370 PHILOPCEMEN.

•svatched all opportunities of becoming entire master of Peloponnesus. When intelligence came that he was fallen upon the Mantineans, Philopoemen forthwith took the field, and marched towards him. Thej met near Man- tinea, and drew up in sight of the city. Both, besides the whole strength of their several cities, had a good number of mercenaries in pay. "When they came to fall on, Machauidas, with his hired soldiers, beat the spearmen and the Tarentiues whom Philopoemen had placed in the front. But when he should have charged immediately into the main battle, which stood close and firm, he hotly followed the chase ; and instead of attacking the Ach^ans, passed on beyond them, while they remained drawn up in their place. With so untoward a beginning the rest of the confederates gave themselves up for lost ; but Philo- poemen, professing to make it a matter of small conse- quence, and observing the enemy's oversight, who had thus left an opening in their main body, and exposed their own phalanx, made no sort of motion to oppose them, but let them pursue the chase freely, till they had placed them- selves at a great distance from him. Then seeinsj; the Lace- daimonians before him deserted by their horse, with their flanks quite bare, he charged suddenly, and surprised them without a commander, and not so much as expect- ing an encounter, as, when they saw Machanidas driving the beaten enemy before him, they thought the victory already gained. He overthrew them with great slaugh- ter, ( they report above four thousand killed in the place,) and then faced about against Machanidas, who was re- turning with his mercenaries from the pursuit. There happened to be a broad deep ditch between them, along side of which both rode their horses for awhile, the one trying to get over and fly, the other to hinder him. It looked less like the contest between two generals than like the last defence of some wild beast, brought to bay