their arms; for which composition the captain at his return to Sparta was put to death. When the news of the doings at Thebes and the success arrived at Sparta, an army was raised forthwith, and all things prepared as earnestly for the recovering of that city, as if some part of their ancient inheritance had been taken from the Lacedæmonians, and not a town perfidiously usurped by them restored to her own liberty. Cleombrotus, one of the kings, was sent on this expedition, who, having wearied his followers with a toilsome winter's journey, returned home without any good or harm done, leaving Sphodrias, with part of his army, at Thespies, to infest the Thebans, who doing them some displeasures, made large amends by a foolish attempt upon the haven of Athens; which failing to take, he wasted the country adjoining, and drave away the cattle; causing by this outrage the Athenians to enter with all their power into the war, out of which they were before very carefully seeking how to withdraw themselves.

CHAP. XII.

Of the flourishing estate of Thebes, from the battle of Leuctra to the battle of Mantinca.

SECT. I.

How Thebes and Athens joined together against Sparta. How the Athenians made peace for themselves and others, out of which the Thebans were excluded. The battle of Leuctra, and beginning of the Theban greatness.

THE Lacedæmonians were men of great resolution and of much gravity in all their proceedings, but one dishonourable rule they held, that all respects withstanding the commodity of Sparta were to be neglected; the practice of which doctrine, even by the best and wisest of them, did greatly blemish that estate; but when it was put in execution by insufficient overweening men, it seldom failed to

bring upon them, instead of profit unjustly expected, both shame and loss. And so it befell them in these enterprises of Phoebidas upon the castle of Thebes, and Sphodrias upon the Piræus. For howsoever Agesilaus did spoil the country about Thebes, in which he spent two summers, yet the diligence of the Thebans repaired all, who, by the good success of some attempts, grew stronger than they were at the first.

The Athenians likewise began to look abroad, sailing to the isle of Corcyra, where they ordered things at their pleasure, and having in some fights at sea prevailed, began, as in the Peloponnesian war, to surround Peloponnesus with a navy, afflicting so the Lacedæmonians, that had not the Thebans by their insolency wearied their friends, and caused them to seek for peace, it had been very likely that the course of this war should have soon come to a good end, which nevertheless, being prosecuted by the Thebans, (who opposed at once both these two great estates,) left the city of Sparta as much dejected as the beginning found it proud and tyrannous. But the Athenians perceiving how Thebes encroached every day upon her weak neighbours, not sparing such as had been dependants upon Athens, and finding themselves, whilst engaged in such a war, unable to relieve their complaining friends, resolved to settle the affairs of Greece by renewing that form of peace which Antalcidas had brought from the Persian. Wherefore they sent messengers to Thebes, peremptorily signifying, that it was their intent to finish the war; to which purpose they willed the Thebans to send ambassadors along with them to Sparta, who readily condescended, fearing otherwise that they should be left out of the treaty of peace, which came to pass, being so wrought by the courageous wisdom of Epaminondas, who understood far better than his countrymen what was to be feared or hoped. In this treaty the Lacedæmonians and Athenians did soon agree; but when the Thebans offered to swear to the articles in the name of the Boeotians, Agesilaus required them to swear in their own name, and to leave the Boeotians free, whom they had lately reduced

under their obedience. Whereunto Epaminondas made answer, that the city of Sparta should give example to Thebes, by setting the Laconians free; for that the seigniory of Boeotia did by as good right appertain to the Thebans, as that of Laconia to the Spartans. This was well and truly spoken, but was heard with no patience: for Agesilaus bearing a vehement hatred unto those of Thebes, by whom he was drawn back out of Asia into Greece, and disappointed of all the glory which he had hoped to achieve by the Persian war, did now very passionately urge that point of setting the Boeotians at liberty; and finding it as obstinately refused, he dashed the name of the Thebans out of the league. At the same time Cleombrotus, the other king of Sparta, lay in Phocis, who received command from the governors of Sparta forthwith to enter upon the land of the Thebans with all his power, which he did, and was there slain at Leuctra, and with him the flower of his army. This battle of Leuctra, being one of the most famous that ever were fought between the Greeks, was not so notable for any circumstance foregoing it, or for the managing of the fight itself, as for the death of the king, and many citizens of Sparta, but especially for that after this battle (between which and the conclusion of the general peace there passed but twenty days) the Lacedæmonians were never able to recover the strength and reputation which had formerly made them redoubted far and near; whereas contrariwise the Thebans, whose greatest ambition had in former times confined itself unto the little region of Boeotia, did now begin to undertake the leading and command of many people and estates in such wise, that soon after they brought an army of threescore and ten thousand strong unto the gates of Sparta. So much do the afflictions of an hard war, valiantly endured, advance the affairs of the distressed, and guide them into the way of conquest, by stiffening that resolution with a manly temper, which wealth and ease had through luxury, recklessness, and many other vices or vanities, made rusty and effeminate.

