On the Peace

For in place of the ways of life established among them it filled the citizens with injustice, indolence, lawlessness and avarice and the commonwealth with contempt for its allies, covetousness of the possessions of other states, and indifference to its oaths and covenants. In fact they went so far beyond our ancestors in their crimes against the Hellenes that in addition to the evils which already afflicted the several states they stirred up in them slaughter and strife,[*](See Isoc. 4.110 ff.) in consequence of which their citizens will cherish for each other a hatred unquenchable.

And they became so addicted to war and the perils of war that, whereas in times past they had been more cautious in this regard[*](An example of this caution is the advice of King Archidamus at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. See Thuc. 1.80.) than the rest of the world, they did not refrain from attacking even their own allies and their own benefactors; on the contrary, although the great King had furnished them with more than five thousand talents[*](So also Andocides, Isoc. 8.29.) for the war against us, and although the Chians[*](Chios revolted from Athens in 412 B. C. and supported Sparta with her fleet until the end of the Peloponnesian War.) had supported them more zealously than any of their other allies by means of their fleet

and the Thebans[*](Thebes was one of Sparta's strongest allies against Athens. See Thuc. 4.93.) had contributed a great number of troops to their land forces, the Lacedaemonians no sooner gained the supremacy than they straightway plotted against the Thebans,[*](Instanced by the treacherous seizure of the Theban citadel (the Cadmea) by the Spartan Phoebidas. See Xen. Hell. 5.2.25 ff.) dispatched Clearchus with an army against the King,[*](Cf. Isoc. 12.104. The “ten thousand” mercenaries led by the Spartan Clearchus to support Cyrus against King Artaxerxes were not officially dispatched, although sanctioned, by Sparta. For the fortunes of this army see Isoc. 4.145-149; Isoc. 5.90 ff.; and Xen. Anab.) and in the case of the Chians drove into exile[*](An oligarchy was established there and 600 of the democratic faction were driven into exile. See Dio. Sic. 13.65.) the foremost of their citizens and launched their battle-ships from their docks and made off with their whole navy.[*](This was done by Lysander in 404 B.C. See Dio. Sic. 13.70.)

However, they were not satisfied with perpetrating these crimes, but about the same time were ravaging the Asiatic coast,[*](Greek settlements in Asia Minor. See Isoc. 4.144.) committing outrages against the islands,[*](For example, Samos (Xen. Hell. 2.3.6), by expelling the democratic faction and setting up “decarchis” there.) subverting the free governments in Italy and Sicily, setting up despotisms in their stead,[*](Sparta supported Dionysius the tyrant of Syracuse in extending his power over Greek cities in Sicily and Italy. See Diodorus xiv. 10 and cf. Isoc. 4.126, which should be read in this connection.) overrunning the Peloponnesus and filling it with seditions and wars. For, tell me, against which of the cities of Hellas did they fail to take the field? Which of them did they fail to wrong?

Did they not rob the Eleans of part of their territory,[*](See Dio. Sic. 14.17.) did they not lay waste the land of the Corinthians,[*](See Xen. Hell. 4.5.19.) did they not disperse the Mantineans from their homes,[*](See Isoc. 4.126; Xen. Hell. 5.2.1.) did they not reduce the Phliasians by siege,[*](See Xen. Hell. 5.3.21 ff. and Isoc. 4.126.) and did they not invade the country of the Argives,[*](See Xen. Hell. 4.4.19.) never ceasing from their depredations upon the rest of the world and so bringing upon themselves the disaster at Leuctra? Some maintain that this disaster was the cause of the misfortunes which overtook Sparta, but they do not speak the truth. For it was not because of this that they incurred the hatred of their allies; it was because of their insolence in the time preceding that they were defeated in this battle and fell into peril of losing their own city.