likewise do a sacrifice to Minerva. The traitor, not daring to make denial, caused his mercenaries to open the gates, whereby Dercyllidas, taking possession of the place, tendered pay to the garrison, who did not refuse to serve under his ensigns. This done, all the goods of Mania were seized upon, as belonging to one that had been subject to Pharnabazus, who was enemy to the Greeks; and so the murderous wretch was sent away naked, not knowing in what part of the world he might find any place to hide his detested head. Dercyllidas, having in eight days taken nine cities, purposed for the ease of his confederates to winter in Bithynia, to which end he took truce with Pharnabazus, who had not any desire of war. That winter, and the summer ensuing, the truce being recontinued, held; in which time, besides the wasting of Bithynia, the neck of land joining Cherronea to the main was fortified, being four or five miles in breadth; by which means eleven towns, with much good land belonging to them, were freed from the incursions of the wild Thracians, and made fit and able to victual the camp. Likewise the city of Atarne was taken, which was of great strength, and very well stored with provision. After this, Dercyllidas had command from Sparta to divert the war into Caria, where was the seat of Tissaphernes, for that hereby it was thought not uneasy to recover all the towns of Ionia; Pharax, the admiral of the fleet, (which was a yearly office,) being appointed to join with him. Though it was manifest that Tissaphernes had neglected Pharnabazus in time of necessity, yet was he not in his own danger requited with the like: for Pharnabazus, having respect to the king's service, came to assist his private enemy Tissaphernes, and so passing into Caria, they thrust garrisons into all places of strength; which done, they marched towards Ionia, hoping to find the towns ill manned for resistance. As these Persians were desirous to keep the war from their own doors, so was Dercyllidas willing to free his confederates the Ionians from the spoil and danger of the war, by transferring it into Caria. For which cause he passed the river of Mæander, and not looking to have been so soon

encountered, marched carelessly through the country, when on the very sudden the whole army of Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus was discovered, consisting of Persians, Carians, and some mercenary Greeks, who were all marshalled in very good order to present battle. The odds was too apparent, both in numbers of men, and in readiness, as also in advantage of ground; for the Persian had a great multitude of horse, the Greek very few and feeble, being to fight in an open plain: therefore all the Ionians, together with the islanders and others of such places as bordered upon the king's dominions, did either betake themselves to present flight, or, abiding a while for shame, did plainly discover by their looks that they meant not to be more bold than wise. Only Dercyllidas with his Peloponnesians, regarding their honour, prepared to endure the fight; which must needs have brought them to destruction, if the counsel of Pharnabazus had been followed, who perceiving the opportunity of so great a victory, was not willing to let it slip. But Tissaphernes, who naturally was a coward, seeing that countenance of resistance was made, began to consider what strange defence the soldiers of Xenophon had shewed, and, thinking that all the Greeks were of the like resolution, held it the wisest way to crave parley; the conclusion of which was, that a truce should be made, to last until Tissaphernes might receive answer from the king, and Dercyllidas from Sparta, concerning the demands propounded in the treaty, which were on the one part, that all the Greeks in Asia might enjoy their own liberty and laws, but contrariwise on the other side, that the Lacedæmonians should depart Asia, and leave the towns to the king's pleasure. This treaty was of none effect; only it served to free the Greeks from the present danger, and to gain time unto Tissaphernes, who desired to avoid the war by procrastination, which he durst not adventure to finish by trial of a battle.

SECT. III.

How the Lacedæmonians took revenge upon the Eleans for old dis pleasure. The discontents of the Corinthians and Thebans conceived against the state of Sparta.

