a smaller history of greece-第37部分

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s　now　the　month　of　December；　and　Armenia　was　cold　and　exposed；　being　a　table…land　raised　high　above　the　level　of　the　sea。　Whilst　halting　near　some　well…supplied　villages；　the　Greeks　were　overtaken　by　two　deep　falls　of　snow；　which　almost　buried　them　in　their　open　bivouacs。　　Hence　a　five　days'　march　brought　them　to　the　eastern　branch　of　the　Euphrates。　　Crossing　the　river；　they　proceeded　on　the　other　side　of　it　over　plains　covered　with　a　deep　snow；　and　in　the　face　of　a　biting　north　wind。　　Here　many　of　the　slaves　and　beasts　of　burthen；　and　even　a　few　of　the　soldiers；　fell　victims　to　the　cold。　　Some　had　their　feet　frost…bitten；　some　were　blinded　by　the　snow；　whilst　others；　exhausted　with　cold　and　hunger；　sunk　down　and　died。　　On　the　eighth　day　they　proceeded　on　their　way；　ascending　the　banks　of　the　Phasis；　not　the　celebrated　river　of　that　name；　but　probably　the　one　usually　called　Araxes。

From　thence　they　fought　their　way　through　the　country　of　the　Taochi　and　Chalybes。　　They　next　reached　the　country　of　the　Scythini；　in　whose　territory　they　found　abundance　in　a　large　and　populous　city　called　Gymnias。　　The　chief　of　this　place　having　engaged　to　conduct　them　within　sight　of　the　Euxine；　they　proceeded　for　five　days　under　his　guidance；　when；　after　ascending　a　mountain；　the　sea　suddenly　burst　on　the　view　of　the　vanguard。　The　men　proclaimed　their　joy　by　loud　shouts　of　〃The　sea！　　the　sea！〃　　The　rest　of　the　army　hurried　to　the　summit；　and　gave　vent　to　their　joy　and　exultation　in　tears　and　mutual　embraces。　　A　few　days'　march　through　the　country　of　the　Macrones　and　Colchians　at　length　brought　them　to　the　objects　for　which　they　had　so　often　pined；　and　which　many　at　one　time　had　never　hoped　to　see　again　a　Grecian　city　and　the　sea。　　By　the　inhabitants　of　Trapezus　or　Trebizond；　on　the　Euxine；　where　they　had　now　arrived；　they　were　hospitably　received；　and；　being　cantoned　in　some　Colchian　villages　near　the　town；　refreshed　themselves　after　the　hardships　they　had　undergone　by　a　repose　of　thirty　days。

The　most　difficult　part　of　the　return　of　the　Ten　Thousand　was　now　accomplished；　and　it　is　unnecessary　to　trace　the　remainder　of　their　route。　　After　many　adventures　they　succeeded　in　reaching　Byzantium；　and　they　subsequently　engaged　to　serve　the　Lacedaemonians　in　a　war　which　Sparta　had　just　declared　against　the　satraps　Tissaphernes　and　Pharnabazus。

In　the　spring　of　B。C。　399；　Thimbron；　the　Lacedaemonian　commander；　arrived　at　Pergamus；　and　the　remainder　of　the　Ten　Thousand　Greeks　became　incorporated　with　his　army。　　Xenophon　now　returned　to　Athens；　where　he　must　have　arrived　shortly　after　the　execution　of　his　master　Socrates。　　Disgusted　probably　by　that　event；　he　rejoined　his　old　comrades　in　Asia；　and　subsequently　returned　to　Greece　along　with　Agesilaus。



