to see your friends rejoicing over their success, you will be able to do so in safety to-morrow.”  On the next day he took the ambassadors with him, and marched, laying waste the country as he went, up to the gates of Corinth, where, having thus proved that the Corinthians dared not come out and resent his conduct, he sent the ambassadors into the city.  As for himself, he collected the survivors of the mora, and marched back to Lacedaemon, always starting before daybreak, and encamping after sunset, that he might not be insulted by the Arcadians, who bitterly hated the Lacedaemonians and enjoyed their discomfiture.  After this at the instance of the Achaeans he crossed over into Akarnania with them, where he obtained much plunder, and defeated the Akarnanians in battle.  The Achaeans now begged him to remain, and so prevent the enemy from sowing their fields in the winter; but he answered that he should do exactly the reverse, because, if the enemy next year had a good prospect of a harvest, they would be much more inclined to keep the peace than if their fields lay fallow.  And this opinion of his was justified by the result; for as soon as the Akarnanians heard that another campaign was threatened, they made peace with the Achaeans.

XXIII.  Konon and Pharnabazus, after their victory in the sea-fight at Knidus, had obtained command of the seas and began to plunder the coast of Laconia, while the Athenian walls likewise were restored, with money supplied by Pharnabazus for that purpose.

These circumstances disposed the Lacedaemonians to make peace with the king of Persia.  They consequently sent Antalkidas to Tiribazus to arrange terms, and most basely and wickedly gave up to the king those Greek cities in Asia on behalf of which Agesilaus had fought.  Antalkidas, indeed, was his enemy, and his great reason for concluding a peace on any terms was, that war was certain to increase the reputation and glory of Agesilaus.  Yet when some one reproached Agesilaus, saying that the Lacedaemonians were Medising,[185] he answered, “Nay, say, rather, the Medes (Persians) are Laconising.”

By threats of war he compelled those Greek states who were unwilling to do so to accept the terms of the peace, especially the Thebans; for one of the articles of the peace was, that the Thebans should leave the rest of Boeotia independent, by which of course they were greatly weakened.  This was proved by subsequent events.  When Phoebidas, in defiance of law and decency, seized the Kadmeia, or citadel of Thebes, in time of peace, all Greeks cried shame on him, and the Spartans felt especial annoyance at it.  The enemies of Agesilaus now angrily enquired of Phoebidas who ordered him to do so, and as his answers hinted at Agesilaus as having suggested the deed, Agesilaus openly declared himself to be on Phoebidas’s side, and said that the only thing to be considered was, whether it was advantageous to Sparta or not; for it was always lawful to render good service to