Hellenica

Xenophon

Xenophon, creator; Xenophon in Seven Volumes Vol 1 and Vol 2; Brownson, Carleton L. (Carleton Lewis), b. 1866, editor; Brownson, Carleton L. (Carleton Lewis), b. 1866, editor, translator

On this day, therefore, the Thebans were despondent, thinking that they had suffered losses no less severe than those they had inflicted; on the following day, however, when they learned that the Phocians and the rest had all gone away in the night to their several homes, then they began to be more elated over their exploit. But when, on the other hand, Pausanias appeared with the army from Lacedaemon, they again thought that they were in great danger, and, by all accounts, there was deep silence and despondency in their army.

When, however, on the next day the Athenians arrived and formed in line of battle with them, while Pausanias did not advance against them nor offer battle, then the elation of the Thebans increased greatly; as for Pausanias, he called together the commanders of regiments and of fifties, and took counsel with them as to whether he should join battle or recover by means of a truce the bodies of Lysander and those who fell with him.

Accordingly Pausanias and the other Lacedaemonians who were in authority, considering that Lysander was dead and that the army under his command had been defeated and was gone, while the Corinthians had altogether refused to accompany them and those who had come[*](i.e. the other Peloponnesians (cp. 17 above).) were not serving with any spirit; considering also the matter of horsemen, that the[*](395 B.C.) enemy’s were numerous while their own were few, and, most important of all, that the bodies lay close up to the wall, so that even in case of victory it would not be easy to recover them on account of the men upon the towers—for all these reasons they decided that it was best to recover the bodies under a truce.

The Thebans, however, said that they would not give up the dead except on condition that the Lacedaemonians should depart from their country. The Lacedaemonians welcomed these conditions, and were ready, after taking up their dead, to depart from Boeotia. When this had been done, the Lacedaemonians marched off despondently, while the Thebans behaved most insolently—in case a man trespassed never so little upon anyone’s lands, chasing him back with blows into the roads. Thus it was that this campaign of the Lacedaemonians came to its end.

But when Pausanias reached home he was brought to trial for his life. He was charged with having arrived at Haliartus later than Lysander, though he had agreed to reach there on the same day, with having recovered the bodies of the dead by a truce instead of trying to recover them by battle, and with having allowed the Athenian democrats to escape when he had got them in his power in Piraeus;[*](Cp. II. iv. 29-39.) and since, besides all this, he failed to appear at the trial, he was condemned to death. And he fled to Tegea, and there died a natural death. These, then, were the events which took place in Greece.

Now when Agesilaus[*](Cp. III. iv. 29.) arrived, at the beginning[*](395 B.C.) of autumn, in Pharnabazus’ province of Phrygia, he laid the land waste with fire and sword and gained possession of cities, some by force, others by their voluntary surrender.

And when Spithridates said that if he would come to Paphlagonia with him, he would bring the king of the Paphlagonians to a conference and make him an ally, Agesilaus eagerly undertook the journey, since this was a thing he had long desired—to win some nation away from the Persian King.

Upon his arriving in Paphlagonia, Otys came and concluded an alliance; for he had been summoned by the Persian King and had refused to go up to him. He also, by the persuasion of Spithridates, left behind for Agesilaus a thousand horsemen and two thousand peltasts.

And Agesilaus, feeling grateful to Spithridates for these things, said to him: Tell me, Spithridates, would you not give your daugther to Otys? Far more willingly, said he, than he would accept her, the daughter of an exile, while he is lord of a great land and power. So at that time nothing more was said about the marriage.

But when Otys was about to depart, he came to Agesilaus to bid him farewell. Then Agesilaus began conversation with him in the presence of the thirty Spartiatae,[*](Cp. III. iv. 20.) after asking Spithridates to withdraw.

Tell me, he said, Otys, to what sort of a family[*](395 B.C.) does Spithridates belong? Otys replied that he was inferior in rank to no one of all the Persians. And have you noticed his son, said Agesilaus, how handsome he is? To be sure I have; for I dined with him last evening. They say his daughter is handsomer than the son.

Yes, by Zeus, said Otys, she certainly is beautiful. And I, said he, since you have become a friend of ours, should like to advise you to take the girl as your wife, for she is very beautiful—and what is more pleasant to a husband than that?—and the daughter of a father very well born and possessed of so great power, a man who, when wronged by Pharnabazus, takes such vengeance upon him that he has, as you see, made him an exile from his whole country.

Be well assured, moreover, he said, that even as he is able to take vengeance upon Pharnabazus, an enemy, so he would also be able to benefit a friend I ask you also to take into consideration that, if this plan should be carried out, it would not be he alone that would be a connexion of yours, but I too and the rest of the Lacedaemonians, and, since we are the leaders of Greece, the rest of Greece as well.

And further, if you should do this, who could possibly have a more magnificent wedding than you? For what bride was ever escorted by so many horsemen and peltasts and hoplites as would escort your wife to your house?

And Otys asked, But is this, said he, which you are proposing, Agesilaus, pleasing to Spithridates also? By the gods, said Agesilaus, it was not he that bade me say this; but I for my own part, even though I rejoice exceedingly[*](395 B.C.) when I punish an enemy, believe that I am far more pleased when I discover some good thing for my friends.

Why, then, said he, do you not find out whether this is pleasing to him also? And Agesilaus said: Herippidas, do you men all go and persuade him to desire the same things that we do.

So they went and set about persuading him. And when they had spent some time away, Agesilaus said: Do you wish, Otys, that we should call him in and talk with him ourselves? I do think that he would be far more likely to be persuaded by you than by all the rest put together. Thereupon Agesilaus called in both Spithridates and the others.

And as soon as they came in, Herippidas said: Why, Agesilaus, need one make a long story about all that was said? The upshot of it is that Spithridates says he would be glad to do anything that you think best.

Well, then, said Agesilaus, I think it best that you, Spithridates, should give your daughter to Otys—and may good fortune attend upon the deed—and that you, Otys, should accept her. But we could not fetch the girl by land before spring. But, by Zeus, said Otys, she could be sent by sea at once, if you so desired.

Thereupon they gave and received pledges to ratify this agreement, and so sent Otys on his way.And Agesilaus, being now assured that Otys was eager, immediately manned a trireme and ordered Callias the Lacedaemonian to fetch the girl, while he set off himself for Dascyleium, the place where the palace of Pharnabazus was situated, and round about it were many large villages, stored with provisions in abundance, and splendid wild animals, some of[*](395 B.C.) them in enclosed parks, others in open spaces.