CHAPTER　XVI。

THE　SUPREMACY　OF　SPARTA；　B。C。　404…371。

After　the　fall　of　Athens；　Sparta　stood　without　a　rival　in　Greece。　In　the　various　cities　which　had　belonged　to　the　Athenian　empire　Lysander　established　an　oligarchical　Council　of　Ten；　called　a　DECARCHY　or　Decemvirate；　subject　to　the　control　of　a　Spartan　HARMOST　or　governor。　　The　Decarchies；　however；　remained　only　a　short　time　in　power；　since　the　Spartan　government　regarded　them　with　jealousy　as　the　partisans　of　Lysander；　but　harmosts　continued　to　be　placed　in　every　state　subject　to　their　empire。　The　government　of　the　harmosts　was　corrupt　and　oppressive；　no　justice　could　be　obtained　against　them　by　an　appeal　to　the　Spartan　authorities　at　home；　and　the　Grecian　cities　soon　had　cause　to　regret　the　milder　and　more　equitable　sway　of　Athens。

On　the　death　of　Agis　in　B。C。　398；　his　half…brother　Agesilaus　was　appointed　King；　to　the　exclusion　of　Leotychides；　the　son　of　Agis。　This　was　mainly　effected　by　the　powerful　influence　of　Lysander；　who　erroneously　considered　Agesilaus　to　be　of　a　yielding　and　manageable　disposition　and　hoped　by　a　skilful　use　of　those　qualities　to　extend　his　own　influence；　and　under　the　name　of　another　to　be　in　reality　king　himself。

Agesilaus　was　now　forty　years　of　age；　and　esteemed　a　model　of　those　virtues　more　peculiarly　deemed　Spartan。　　He　was　obedient　to　the　constituted　authorities；　emulous　to　excel；　courageous；　energetic；　capable　of　bearing　all　sorts　of　hardship　and　fatigue；　simple　and　frugal　in　his　mode　of　life。　　To　these　severer　qualities　he　added　the　popular　attractions　of　an　agreeable　countenance　and　pleasing　address。　　His　personal　defects　at　first　stood　in　the　way　of　his　promotion。　　He　was　not　only　low　in　stature；　but　also　lame　of　one　leg；　and　there　was　an　ancient　oracle　which　warned　the　Spartans　to　beware　of　〃a　lame　reign。〃　The　ingenuity　of　Lysander；　assisted　probably　by　the　popular　qualities　of　Agesilaus；　contrived　to　overcome　this　objection　by　interpreting　a　lame　reign　to　mean　not　any　bodily　defect　in　the　king；　but　the　reign　of　one　who　was　not　a　genuine　descendant　of　Hercules。　　Once　possessed　of　power；　Agesilaus　supplied　any　defect　in　his　title　by　the　prudence　and　policy　of　his　conduct；　and；　by　the　marked　deference　which　he　paid　both　to　the　Ephors　and　the　senators；　he　succeeded　in　gaining　for　himself　more　real　power　than　had　been　enjoyed　by　any　of　his　predecessors。

The　affairs　of　Asia　Minor　soon　began　to　draw　the　attention　of　Agesilaus　to　that　quarter。　　The　assistance　lent　to　Cyrus　by　the　Spartans　was　no　secret　at　the　Persian　court；　and　Tissaphernes；　who　had　been　rewarded　for　his　fidelity　with　the　satrapy　of　Cyrus　in　addition　to　his　own；　no　sooner　returned　to　his　government　than　he　attacked　the　Ionian　cities；　then　under　the　protection　of　Sparta。　　A　considerable　Lacedaemonian　force　under　Thimbron　was　despatched　to　their　assistance；　and　which；　as　related　in　the　preceding　chapter；　was　joined　by　the　remnant　of　the　Greeks　who　had　served　under　Cyrus。　　Thimbron；　however；　proved　so　inefficient　a　commander；　that　he　was　superseded　at　the　end　of　399　or　beginning　of　398　B。C。；　and　Dercyllidas　appointed　in　his　place。　But　though　at　first　successful　against　Pharnabazus　in　AEolis；　Dercyllidas　was　subsequently　surprised　in　Caria　in　such　an　unfavourable　position　that　he　would　have　suffered　severely　but　for　the　timidity　of　Tissaphernes；　who　was　afraid　to　venture　upon　an　action。　　Under　these　circumstances　an　armistice　was　agreed　to　for　the　purpose　of　treating　for　a　peace　（397　B。C。）。

