Adventures of Dionysus, from the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, CHAPTER XXXIX. FROM THE PEACE OF ANTALCIDAS TO THE PEACE OF CALLIAS. §1. Aggressions of Sparta in Boeotia. Rebuilding of Platea. § 2. Reduction of Mantinea. § 3. Olynthian confederation. Sparta in terferes. §4. Seizure of the Cadmea at Thebes by the Lacedæmonians. 5. Reduction of Olynthus. § 6. Unpopularity of Sparta. §7. Revolution at Thebes. § 8. The Lacedæmonians expelled from the Cadmea. §9. Their expeditions against Thebes. Alarm of the Athenians, who ally themselves with Thebes. 10. Reorganization of the Athenian confederation. § 11. Preparations for war. Theban "Sacred Band." § 12. Character of Epaminondas. § 13. Spartan invasions of Boeotia. 14. Maritime affairs. Battle of Naxos. Success of Timotheus. § 15. Progress of the Theban arms. $16. The Athenians form a peace with Sparta, which is immediately broken. Proceedings at Corcyra. § 17. The Lacedæmonians solicit Persian aid. § 18. Congress at Sparta to treat of peace. The Thebans are excluded from it. The § 1. No sooner was the peace of Antalcidas concluded than Sparta, directed by Agesilaus, the ever-active enemy of Thebes, exerted all her power to weaken that city. She began by proclaiming the independence of the various Boeotian cities, and by organizing in each a local oligarchy, adverse to Thebes and favourable to herself. The popular feeling in these cities was in general opposed to the Spartan dominion; two alone, Orchomenus and Thespiæ, preferred it to that of Thebes; and in these the Lacedæmonians placed garrisons, and made them their main stations in Boeotia. Even such a step as this seemed to exceed the spirit of the treaty, which required merely the independence of each city; but the restoration of Platæa, now effected by the Lacedæmonians, was an evident work of supererogation, undertaken only to annoy and weaken Thebes, and to form a place for another Lacedæmonian garrison. Since the destruction of Platea, most of her remaining citizens had become domiciled at Athens, had married Athenian women, and had thus almost forgotten their native country. These were now restored, and their city rebuilt; but merely that it might become a Spartan out-post. Thebes was at present too weak to resist these encroachments on her dignity and power, which even at Sparta were regarded with dissatisfation by king Agesipolis and the more moderate party. § 2. The Lacedæmonians now found themselves in a condition to wreak their vengeance on the Mantineans, by whom they deemed themselves aggrieved. They could not, indeed, bring any charge of positive hostility against the Mantineans; but they accused them of lukewarmness and equivocal fidelity; of having been slack in furnishing their contingents during the late war; and of having supplied the Argives with corn when at war with Sparta. On these grounds a message was sent requiring the Mantineans to raze their walls; and as they hesitated to comply, an army was despatched under Agesipolis to enforce obedience. Agesipolis' succeeded in taking Mantinea, which was well supplied with provisions, by damming up the river Ophis which ran through it. The inundation thus caused undermined the walls which were built of baked bricks, and obliged the citizens to capitulate. Much harder terms were now exacted from them. They were required not only to demolish their fortifications but also a great part of their town, so as to restore it to the form of five villages, out of which it had been originally formed. Each of these villages was left unfortified, and placed under a separate oligarchical government. About the same time the Lacedæmonians compelled the city of Phlius to recall a body of exiles who had been expelled on account of their attachment to the interests of Sparta. § 3. But the attention of Sparta was soon called to more distant regions. Olynthus, a town situated at the head of the Toronaic gulf in the peninsula of the Macedonian Chalcidicé, had become the head of a powerful confederation, which included several of the adjacent Grecian cities, and among them Potidæa, on the isthmus of Pallené. Acanthus and Apollonia, the largest cities after Olynthus, in the Chalcidic peninsula, had refused to join the league; and as they were threatened with war by Olynthus, they despatched envoys to Sparta to solicit aid (B.c. 383). The envoys gave an alarming account of the designs of Olynthus and being seconded by ambassadors from Amyntas, king of Macedonia, the Lacedæmonians were easily persuaded to enter upon an undertaking which harmonised with their present course of policy. Their allies were persuaded or rather overawed into the adoption of their views, and an army of 10,000 men was voted. The emergency, however, was so pressing that Eudamidas was despatched at once with a force of 2000 hoplites. Marching rapidly with only a portion even of these, he arrived in time enough to defend Acanthus and Apollonia, and even succeeded in inducing Potidea to revolt from the league. But, though joined by Amyntas with his forces, he was not strong enough to take the field openly against the Olynthians. 4. This expedition of the Lacedæmonians led incidentally to an affair of much greater importance. The Thebans had entered into an alliance with Olynthus, and had forbidden any of their citizens to join the Lacedæmonian army destined to act against it; but they were not strong enough to prevent its marching through their territory. Phoebidas, the brother of Eudamidas, was appointed to collect the troops which were not in readiness at the time of his brother's departure, and to march with all possible speed towards Olynthus. On his way through Boeotia he halted with his division at a gymnasium not far from Thebes; where he was visited by Leontiades, one of the polemarchs of the city, and two or three other leaders of the Lacedæmonian party in Thebes. It happened that the festival of the Thesmophoria was on the point of being celebrated, during which the Cadmea, or Theban Acropolis, was given up for the exclusive use of the women. The opportunity seemed favourable for a surprise; and Leontiades and Phœbidas concerted a plot to seize it. Whilst the festival was celebrating, Phœbidas pretended to resume his march, but only made a circuit round the city walls; whilst Leontiades, stealing out of the senate, mounted his horse, and joining