some advantage; but the battle growing warm, and Artax. the allies of Sparta betaking themselves to flight, he Mnemon could not resolve to follow them, and died sword in hand. Conon took fifty gallies, and the rest escaped to Cnidos. The consequence of this victory was the revolt of almost all the allies of Sparta; se veral of whom declared for the Athenians, and the rest resumed their ancient liberty. After this battle the affairs of the Lacedæmonians daily declined. All their actions in Asia were no more than the feeble efforts of an expiring power, till the defeats of Leuc tra and Mantinea compleated their downfall.

* Isocrates makes a very just reflection upon the revolutions of Sparta and Athens, which had always their source and origin in the insolent prosperity of both those republicks. The Lacedaemonians, who were at first acknowledged masters of Greece with out opposition, fell from their authority only by their enormous abuse of it. The Athenians succeeded them in power, and at the same time in pride; and we have seen into what an abyss of misfortunes it precipitated them. Sparta having gained the superiority by the defeat of the Athenians in Sicily, and the taking of their city, might have improved in their measures from the double experience of the past; as well in regard to what had befallen themselves, as from the recent example of their rival; but the most affecting examples and events seldom or ever occasion a people to change their conduct. Sparta became as haughty and untractable as before; and so experienced the same destiny again.

To warn the Athenians against this misfortune, Isocrates puts them in mind of the past, and of the times wherein they were successful in every thing. "You imagine," says he, "that, provided with a

60

numerous fleet, absolute masters at sea, and sup"ported by powerful allies always ready to give you "aid, you have nothing to fear, and may enjoy in

* Isocrat. in Orat. Areop. p. 278–280.

Artax. repose and tranquillity the fruits of your victoMnemon. "ries: For my part, indulge me to speak with "truth and freedom, I think quite otherwise. The "cause of my apprehension is, my having observed, "that the decline of the greatest republicks has al"ways been at the time they believed themselves "most powerful, and that their very security has "prepared the precipice into which they have fal "len. The reason of this is evident. Prosperity "and adversity never come alone, but have each "their train of very different effects. The first is "attended with vain-glory, pride, and insolence, "which dazzle the mind, and inspire rash and extravagant measures: On the contrary, the com"panions of adversity, are modesty, self-diffidence "and circumspection, which naturally render men "prudent, and apt to amend from their own failings. So that it is hard to judge which of the "two conditions we ought to desire for a city; as "that which appears unhappy, is an almost certain "path to prosperity; and the other, so flattering "and splendid, generally leads on to the greatest "misfortunes." The blow which the Lacedæmonians received at the battle of Cnidos is a mournful proof of what he says.

y Agesilaus was in Boeotia, and upon the point of giving battle when this bad news was brought him. Apprehending that it might discourage and deter his troops, he caused it to be reported in the army, that the Lacedæmonians had gained a considerable victory at sea; and appearing in publick with a wreath of flowers upon his head, he offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the good news, and sent part of it in presents to his officers. z The two armies, almost equal in strength, were in view of each other upon the plains of Coronæa, when they drew up in battle. Agesilaus gave the left wing to the

y Plut. in Agesil. p. 605. z Plut. in Agesil. p. 605. Xenoph. Hist. Græc. p. 518-520. & in Agesil. p. 659, 660.

Orchomenians, and took the right himself. On the Artax. other side the Thebans were upon the right, and the Maemon. Argives on the left. Xenophon says, that this was the most furious battle in his time, and may be believed, as he was present in it, and fought near the person of Agesilaus, with whom he had returned from Asia.

The first charge was not very obstinate, nor of long continuance. The Thebans soon put the Orchomenians to fiight, and Agesilaus overthrew and routed the Argives. But both parties having learnt, that their left wing had been very severely handled and fled, returned immediately; Agesilaus to oppose the Thebans, and to wrest the victory out of their hands, and the Thebans to follow their left wing, that was retired to Helicon. Agesilaus at that moment might have assured himself of a compleat victory, if he would have let the Thebans pass on, and hat charged them after in the rear; but carried away by the ardour of his courage, he resolved to stop them with an attack in front, and to beat them by pure force. In which, says Xenophon, he shewed more valour than prudence.

