The other Spartan members of the council were deeply dissatisfied at finding that Lysander treated them rather as though he were king and they were merely there to ratify his decrees, than as their colleague with powers no more extensive than their own; while Agesilaus himself, who though he was above feeling any jealousy of the honours paid to Lysander, yet was ambitious and covetous of honour, began to fear that if any brilliant success should be achieved, the credit of it would be given to Lysander alone.  He therefore proceeded to oppose all Lysander’s plans, and if he knew that Lysander was interested in any enterprise, he took care to put it off and neglect it, while he successively rejected the petitions of every person in whom he knew Lysander to take an interest.  In judicial decisions also he invariably acquitted those whom Lysander wished to punish, and condemned to pay heavy fines those whom he endeavoured to serve.  As this took place so frequently that it could not be attributed to chance, but to a systematic purpose, Lysander was forced to warn his partizans that his intervention was an injury and not a benefit to them, and that they must desist from their obsequious attentions to him, and address themselves directly to the king.

VIII.  As these remarks seemed intended to place the king’s policy in an invidious light, Agesilaus determined to humble him still further, and appointed him his carver.  He then said aloud in the hearing of many persons, “Let them now go and pay their court to my carver.”  Vexed at this insult, Lysander remonstrated with him, saying, “Truly, Agesilaus, you know how to degrade your friends.”  “Ay, to be sure,” answered he, “those among them who want to appear greater than I am."[176] “Perhaps,” replied Lysander, “you have spoken the truth, and I have not acted rightly.  Bestow on me, however, some post in which I may be usefully employed without wounding your feelings.”

Upon this, Lysander was despatched on a mission to the Hellespont, where he found means to gain over a Persian noble named Spithridates, who had received some offence from Pharnabazus, the satrap of that province.  Lysander induced this man to join Agesilaus with all his property, and with a regiment of two hundred horse; yet he himself did not forget his quarrel, and for the rest of his life assiduously plotted to remove the succession to the throne of Sparta from the two royal families, and to throw it open to all Spartans alike.  It is indeed probable that he would have raised an important commotion in Sparta, had he not been slain in an expedition in Boeotia.  Thus do ambitious men do more harm than good in a state, unless they have an unusual power of self-restraint.  Lysander no doubt acted very offensively, and made a very unreasonable display of his pride; yet Agesilaus might have discovered some better method of correcting the faults of so great a man.  Indeed, in my opinion they were both equally blinded by the same passion for personal aggrandizement, so that the one forgot the power of his prince, and the other could not bear with the shortcomings of his friend.