them. Cleomenes instructed his forces to ignore the Herald’s announcement and instead attack at this call. The Argive forces were caught off guard, and a slaughter ensued. However, other historical accounts suggest a seven-day truce had been agreed upon by the two forces. Contrary to Herodotus’ account, Plutarch suggests the Spartan forces broke the truce on the third night and attacked the unsuspecting Argives. When Cleomenes was questioned for his breach of the truce; the King argued the truce was made for seven days and didn’t include nights. Additionally, Cicero further contests the nature of the Battle in his treatise ‘De Officiis’. Cicero suggests a thirty-day truce was agreed upon between the Spartans and the Argives. However, similar to Plutarch, Cicero describes a situation in which a general plunders the fields at night, because the truce had been made for days and not nights. Cicero does not mention a specific date of the attack nor does he explicitly name Cleomenes or the Argives. Consequently, due to the large differences between Cicero’s and Plutarch’s account, and Cicero’s inability to name Cleomenes I, it is improbable that Cicero’s account would be used as evidence for the Battle. The Aftermath After the initial onslaught, many Argive hoplites sought refuge in the ‘Sacred Grove of Apollo’. The Argive men hoped the religious value of the grove would prevent the Spartan forces pursuing further action. However, Cleomenes I was by reputation ruthless, and deceived the Argives to their death. Cleomenes announced that the hoplites who’d been ransomed for the standard fee were free to leave. The names of the men whose ‘ransom’ had been paid were called out individually. However, when an Argive hoplite stepped out of the Sacred Grove, they were executed by the Spartans. According to Herodotus, at least fifty Argive men were deceived by this strategy, until one of the men inside the grove climbed a tree and witnessed what was happening. Thus, when the Argives became aware of the double cross, they stopped responding to the ransom calls. Consequently, Cleomenes set fire to the grove, slaughtering any survivors who attempted to escape. The Battle of Sepeia and the sacrilege that ensued resulted in six thousand Argive casualties. Whilst Pausanias records a loss of five thousand Argive men, modern historians widely accept Herodotus’ higher figure. Due to the nature and ambiguity pertaining to historical sources and administration during the time period, an