The Thebans, seeing Agesilaus advance against them, drew all their foot immediately into one body, formed a hollow square, and waited his coming up in good order. The engagement was sharp and bloody on all sides, but particularly where Agesilaus fought at the head of the fifty young Spartans, sent him by the city. The valour and emulation of those young men were of great service to Agesilaus, and may be said to have saved his life; for they fought around him with exceeding ardour, and exposed themselves foremost in all dangers for the safety of his person. They could not however prevent his receiving several wounds through his armour from pikes and swords. Notwithstanding, after an exceeding warm dispute, they brought him off alive from the enemy, and making their bodies a rampart for him, sacrificed a great number of Thebans to

Artax.

his defence; many of those young men were also Mnemon. left upon the field. At length finding it too difficult to break the Thebans in front, they were forced to have recourse to what they had at first rejected. They opened their phalanx to let them pass; which when they had done, as they marched afterwards in more disorder, they charged them again upon the flanks and rear. They could, however, neither break them, nor put them to flight. Those brave Thebans made their retreat continually fighting, and gained Helicon, elate with the success of the battle, wherein on their side they had always remained invincible.

Agesilaus, though very much weakened by the great number of his wounds, and the quantity of blood he had lost, would not retire to his tent, till he had been carried to the place where his phalanx was drawn up, and had seen all the dead bodies removed even upon their own arms. He was informed there, that many of the enemy had taken refuge in the temple of Minerva Itoniensis, which was not very distant from the field of battle, and asked what he would have done with them. As he was full of veneration for the gods, he gave orders to let them go, and even sent them a guard to escort them in safety wherever they thought fit.

The next morning Agesilaus, to try whether the Thebans would have the courage to renew the battle, commanded his troops to crown themselves with flowers, and the musick of the army to play, whilst a trophy was erected and adorned in honour of his victory. At the same instant the enemy sent heralds to demand his permission to bury their dead; which he granted, with a truce; and having confirmed his victory by that act of a conqueror, he caused himself to be carried to Delphos, where the Pythian games were then celebrated. He made there a solemn procession, which was followed by a sacrifice, and consecrated the tenth part of the booty taken in Asia to the god, which amounted to an hundred ta

gra

Maemon.

lents. These great men, no less religious than Artax. brave, never failed to express by presents their titude to the gods for their successes in arms; declaring, by that publick homage, that they believed themselves indebted for their victories to their pro

tection.

SECT. V. Agesilaus returns victorious to Sparta. He always retains his simplicity and ancient manners. Conon rebuilds the walls of Athens. A peace, shameful to the Greeks, concluded by Antalcides the Lacedæmonian.

2

AFTER the festival, Agesilaus returned to Sparta.

His citizens received him with all the marks of the most real joy, and beheld him with admiration, when they observed the simplicity of his manners, and the constant frugality and temperance of his life. At his return from foreign countries, where pomp, luxury, sloth, and the love of pleasures entirely prevailed, he was not infected with the manners of the Barbarians, as most of the other generals had been: He made no alteration in his diet, baths, equipage of his wife, ornaments of his arms, or furniture of his house. In the midst of so shining a reputation, and the universal applause, always the same, or rather more modest than before, he distinguished himself from the rest of the citizens, only by a greater submission to the laws, and a more inviolable attachment to the customs of his country; convinced, that he was only king, to be the brighter example of those virtues to others.

b He made greatness consist in virtue only. Hearing the Great King (so the kings of Persia used to call themselves) spoken of in magnificent terms, and his power extremely extolled; "I cannot con

a Plut. in Agesil. p. 606.

Plut. de sui laud. p. 555.

* An hundred thousand crowns, or about 22,5001. sterling† Τί δ' ἐμπ γε μείζον ἐκεῖνο, εἰ μὴ καὶ δικαιότερα.

εί