History of the Peloponnesian War

When they did not comply, they required them again to do as follows: not to give back Lepreum, if they objected to it, but to mount on the altar of the Olympian Jupiter—since they were so anxious to have access to the temple—and swear before the Greeks that assuredly they would discharge the fine at a future period.

But when they would not do this either, the Lacedaemonians were excluded from the temple—from the sacrifice and from the games—and made their offerings at home;

while the rest of the Greeks, except the Lepreans, sent their deputations to the festival. However, the Eleans were afraid of their sacrificing by force, and kept guard with a heavy-armed company of their young men; while there also came to them a body of Argives and Mantineans, each a thousand strong, and some Athenian cavalry, that were at Argos, waiting for the festival.

And a great alarm was produced in the assembly lest the Lacedaemonians should come in arms; especially after Lichas son of Arcesilaus, a Lacedaemonian, was scourged on the course by the [*]( Or, by the empires, as Bredow, Haack, and others think.) lictors, because, on his horses being the winners, and the Boeotian people being proclaimed victor, on account of his having no right to enter the lists, he came forward on to the course, and crowned the charioteer, from a wish to show that the chariot was his. All therefore were now much more afraid, and thought there would be some disturbance.

However, the Lacedaemonians kept quiet, and let the feast thus pass by.—After the Olympic festival, the Argives and their allies repaired to Corinth, to beg that state to come over to them. Some Lacedaemonian ambassadors, too, happened to be there; and after there had been much discussion, nothing was accomplished at last; but an earthquake having occurred, they dispersed to their several homes. And so the summer ended.