the Lacedæmonian troops, conducted them towards the Cadmea. It was a sultry summer's afternoon, so that the very streets were deserted; and Phœbidas, without encountering any opposition, seized the citadel and all the women in it, to serve as hostages for the quiet submission of the Thebans. Leontiades then returned to the senate, and caused his fellow Polemarch, Ismenias, who was the head of the opposite, or patriotic, party, to be seized and imprisoned. After this blow, 300 of the leading men of his party fled to Athens for safety. Ismenias was shortly afterwards brought to trial by Leontiades before a packed court, and put to death on the ground of his receiving money from Persia and stirring up the late war. This treacherous act during a period of profound peace awakened the liveliest indignation throughout Greece. Sparta herself could not venture to justify it openly, and Phoebidas was made the scape-goat of her affected displeasure. The Ephors, though they had secretly authorised the proceeding, now dis avowed him; and Agesilaus alone, prompted by his burning hatred of Thebes, stood forth in his defence. The result was a truly Laconian piece of hypocrisy. As a sort of atonement to the violated feeling of Greece, Phoebidas was censured, fined, and dismissed. But that this was a mere farce is evident from the fact of his subsequent restoration to command; and, however indignant the Lacedæmonians affected to appear at the act of Phoebidas, they took care to reap the fruits of it by retaining their garrison in the Cadmea. § 5. The once haughty Thebes was now enrolled a member of the Lacedæmonian alliance, and furnished her contingent-the grateful offering of the new Theban government-for the war which Sparta was prosecuting with redoubled vigour against Olynthus. The troops of that city, however, especially its cavalry, were excellent, and the struggle was protracted for several years. During the course of it king Agesipolis died of a fever brought on by his exertions; and the war, which had begun in B.C. 383, was ultimately brought to a close by his successor, Polybiades, in B.C. 379 who, by closely blockading Olynthus, deprived it of its supplies, and thus forced it to capitulate. The Olynthian confederacy was now dissolved; the Grecian cities belonging to it were compelled to join the Lacedæmonian alliance; whilst the maritime towns of Macedonia were again reduced under the dominion of Amyntas. Sparta thus inflicted a great blow upon Hellas; for the Olynthian confederacy might have served as a counterpoise to the growing power of Macedon, des tined soon to overwhelm the rest of Greece. About the same time as the reduction of Olynthus, Phlius yielded to the arms of Agesilaus, who, on the complaint of the restored exiles that they could not obtain a restitution of their rights, had undertaken the siege of that city. A government nominated by Agesilaus was now appointed there. § 6. The power of Sparta on land had now attained its greatest height. At sea, she divided with Athens the empire of the smaller islands, whilst the larger one seems to have been independent of both. Her unpopularity in Greece was commensurate with the extent of her harshly administered dominion. She was leagued on all sides with the enemies of Grecian freedom-with the Persians, with Amyntas of Macedon, and with Dionysius of Syracuse. But she had now reached the turningpoint of her fortunes, and her successes, which had been earned without scruple, were soon to be followed by misfortunes and disgrace. The first blow came from Thebes, where she had perpetrated her most signal injustice. § 7. That city had been for three years in the hands of Leontiades and the Spartan party. During this time great discontent had grown up among the resident citizens; and there was also the party of exasperated exiles, who had taken refuge at Athens. Among these exiles was Pelopidas, a young man of birth and fortune, who had already distinguished himself by his disinterested patriotism and ardent character. He applied a great part of his wealth to the relief of his indignant fellowcitizens, and gave such undivided attention to public affairs as to neglect the management of his own property. Pelopidas took the lead in the plans now formed for the liberation of his country, and was the heart and soul of the enterprise. Rebuked by his friends on account of his carelessness, he replied that money was certainly useful to such as were lame and blind. His warm and generous heart was irresistibly attracted by everything great and noble; and hence he was led to form a close and intimate friendship with Epaminondas, who was several years older than himself and of a still loftier character. Their friendship is said to have originated in a campaign in which they served together, when Pelopidas having fallen in battle apparently dead, Epaminondas protected his body at the imminent risk of his own life. Pelopidas afterwards endeavoured to persuade Epaminondas to share his riches with him; and when he did not succeed, he resolved to live on the same frugal fare as his great friend. A secret correspondence was opened with his friends at Thebes, the chief of whom were Phyllidas, secretary to the polemarchs, and Charon. Epaminondas was solicited to take a part in the conspiracy; but, though he viewed the Lacedæmonian government with abhorrence, his principles forbade him to paticipate in a plot which was to be carried out by treachery and murder. The dominant faction, besides the advantage of the actual possession of power, was supported by a garrison of 1500 Lacedæmonians. The enterprise, therefore, was one of considerable difficulty and danger. In the execution of it Phyllidas took a leading part. It was arranged that he should give a supper to Archias and Philippus, the two polemarchs, whose company was to be secured by the allurement of an introduction to some Theban women remarkable for their beauty. After they had partaken freely of wine, the conspirators were to be introduced, disguised as women, and to complete their work by the assassination of the polemarchs. On the day before the banquet, Pelopidas, with six other exiles, arrived at Thebes from Athens, and, straggling through the gates towards dusk in the disguise of rustics and huntsmen, arrived safely at the house of Charon, where they remained concealed till the appointed hour. Before |