furnished corn to their enemies during the late war, and after encountering a fierce, but ineffectual resistance, levelled the city to the ground. They sent an army to regulate the internal condition of Phli'us, and cruelly massacred all those whom they suspected of hostility to their interests. 2. FiB.C.nally they proclaimed war against the Olyn'thians, 383. for assuming supremacy over the other states on the sea-coast of Macedon. During four years the Olyn'thians baffled every effort of Sparta and her allies, but at length an overwhelming force was sent, which compelled them after a siege of eight months to surrender. The terms on which peace was granted were sufficiently harsh, but Olyn'-· thus was permitted to retain its independence. 3. The Olynthian war is, however, principally remarkable for a vile instance of treachery exhibited by the Spartans to a city with which they were in alliance. During the first year of the war, Phœ'bidas had been sent with a numerous reinforcement to the army that had advanced against Olynthus; on his passage through Boo'tia, he was met by some of the aristocratic faction at Thebes, who offered to put him in possession of the Theban citadel, provided he would aid them in subduing their opponents. Phœ'bidas without hesitation assented, and being introduced by some of the nobles during the night, seized and garrisoned Thebes without opposition. 4. This treacherous occupation of a city by an ally, excited universal detestation throughout Greece. The Spartan senate felt, or pretended to feel, indignant at the conduct of Phœ'bidas, but Agesila'us* stood forward as his defender, acknowledging, indeed, that his conduct was unjust, but dwelling strongly on its utility; and by his influence it was finally resolved, that Phoebidas should be fined a small sum for having acted without orders, but that the Spartans should retain the fruits of his treachery. 5. The conduct of the prevailing faction at Thebes exceeded even the cruelty of the thirty tyrants; most of the leaders of the popular party fled to Athens, where they were received with great hospitality, the rest were butchered without a trial and without mercy. 6. The Thebans, after submitting to this yoke for four years, at last threw it off by the following stratagem. A There is every reason to suppose, that Agesilaus had prompted Phoebidas to this action. Xenophon, the historian, an Athenian deserter, notoriously partial to the Spartans, scarcely denies it. correspondence having been established between the Theban exiles at Athens and such of their countrymen as were well affected to them in Thebes, a plan was laid for surprising the governors and the garrison. 7. The two principal exiles that conducted this plot, were Pelop'idas and Me'lon. Cha'ron, a man of the first consequence in the city, joined in the conspiracy, and offered his house for the reception of the exiles when they should arrive; and Phyllidas, secretary to the governors, managed the correspondence between the exiles and the citizens, and promised to admit the former into the town. 8. Matters being thus previously concerted, Pelop'idas and Me'lon, with ten associates, dressed themselves like peasants, and beat about the fields with dogs and hunting poles, as if in search of game. Having thus passed unsuspected, and conveyed themselves into the city, they met at Cha'ron's house, where they were soon after joined by thirty-six more of their confederates. To render the execution of the plot the more easy and complete, Phyl'lidas had that day contrived to give a grand entertainment to the two governors, Ar'chias and Philip. 9. But a secret and obscure rumour of impending danger had been spread through the city, which had almost disconcerted the plot. Cha'ron was summoned before the Spartan magistrates, but the readiness with which he answered every question checked their suspicions, and he was permitted to retire. Soon after, a new and more alarming danger appeared. A courier arrived from Athens, and forcing his way into the banquet room, presented a letter to Archias, declaring that it contained important tidings. Its contents, indeed, were truly important, for it contained a full exposure of the whole conspiracy. But Archias, who was a professed voluptuary, carelessly answered, "Business to-morrow," and thrust the letter under his pillow. 10. The associates divided themselves into two bands. One of these, led by Cha'ron and Me'lon, were to attack the governors and their company. Accordingly having put on women's clothes over their armour, with pine and poplar garlands on their heads, to shade their faces, they took the opportunity, when the guests were all heated with wine, to enter the room, and immediately stabbed Ar'chias and Philip, with such others of the company as were pointed out to them by Phyl'lidas. In the mean time, Pelop'idas and Damocli'des attacked Leon'tidas, another adherent of the Spartans, who was at home and in bed. But this man made a desperate resistance; for taking up his sword, he met them at his chamber door, and slew the first that set upon him but after a long and violent struggle, he was at last overcome by Pelop'idas, who killed him on the spot. His friend and neighbour, Hy'pates, soon after met with the same fate and the two bands then reuniting, sent an account of their success to the other exiles at Athens, and entreated them to hasten their return to Thebes. : 11. The work, however, was yet but half done. The garrison, together with such of the citizens as favoured the Spartan cause, had taken refuge in the citadel; and till these were reduced, Thebes could not be said to be free. 12. But a party of five thousand foot and two thousand horse arriving next morning from Athens, and several bodies of troops coming in at the same time from different parts of Boo'tia, Pelop'idas soon found himself at the head of so powerful an army, that he compelled the garrison to surrender at discretion. 