Agesilaus | Page 7

responsible for what had happened, he
advanced without further stay on Sardis. Having arrived, he fell to
burning and ravaging the suburbs, while at the same time he did not fail
to make it known by proclamation that those who asked for freedom
should join his standard; or if there were any who claimed a right of
property in Asia he challenged them to come out and meet her
liberators in fair fight and let the sword decide between them. Finding
that no one ventured to come out to meet him, his march became for
the future a peaceful progress. All around him he beheld Hellenes who
formerly were forced to bow the knee to brutal governors now
honoured by their former tyrants, while those who had claimed to enjoy
divine honours were so humbled by him that they scarce dared to look
a Hellene in the face. Everywhere he saved the territory of his friends
from devastation, and reaped the fruits of the enemy's soil to such good
effect that within two years he was able to dedicate as a tithe to the god
at Delphi more than one hundred talents.[14]
[14] = 25,000 pounds nearly.
It was then that the Persian king, believing that Tissaphernes was to
blame for the ill success of his affairs, sent down Tithraustes and cut
off the satrap's head. After this the fortunes of the barbarians grew still
more desperate, whilst those of Agesilaus assumed a bolder front. On
all side embassies from the surrounding nations came to make terms of
friendship, and numbers even came over to him, stretching out eager
arms to grasp at freedom. So that Agesilaus was now no longer the
chosen captain of the Hellenes only, but of many Asiatics.
And here we may pause and consider what a weight of admiration is
due to one who, being now ruler over countless cities of the continent,
and islands also (since the state had further entrusted the navy to his
hands), just when he had reached this pinnacle of renown and power,

and might look to turn to account his thronging fortunes; when, too,
which overtops all else, he was cherishing fond hopes to dissolve that
empire which in former days had dared to march on Hellas;--at such a
moment suffered himself not to be overmastered by these promptings,
but on receipt of a summons of the home authorities to come to the
assistance of the fatherland, obeyed the mandate of his state as
readily[15] as though he stood confronted face to face with the Five in
the hall of ephors; and thus gave clear proof that he would not accept
the whole earth in exchange for the land of his fathers, nor
newly-acquired in place of ancient friends, nor base gains ingloriously
purchased rather than the perilous pursuit of honour and
uprightness.[16]
[15] Cf. Hor. "Od." III. v. 50.
[16] See Pindar, "Olymp." vi. 14.
And, indeed, glancing back at the whole period during which he
remained in the exercise of his authority, no act of deeper significance
in proof of his kingly qualities need be named than this. He found the
cities which he was sent out to govern each and all a prey to factions,
the result of constitutional disturbances consequent on the cessation of
the Athenian empire, and without resort to exile or sanguinary
measures he so disposed them by his healing presence that civil
concord and material prosperity were permanently maintained.
Therefore it was that the Hellenes in Asia deplored his departure,[17]
as though they had lost, not simply a ruler, but a father or bosom friend,
and in the end they showed that their friendship was of no fictitious
character. At any rate, they voluntarily helped him to succour
Lacedaemon, though it involved, as they knew, the need of doing battle
with combatants of equal prowess with themselves. So the tale of his
achievements in Asia has an end.
[17] See Plut. "Ages." xv.

II
He crossed the Hellespont and made his way through the very tribes
traversed by the Persian[1] with his multitudinous equipment in former
days, and the march which cost the barbarian a year was accomplished
by Agesilaus in less than a single month. He did not want to arrive a
day too late to serve his fatherland. And so passing through Macedonia

he arrived in Thessaly, and here the men of Larissa, Crannon, Scotussa,
and Pharsalus, who were allies of the Boeotians, and indeed all the
Thessalians, with the exception of those who were in exile at the time,
combined to dog his steps and do him damage. For a while he led his
troops in a hollow square, posting one half of his cavalry in the van and
the other half on his rear, but finding his march hindered