IN the mean season the Lacedæmonians, who found none able to withstand them in Greece, began to call the Eleans to account for some disgraces received by them during the late wars, when leisure was wanting to the requital of such petty injuries. These Eleans, being presidents of the Olympiac games, had set a fine upon the city of Sparta, for nonpayment of which they forbade them to come to the solemnity, and publicly whipped one of them, that was a man of note, for presuming to contend against their decree. Likewise they hindered Agis king of Sparta from doing sacrifice to Jupiter, and in all points used great contempt toward the Spartans, who now had no business that could hinder them from taking revenge; and therefore sent a peremptory message to the Eleans, commanding them to set at liberty the cities which they held in subjection. This was the usual pretence which they made the ground of all their wars; though little they cared for the liberty of such towns, which they caused afterwards to become followers, and little better than mere vassals to themselves. In their late wars with Athens, the strong opposition which they found caused this goodly title of liberty to work very slowly; but having now to do with a state of great spirit and small force, it gave present success to their desires. Two years together they sent an army into the country of the Eleans; the first year an earthquake (held in those times a prodigious sign, and which did always forbid the prosecution of any enterprise in hand) caused them to retire; the second year all the towns of the Eleans did hastily revolt, and the city itself was driven to submission, consenting both to suffer their old subjects freely to enjoy their liberty, and to have her own walls thrown down. Only the presidentship of the Olympian games was left unto them, which it was not to be doubted that they would, in time coming, use modestly, finding themselves to stand at the

mercy of Sparta. In this expedition all the Greeks were assistant to the Lacedæmonians, excepting the Corinthians and Boeotians, whose aid having been of as much importance in the late Peloponnesian war, as the force of Sparta itself, they could not smother their dislike of their unequal division following the victory, which gave to Sparta the command of all Greece, to Thebes and Corinth only security against Athens, but such a security as was worse than the danger. For when the equal greatness of two mighty estates did counterpoise each the other, it was in the power of these neutral commonweals to adhere to either, as the condition of their affairs required; but when, to revenge injuries, they had by mortal hatred prosecuted the war to extremity, leaving the one city naked of power and friends, the other mightily increased in both, it was then (if not necessary to obey the greatness which themselves had made, yet) foolish and dangerous to provoke it. Nevertheless, it was not the purpose of the Spartans to take occasion of any quarrel, which they could not finish at pleasure, till such time as they had by victory or composition made some good end with the Persian, toward whom they bent all their care and forces.

SECT. IV.

The passage of Agesilaus into Asia. His war with Tissaphernes. How Tissaphernes was put to death, and the war diverted into another province, through persuasion and gifts of Tithraustes his successor. How careless the Persian lieutenants were of the king's good.

AGESILAUS, newly made king of Sparta, was desirous to have the honour of the victory, which, not without cause, he expected upon those of Asia; and therefore procuring a great army to join with that of Dercyllidas, he took his way in great pomp to Aulis in Boeotia, a haven lying opposite to the island of Euboea, in which place Agamemnon (leading the power of all Greece to the war against Troy, many ages before) had embarked his men. In imitation of Agamemnon, he meant also to do sacrifice in Aulis, which the Thebans,

lords of that country, would not permit; but saying that the performance of such ceremonies in that place belonged unto their officers, they were so unable to conceal their malice, that sending some companies of horse they threw down his sacrifice from the altar. It was not then convenient

time for Agesilaus to entangle himself and his country in any new war; therefore, waiting better opportunity of revenge, he quietly swallowed the contumely, and followed his main intendment. Having landed his men at Ephesus, he was entertained by Tissaphernes with a treaty of peace, wherein Agesilaus peremptorily requiring that the Persian should restore to liberty all the Greek towns in Asia, was promised that the king, being first informed of his demand, should send answer to his good liking, if he would in the mean while make truce. Truce was therefore made, which Tissaphernes had sought only to win time of making provision for the war, and getting supply of men and money from Artaxerxes, whilst Agesilaus was busy in settling the estates of his confederate cities on that side of the sea. The end of this long vacation from war was at the coming down of these forces which Artaxerxes had sent, at what time Agesilaus received a plain message from Tissaphernes, that either he must forthwith depart out of Asia, or make good his abode by strong hand. Agesilaus, returning word that he was glad to hear that his enemies had by perjury deserved vengeance from Heaven, prepared to invade them; and sending word to all the towns which lay between him and Caria, that they should provide victuals and other necessaries for his army, did easily make Tissaphernes believe that his intent was to invade that province wherein Tissaphernes dwelt, and which was unfit for horse, in which part of his forces the Persian had most confidence. Therefore Tissaphernes, bestowing all his companies of foot in Caria, entered with his horse into the plains of Mæander, hoping thereby to stop the passage of a heavy foot-army, not suffering them to pass into that country which was fittest for their service. But the Greeks left him waiting there in vain, and marched directly into Phrygia, where they took