Pharnabazus　availed　himself　of　this　armistice　to　make　active　preparations　for　a　renewal　of　the　war。　　He　obtained　large　reinforcements　of　Persian　troops；　and　began　to　organize　a　fleet　in　Phoenicia　and　Cilicia。　　This　was　intrusted　to　the　Athenian　admiral　Conon；　of　whom　we　now　first　hear　again　after　a　lapse　of　seven　years　since　his　defeat　at　AEgospotami。　　After　that　disastrous　battle　Conon　fled　with　nine　triremes　to　Cyprus；　where　he　was　now　living　under　the　protection　of　Evagoras；　prince　of　Salamis。

It　was　the　news　of　these　extensive　preparations　that　induced　Agesilaus；　on　the　suggestion　of　Lysander；　to　volunteer　his　services　against　the　Persians。　　He　proposed　to　take　with　him　only　30　full　Spartan　citizens；　or　peers；　to　act　as　a　sort　of　council；　together　with　2000　Neodamodes；　or　enfranchised　Helots；　and　6000　hoplites　of　the　allies。　　Lysander　intended　to　be　the　leader　of　the　30　Spartans；　and　expected　through　them　to　be　the　virtual　commander　of　the　expedition　of　which　Agesilaus　was　nominally　the　head。

Since　the　time　of　Agamemnon　no　Grecian　king　had　led　an　army　into　Asia；　and　Agesilaus　studiously　availed　himself　of　the　prestige　of　that　precedent　in　order　to　attract　recruits　to　his　standard。　　The　Spartan　kings　claimed　to　inherit　the　sceptre　of　Agamemnon；　and　to　render　the　parallel　more　complete；　Agesilaus　proceeded　with　a　division　of　his　fleet　to　Aulis；　intending　there　to　imitate　the　memorable　sacrifice　of　the　Homeric　hero。　　But　as　he　had　neglected　to　ask　the　permission　of　the　Thebans；　and　conducted　the　sacrifice　and　solemnities　by　means　of　his　own　prophets　and　ministers；　and　in　a　manner　at　variance　with　the　usual　rites　of　the　temple；　the　Thebans　were　offended；　and　expelled　him　by　armed　force：an　insult　which　he　never　forgave。

It　was　in　396　B。C。　that　Agesilaus　arrived　at　Ephesus　and　took　the　command　in　Asia。　　He　demanded　of　the　Persians　the　complete　independence　of　the　Greek　cities　in　Asia；　and　in　order　that　there　might　be　time　to　communicate　with　the　Persian　court；　the　armistice　was　renewed　for　three　months。　　During　this　interval　of　repose；　Lysander；　by　his　arrogance　and　pretensions；　offended　both　Agesilaus　and　the　Thirty　Spartans。　　Agesilaus；　determined　to　uphold　his　dignity；　subjected　Lysander　to　so　many　humiliations　that　he　was　at　last　fain　to　request　his　dismissal　from　Ephesus；　and　was　accordingly　sent　to　the　Hellespont；　where　he　did　good　service　to　the　Spartan　interests。

Meanwhile　Tissaphernes；　having　received　large　reinforcements；　sent　a　message　to　Agesilaus　before　the　armistice　had　expired；　ordering　him　to　quit　Asia。　　Agesilaus　immediately　made　preparations　as　if　he　would　attack　Tissaphernes　in　Caria；　but　having　thus　put　the　enemy　on　a　false　scent；　he　suddenly　turned　northwards　into　Phrygia；　the　satrapy　of　Pharnabazus；　and　marched　without　opposition　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Dascylium；　the　residence　of　the　satrap　himself。　　Here；　however；　he　was　repulsed　by　the　Persian　cavalry。　　He　now　proceeded　into　winter　quarters　at　Ephesus；　where　be　employed　himse