the state, even impromptu and without previous orders.  Yet in his talk Agesilaus always set a high value upon justice, calling it the first of all virtues; for he argued that courage would be useless without justice; while if all men were just, there would be no need of courage.  When he was informed, “The pleasure of the great king is so-and-so,” he was wont to answer, “How can he be greater than I, unless he be juster?”—­thus truly pointing out that justice is the real measure of the greatness of kings.  When the king of Persia sent him a letter during the peace, offering to become his guest[186] and friend, he refused to open it, saying that he was satisfied with the friendship existing between the two states, and that while that lasted he required no private bond of union with the king of Persia.  However, in his actions he was far from carrying out these professions, but was frequently led into unjust acts by his ambition.  In this instance he not only shielded Phoebidas from punishment for what he had done at Thebes, but persuaded Sparta to adopt his crime as its own, and continue to hold the Kadmeia, appointing as the chiefs of the garrison Archias and Leontidas,[187] by whose means Phoebidas made his way into the citadel.

XXIV.  This at once gave rise to a suspicion that Phoebidas was merely an agent, and that the whole plot originated with Agesilaus himself, and subsequent events confirmed this view; for as soon as the Thebans drove out the garrison and set free their city, Agesilaus made war upon them to avenge the murder of Archias and Leontidas, who had been nominally polemarchs, but in reality despots of Thebes.  At this period Agesipolis was dead, and his successor Kleombrotus was despatched into Boeotia with an army; for Agesilaus excused himself from serving in that campaign on the ground of age, as it was forty years since he had first borne arms, and he was consequently exempt by law.  The real reason was that he was ashamed, having so lately been engaged in a war to restore the exiled popular party at Phlius, to be seen now attacking the Thebans in the cause of despotism.

There was a Lacedaemonium named Sphodrias, one of the faction opposed to Agesilaus, who was established as Spartan governor of the town of Thespiae, a daring and ambitious man, but hot-headed, and prone to act without due calculation.  This man, who longed to achieve distinction, and who perceived that Phoebidas had made a name throughout Greece by his exploit at Thebes, persuaded himself that it would be a much more glorious deed if he were to make himself master of the Peiraeus, and so by a sudden attack cut off the Athenians from the sea.  It is said that this attempt originated with the Boeotarchs, Pelopidas and Mellon, who sent emissaries to Sphodrias to praise and flatter him, and point out that he alone was capable of conducting so bold an adventure.  By this language, and an affectation of sympathy with Lacedaemon, these men at length prevailed on him to attempt a most unrighteous