a smaller history of greece-第43章

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the　aid　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　who；　elated　with　the　prosperous　state　of　their　affairs　in　Asia；　and　moreover　desirous　of　avenging　the　affronts　they　had　received　from　the　Thebans；　readily　listened　to　the　appeal。　　Lysander；　who　took　an　active　part　in　promoting　the　war；　was　directed　to　attack　the　town　of　Haliartus；　and　it　was　arranged　that　King　Pausanias　should　join　him　on　a　fixed　day　under　the　walls　of　that　town；　with　the　main　body　of　the　Lacedaemonians　and　their　Peloponnesian　allies。

Nothing　could　more　strikingly　denote　the　altered　state　of　feeling　in　Greece　than　the　request　for　assistance　which　the　Thebans；　thus　menaced；　made　to　their　ancient　enemies　and　rivals　the　Athenians。　Nor　were　the　Athenians　backward　in　responding　to　the　appeal。　Lysander　arrived　at　Haliartus　before　Pausanias。　　Here；　in　a　sally　made　by　the　citizens；　opportunely　supported　by　the　unexpected　arrival　of　a　body　of　Thebans；　the　army　of　Lysander　was　routed；　and　himself　slain。　　His　troops　disbanded　and　dispersed　themselves　in　the　night　time。　　Thus；　when　Pausanias　at　last　came　up；　he　found　no　army　to　unite　with；　and　as　an　imposing　Athenian　force　had　arrived；　he　now；　with　the　advice　of　his　council　took　the　humiliating　stepalways　deemed　a　confession　of　inferiorityof　requesting　a　truce　in　order　to　bury　the　dead　who　had　fallen　in　the　preceding　battle。　　Even　this；　however；　the　Thebans　would　not　grant　except　on　the　condition　that　the　Lacedaemonians　should　immediately　quit　their　territory。　　With　these　terms　Pausanias　was　forced　to　comply；　and　after　duly　interring　the　bodies　of　Lysander　and　his　fallen　comrades；　the　Lacedaemonians　dejectedly　pursued　their　homeward　march。　　Pausanias；　afraid　to　face　the　public　indignation　of　the　Spartans　took　refuge　in　the　temple　of　Athena　Alea　at　Tegea；　and　being　condemned　to　death　in　his　absence；　only　escaped　that　fate　by　remaining　in　the　sanctuary。　　He　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Agesipolis。

The　enemies　of　Sparta　took　fresh　courage　from　this　disaster　to　her　arms。　　Athens；　Corinth；　and　Argos　now　formed　with　Thebes　a　solemn　alliance　against　her。　　The　league　was　soon　joined　by　the　Euboeans；　the　Acarnanians；　and　other　Grecian　states。　　In　the　spring　of　394　B。C。　the　allies　assembled　at　Corinth；　and　the　war；　which　had　been　hitherto　regarded　as　merely　Boeotian；　was　now　called　the　CORINTHIAN；　by　which　name　it　is　known　in　history。　This　threatening　aspect　of　affairs　determined　the　Ephors　to　recall　Agesilaus；　as　already　related。

The　allies　were　soon　in　a　condition　to　take　the　field　with　a　force　of　24；000　hoplites；　of　whom　one…fourth　were　Athenians；　together　with　a　considerable　body　of　light　troops　and　cavalry。　The　Lacedaemonians　had　also　made　the　most　active　preparations。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Corinth　a　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　Lacedaemonians　gained　the　victory；　though　their　allied　troops　were　put　to　the　rout。　　This　battle；　called　the　battle　of　Corinth；　was　fought　in　July　394　B。C。

Agesilaus；　who　had　relinquished　with　a　heavy　heart　his　projected　expedition　into　Asia；　was　now　on　his　homeward　march。　　By　the　promise　of　rewards　he　had　persuaded　the　bravest　and　most　efficient　soldiers　in　his　army　to　accompany　him；　amongst　whom　were　many　of　the　Ten　Thousand；　with　Xenophon　at　their　head。　　The　route　of　Agesilaus　was　much　the　same　as　the　one　formerly　traversed　by　Xerxes；　and　the　camels　which　accompanied　the　army　gave　it　somewhat　of　an　oriental　aspect。　　At　Amphipolis　he　received　the　news　of　the　victory　at　Corinth；　but　his　heart　was　so　full　of　schemes　against　Persia；　that　the　feeling　which　it　awakened　in　his　bosom　was　rather　one　of　regret　that　so　many　Greeks　had　fallen；　whose　united　efforts　might　have　emancipated　Asia　Minor；　than　of　joy　at　the　success　of　his　countrymen。　　Having　forced　his　way　through　a　desultory　opposition　offered　by　the　Thessalian　cavalry；　he　crossed　Mount　Othrys；　and　marched　unopposed　the　rest　of　the　way　through　the　straits　of　Thermopylae　to　the　frontiers　of　Phocis　and　Boeotia。　　Here　the　evil　tidings　reached　him　of　the　defeat　and　death　of　his　brother…in…law；　Pisander；　in　a　great　sea…fight　off　Cnidus　in　Caria　（August　394　B。C。）　Conon；　with　the　assistance　of　Pharnabazus；　had　succeeded　in　raising　a　powerful　fleet；　partly　Phoenician　and　partly　Grecian；　with　which　he　either　destroyed　or　captured　more　than　half　of　the　Lacedaemonian　fleet。　　Agesilaus；　fearing　the　impression　which　such　sad　news　might　produce　upon　his　men；　gave　out　that　the　Lacedaemonian　fleet　had　gained　a　victory；　and；　having　offered　sacrifice　as　if　for　a　victory；　he　ordered　an　advance。

