Hellenica

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.