13. The Spartans, though mortified, were by no means dispirited by this reverse of fortune. They made such vigorous preparations to restore their power at Thebes, that the Athenians resolved to remain neutral, and even renewed their alliance with Sparta. But the Spartan general Sphod' rias having made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the Peiræ'eus, the Athenians, justly enraged at such an instance of perfidy, resolved to assist the Thebans. The Spartans now seeing their power attacked by such a formidable coalition, sent Agesila'us at the head of twenty thousand into Bœotia. 14. The name alone of that general struck terror into the enemy, who, afraid to meet him in the open field, took possession of a hill in the neighbourhood of the city. Agesila'us sent a party to provoke them to come down, and give him battle; and when he saw that they declined this, he drew out his whole army in order to attack them. 15. But Cha'brias, who commanded the Athenian auxiliaries, ordered his men to present themselves, and keep their ranks close, with their shields laid at their feet, their spears advanced, one leg forward, and the knee of the other upon the half bend. Agesila'us, finding them prepared in this manner to receive him, and that they stood as it were in defiance of him, thought fit to withdraw his army, and contented himself with ravaging the country. This was looked upon as an extraordinary stratagem; and Cha'brias valued himself so much upon it, that he procured his statue* to be erected in that posture. 16. The Spartans had hitherto been deemed unequalled in military prowess; but they now began to be rivalled, and even excelled, in that noble quality by the Thebans. This particularly appeared in the battle of Tegy'ra.t Pelop'idas, the Theban general, had resolved to attack Orcho'. menus, which was garrisoned by the Spartans. He, therefore, marched against it with a small party of three hundred foot and forty horse; but, hearing that a large body of Spartans were hastening to its relief, he thought it best to retire.. In his retreat he fell in with this reinforcement near Tegy'ra,. and, finding it impossible to avoid a battle, he resolutely prepared to engage. 17. After a violent struggle, which was maintained with equal bravery on both sides, Gorgo'leon and Theopom'pus, the two Spartan generals, fell; which so intimidated their men, that they immediately retired on either hand, and opened a way for the Thebans to pass. But a safe retreat could not satisfy Pelop'idas. Encouraged by his late success, he drew up his men afresh, and renewed the battle; and, after committing a most terrible havoc among the enemy, he put them to an entire rout. 18. This was the most signal disgrace the Spartans had ever met with. They had never before been known to yield even to an equal number: but here they were beaten by a force not one-third of their own. It must be acknowledged, however, that these three hundred foot were the flower of *This statue still exists in Rome. A town in Boeotia. A town in Boeotia. the Theban army, distinguished by the name of the SACRED BAND. They were as remarkable for their fidelity to each other as for their strength and courage; they were linked together by the bonds of common friendship, and were sworn to stand by each other to the last extremity. Thus united, they became invincible, and generally turned the scale of victory in their favour for a number of years; till, at length, they were cut down as one man, by the Macedonian phalanx under Philip.* 19. Pelop'idas was not, however, the only distinguished general that Thebes produced. Epaminon'das, his contemporary and colleague in command, was every way his equal, and, if possible, his superior. These two great men lived in the strictest intimacy and friendship; and the only cause of rivalship between them was, which of them should distinguish himself most in promoting the interest and advancing the glory of their native country. 20. Epaminon'das had spent the early part of his life in the study of philosophy, remote from the management of public affairs, either of a civil or military nature, in neither of which he would ever engage, until he was overcome by the importunities of his countrymen, who thought they perceived in him, amidst all his diffidence and self-denial, the seeds of many great and excellent qualities. Nor were they deceived in their opinion; for when he was placed, as it were against his will, at the head of an army, he showed the world that an application to the polite arts, so far from disqualifying a man for a public station, only renders him capable of filling i with more distinguished lustre.t Questions for Examination. 1. How did the Spartans use their new power? 2. What caused the war between Sparta and Olynthus ? 3. Did the Spartans commit any act of treachery? 4. Was Phœbidas punished for his treachery? * At the battle of Charoneia. Epaminondas, in all respects, whether a soldier, statesman, or phiosopher, is allowed to have been not only the first man of his time, but the greatest, perhaps, that any age or nation has produced: he was pos sessed of the most eminent virtues, not counterbalanced by a single vice. He was descended from one of the greatest and most opulent families in Thebes, and received an education every way suited to his high rank and expectations. |