SECT. II.

How the Athenians took upon them to maintain the peace of Greece. New troubles hence arising. Epaminondas invadeth and wasteth the territory of Lacedæmon.

THE Athenians, refusing to take advantage of this overthrow fallen upon their old enemies and new confederates the Lacedæmonians, did nevertheless finely give them to understand, that their dominion was expired, and therefore their pride might well be laid away. For, taking upon themselves the maintenance of the peace lately concluded, which Agesilaus (perhaps of purpose to make benefit of quarrels that might arise) had left unperfect, they assembled the deputies of all the estates confederated at Athens, where the general liberty of all towns, as well small as great, was ratified, under the style of the Athenians and their associates. Hereupon began fresh garboils. The Mantineans, claiming power by this decree to order their affairs at their own pleasure, did (as it were) in despite of the Spartans, who had enforced them to raze their town, reedify it, and ally themselves with such of the Arcadians as stood worst affected to Sparta. The Arcadians, a strong nation, consisting of many cities, were distracted with factions; some desiring to hold good correspondency with the Lacedæmonians, some to weaken and keep them low, yet all pretending other ends. The Lacedæmonians durst not give impeachment to the Mantineans, nor take upon them to correct their ill-willers among the Arcadians, till such time as the factions brake out into violence, and each part called in foreign help. Then was an army sent from Sparta, as it were in defence of the people of Tegea, against the Mantineans, but indeed against them both. Agesilaus had the leading of it, but effected nothing. The Thebans had by this time subdued the Phocians, and were become head of the Locrians, Acarnanians, Euboeans, and many others; with the power of which countries they entered Peloponnesus in favour of the Arcadians, who had upon expectation of their coming abstained from giving battle to Agesilaus. The army of the Spartans being dismissed, and Epaminon

das joined with the Arcadians, the region of Laconia was invaded and spoiled; a thing so strange, that no oracle could have found belief, if any had foretold it. Almost six hundred years were spent since the Dorians, under the posterity of Hercules, had seized upon Laconia, in all which time the sound of an enemy's trumpet was not heard in that country; ten years were not fully past since all Greece was at the devotion of the Spartans; but now the region which neither Xerxes with his huge army could once look upon, nor the mighty forces of Athens and other enemy-states had dared to set foot on, saving by stealth, was all on a light fire, the very smoke whereof the women of Sparta were ashamed to behold. All which indignity notwithstanding, the Lacedæmonians did not issue out of Sparta to fight, but sought how to preserve the town, setting at liberty as many of their Helotes, or slaves, as were willing to bear arms in defence of the state, and somewhat pitifully entreated the Athenians to give them succour. From Corinth and some towns of Peloponnesus they received speedy assistance: the Athenians came forward more slowly, so that Epaminondas returned without battle, having rebuilded the city of Messene, and peopled it anew by calling home the ancient inhabitants, whom the Lacedæmonians many ages before had chased away into other countries, possessing their territories themselves.

SECT. III.

The composition between Athens and Sparta for command in war against the Thebans, who again invade and spoil Peloponnesus. The unfortunate presumption of the Arcadians.

THIS journey therefore utterly defaced the reputation of the Spartans, in such wise, that they did no longer demand the conduct of the army, which was to be raised, nor any manner of precedence; but sending ambassadors from Sparta, and from all the cities which held league with it, unto Athens, they offered to yield the admiralty to the Athenians, requesting that they themselves might be generals by land. This had been a composition well agreeing with the situation and quality of those two cities, but it was