάζοντες μετασχεῖν τοῦ πρὸς τοὺς Θηβαίους ἀγῶνος τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις κατὰ τὴν συμμαχίαν παρῆσαν.
But the Athenians at this time, hastening to take part in the struggle against the Thebans, were present to help the Lacedaemonians in accordance with their alliance.
§9.8.11ἤδη δὲ τῆς Θηβαίων πρωτοπορείας συναπτούσης πρὸς τὸ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερόν, ὃ κεῖται πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐν ἑπτὰ σταδίοις, ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες συνεκύρησεν ἅμα καὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐπιφαίνεσθαι κατὰ τὸν τῆς Μαντινείας ὑπερκείμενον λόφον· §9.8.12εἰς οὓς ἐμβλέψαντες οἱ καταλελειμμένοι τῶν Μαντινέων μόλις ἐθάρρησαν ἐπιβῆναι τοῦ τείχους καὶ κωλῦσαι τὴν τῶν Θηβαίων ἔφοδον.
And when the vanguard of the Thebans was already approaching the temple of Poseidon, which lies seven stades before the city, as if by design, it happened that at the same time the Athenians also appeared along the hill overlooking Mantinea; looking upon whom, those of the Mantineans who had been left behind barely found courage to mount the wall and prevent the assault of the Thebans.
§9.8.13διόπερ εἰκότως οἱ συγγραφεῖς ἐπιμέμφονται τοῖς προειρημένοις ἔργοις, φάσκοντες τῷ μὲν ἡγεμόνι πεπρᾶχθαι πᾶν ὅσον ἀγαθῷ στρατηγῷ, καὶ τῶν μὲν ὑπεναντίων κρείττω, τῆς δὲ τύχης ἥττω γεγονέναι τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν.
Therefore, the historians with reason find fault with the aforementioned events, asserting that on the part of the leader everything was done that a good general should do, and that Epaminondas proved superior to his adversaries, but inferior to fortune.