Philopoemen   

them contemn dangers, and feel ready to venture on any honourable
dangers. Other kinds of sumptuosity give us pleasure, but make us
effeminate; the tickling of the sense slackening the vigour of the
mind; but magnificence of this kind strengthens and heightens the
courage; as Homer makes Achilles at the sight of his new arms exulting
with joy, and on fire to use them. When Philopoemen had obtained of
them to arm, and set themselves out in this manner, he proceeded to
train them, mustering and exercising them perpetually; in which they
obeyed him with great zeal and eagerness. For they were wonderfully
pleased with their new form of battle, which being so knit and cemented
together, seemed almost incapable of being broken. And then their
arms, which for their riches and beauty they wore with pleasure, becoming
light and easy to them with constant use, they longed for nothing
more than to try them with an enemy, and fight in earnest.
The Achaeans at that time were at war with Machanidas, the tyrant
of Lacedaemon, who, having a strong army, watched 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. They met near Mantinea, 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, Machanidas, with his hired soldiers, beat the spearmen
and the Tarentines 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 Achaeans, 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 Philopoemen, professing to make it
a matter of small consequence, 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 themselves at a great distance
from him. Then seeing the Lacedaemonians 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 expecting an encounter,
as, when they saw Machanidas driving the beaten enemy before him,
they thought the victory already gained. He overthrew them with great
slaughter (they report above four thousand killed in the place), and
then faced about against Machanidas, who was returning with his mercenaries
from the pursuit. There happened to be a broad deep ditch between
them, alongside of which both rode their horses for a while, 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 by the keen huntsman Philopoemen, and
forced to fight for his life. The tyrant's horse was mettled and strong;
and feeling the bloody spurs in his sides, ventured to take the ditch.
He had already so far reached the other side, as to have planted his
fore-feet upon it, and was struggling to raise himself with these,
when Simmias and Polyaenus, who used to fight by the side of Philopoemen,
came up on horseback to his assistance. But Philopoemen, before either
of them, himself met Machanidas; and perceiving that the horse with
his head high reared covered his master's body, turned his own a little,
and holding his javelin by the middle, drove it against the tyrant
with all his force, and tumbled him dead into the ditch. Such is the
precise posture in which he stands at Delphi in the brazen statue
which the Achaeans set up of him, in admiration of his valour in this
single combat, and conduct during the whole day.
We are told that at the Nemean games, a little after this victory,
Philopoemen being then general the second time, and at leisure on
the occasion of the solemnity, first showed the Greeks his army drawn
up in full array as if they were to fight, and executed with it all
the manoeuvres of a battle with wonderful order, strength, and celerity.
After which he went into the theatre, while the musicians were singing
for the prize, followed by the young soldiers in their military cloaks