Agesilaus

And taking them along with him on the next day, he ravaged the territory of the Corinthians, and advanced to the very gates of the city. After he had thus proved that the Corinthians did not dare to resist him, he dismissed the embassy. Then he himself, picking up the survivors of the division that had been cut to pieces, led them back to Sparta, always breaking camp before it was day, and pitching the next camp after it was dark, in order that the hateful and malicious Arcadians might not exult over them.

After this, to gratify the Achaeans, he crossed over with them on an expedition into Acarnania,[*](In 390-389 B.C. (Xenophon, Hell. iv. 6, 3—7, 1).) where he drove away much booty and conquered the Acarnanians in battle. But when the Achaeans asked him to spend the winter there in order to prevent the enemy from sowing their fields, he said he would do the opposite of this; for the enemy would dread the war more if their land was sown when summer came. And this proved true; for when a second expedition against them was announced, they came to terms with the Achaeans.

When Conon and Pharnabazus with the Great King’s fleet were masters of the sea and were ravaging the coasts of Laconia, and after the walls of Athens had been rebuilt with the money which Pharnabazus furnished,[*](In 393 B.C. (Xenophon, Hell. iv. 8,10).) the Lacedaemonians decided to make peace with the king of Persia. To that end, they sent Antalcidas to Tiribazus,[*](The Great King’s satrap in Western Asia.) and in the most shameful and lawless fashion handed over to the King the Greeks resident in Asia, in whose behalf Agesilaüs had waged war. Agesilaüs, therefore, could have had no part at all in this infamy.

For Antalcidas was his enemy, and put forth all his efforts to make the peace because he saw that the war enhanced to the utmost the reputation and power of Agesilaüs. Notwithstanding this, to one who remarked that the Lacedaemonians were favouring the Medes, Agesilaüs replied that the Medes were the rather favouring the Lacedaemonians.

Moreover, by threatening with war the Greeks who were unwilling to accept the peace, he forced them all to abide by the terms which the Persian dictated,[*](The peace of Antalcidas was ratified by all the Greek states except Thebes in 387 B.C. (Xenophon, Hell. v. 1, 29 ff.).) more especially on account of the Thebans, his object being to make them weaker by leaving Boeotia independent of Thebes. This he made clear by his subsequent behaviour. For when Phoebidas committed the foul deed of seizing the Cadmeia[*](The citadel of Thebes. It was seized by Phoebidas in 383 B.C. (Xenophon, Hell. v. 2, 26 ff.).) in a time of perfect peace, and all the Greeks were indignant and the Spartans displeased at the act,