Agesilaus　soon　came　up　with　the　confederate　army；　which　had　prepared　to　oppose　him　in　the　plain　of　Coronea。　　The　Thebans　succeeded　in　driving　in　the　Orchomenians；　who　formed　the　left　wing　of　the　army　of　Agesilaus；　and　penetrated　as　far　as　the　baggage　in　the　rear。　　But　on　the　remainder　of　the　line　Agesilaus　was　victorious；　and　the　Thebans　now　saw　themselves　cut　off　from　their　companions；　who　had　retreated　and　taken　up　a　position　on　Mount　Helicon。　　Facing　about　and　forming　in　deep　and　compact　order；　the　Thebans　sought　to　rejoin　the　main　body；　but　they　were　opposed　by　Agesilaus　and　his　troops。　　The　shock　of　the　conflicting　masses　which　ensued　was　one　of　the　most　terrible　recorded　in　the　annals　of　Grecian　warfare。　　The　shields　of　the　foremost　ranks　were　shattered；　and　their　spears　broken；　so　that　daggers　became　the　only　available　arm。　　Agesilaus；　who　was　in　the　front　ranks；　unequal　by　his　size　and　strength　to　sustain　so　furious　an　onset；　was　flung　down；　trodden　on；　and　covered　with　wounds；　but　the　devoted　courage　of　the　50　Spartans　forming　his　body…guard　rescued　him　from　death。　　The　Thebans　finally　forced　their　may　through；　but　not　without　severe　loss。　　The　victory　of　Agesilaus　was　not　very　decisive；　but　the　Thebans　tacitly　acknowledged　their　defeat　by　soliciting　the　customary　truce　for　the　burial　of　their　dead。

Agesilaus；　on　his　arrival　at　Sparta；　was　received　with　the　most　lively　demonstrations　of　gratitude　and　esteem；　and　became　hence…　forward　the　sole　director　of　Spartan　policy。

Thus　in　less　than　two　months　the　Lacedaemonians　had　fought　two　battles　on　land；　and　one　at　sea；　namely；　those　of　Corinth；　Coronea；　and　Cnidus。　　But；　though　they　had　been　victorious　in　the　land　engagements；　they　were　so　little　decisive　as　to　lead　to　no　important　result；　whilst　their　defeat　at　Cnidus　produced　the　most　disastrous　consequences。　　It　was　followed　by　the　loss　of　nearly　all　their　maritime　empire；　even　faster　than　they　had　acquired　it　after　the　battle　of　AEgospotami。　　For　as　Conon　and　Pharnabazus　sailed　with　their　victorious　fleet　from　island　to　island；　and　from　port　to　port；　their　approach　was　everywhere　the　signal　for　the　flight　or　expulsion　of　the　Spartan　harmosts。

In　the　spring　of　the　following　year　（B。C。　393）　Conon　and　Pharnabazus　sailed　to　the　isthmus　of　Corinth；　then　occupied　as　a　central　post　by　the　allies。　　The　appearance　of　a　Persian　fleet　in　the　Saronic　gulf　was　a　strange　sight　to　Grecian　eyes；　and　one　which　might　have　served　as　a　severe　comment　on　the　effect　of　their　suicidal　wars。　　Conon　dexterously　availed　himself　of　the　hatred　of　Pharnabazus　towards　Sparta　to　procure　a　boon　for　his　native　city。　　As　the　satrap　was　on　the　point　of　proceeding　homewards；　Conon　obtained　leave　to　employ　the　seamen　in　rebuilding　the　fortifications　of　Piraeus　and　the　long　walls　of　Athens。　　Pharnabazus　also　granted　a　large　sum　for　the　same　purpose；　and　Conon　had　thus　the　glory　of　appearing；　like　a　second　Themistocles；　the　deliverer　and　restorer　of　his　country。　　Before　the　end　of　autumn　the　walls　were　rebuilt。　　Having　thus；　as　it　were；　founded　Athens　a　second　time；　Conon　sailed　to　the　islands　to　lay　again　the　foundations　of　an　Athenian　maritime　empire。

During　the　remainder　of　this　and　the　whole　of　the　following　year　（B。C。　392）　the　war　was　carried　on　in　the　Corinthian　territory。

One　of　the　most　important　events　at　this　time　was　the　destruction　of　a　whole　Lacedaemonian　MORA；　or　battalion；　by　the　light…armed　mercenaries　of　the　Athenian　Iphicrates。　　For　the　preceding　two　years　Iphicrates　had　commanded　a　body　of　mercenaries；　consisting　of　peltasts；　＇So　called　from　the　pelta；　or　kind　of　shield　which　they　carried。＇　　who　had　been　first　organised　by　Conon　after　rebuilding　the　walls　of　Athens。　　For　this　force　Iphic