<m ORE 
and commerce ; and, in a fliort time, Salamis was able 
to fit out a conlidcrable naval power, and to fubdiie 
and incorporate witli her own l^iibjedts feveral of the 
neighbouring communities. The great king, who had 
long been confidered as lord paramount of Cyprus, in¬ 
terfered not in the donieffic concerns of the ifiand, pro¬ 
vided he received from thence his fmall cuflomary tri¬ 
bute. The flourifliing ftate of Evagoras’s alfairs might 
■enable him to pay, and to exceed, the ftipulated (urn; 
thougii it is probable that he earlv meditated, what he 
afterwards attempted to accompiifli, the deliverance of 
his country from bondage. 
But a defign which aftually engaged him more deeoly, 
and to which he was Itrongly incited by the ardent foli- 
eitations of Conon, was the refloration of Athens tatliat 
ilate of glory from wdiich flie had fo milerably fallen. 
Conon had been already recommended to the great king 
by Evagoras ; and the recommendation had been en¬ 
forced by Pharnabazus, who knew and adiuired his me- 
r'it. The experienced fkill of the illuftrious Athenian, 
and of his countrymen Hieronymus and Nicodemus, had 
afiifted in equipping the barbarian fquadrons in the Ci- 
lician and Phoenician harbours. But the abilities of 
Pharax tlie Spartan admiral, and the negligence of the 
Perfian commanders, hitherto rendered ufelefs a fleet of 
near three hundred fail, which was ill manned, and 
■worfe fupplied. Tlie activity of Conon undertook to 
remedy thefe evils. He left Cilicia, in order to procure 
isn interview with the monarch of the Biaft. Conon re- 
prefented to the tretnbling monarch, flill agitated by 
the terror of Agefilaus’s victories, the neceflity of op- 
pofingthe Spartans vigoroully by fea. Their fleet alone 
had acquired and maintained the command of the Alia.- 
tic coaft. A Angle defeat at fea would excite their al¬ 
lies to revolt, and drive their armies from Afia. But 
to obtain this advantage, tlie great king luuft employ 
an admiral worthy to command, and men willing to 
obey. In looking for the firft, the valour of Pharna¬ 
bazus could not efcape his notice. The fecond might 
be obtained by money. And Ihould Artaxerxes entruft 
him w ith tlie requifite fum, he pledged his life that he 
would loon collect fuch a number of failors as would 
enable him to defeat the fleet of Sparta, and compel 
tiiat republic to abandon her eaflern conquefls. The 
propofal pleafed Artaxerxes, the money was raifed, 
and Conon returned to Cilicia to acconiplifh the under¬ 
taking. 
From various fea-ports of Afia, but chiefly from the 
powerful illands of Rhodes and Cyprus, he foon col¬ 
lected a naval force exceeding his moft fanguine hopes. 
With their combined flrength, Conon and Pharnabazus 
failed weffward in quefl: of the hoflile fleet, perfuaded 
that the rafh confidence of the Spartan admiral would 
rot decline battle with a I'uperior enemy. As the united 
armament doubled the northern point of Rhodes, they 
perceived the Lacedaemonian fquadron, amounting to 
near an hundred gallies, in the capacious bay which is 
formed between the projections of the Dorian fhore, 
an^ the fmall illands Called Sporades, from the carelefs 
irregularity with which they feem to have been Mat¬ 
tered by the hand of nature. The unexpected approach 
of fuch a formidable fleet did not lhake the fullen ob- 
ftinacy of Pilander. He commanded his men to prepare 
for battle. They bore up againlt tlie enemy, but on a 
nearer furvey were alarmed and terrified with the great 
difproportion of numbers. Pifander advanced in the ad. 
iTiiral galley,‘and died fighting bravely in defence of the 
Spartan honour, vainly endeavouring to maintain by the 
vigour of his arm what had been betrayed by the weak- 
nefs. of his counfels. The victors purfued ; aod after 
deftroying great numbers of theenemy, took and carried 
into port fifty galleys. 
It was the intelligence of this vidlory that alarmed 
tuid afflicted the patriotic breaft of Ageiilaus. He af- 
fenibled the troops, hoiieftly confelTcd the death of Pi- 
E e E, 
fander, but artfully declared that, though the admiral 
was llain, his fleet was vi6lorio\is. Tlv's ftratagem was 
attended with a very fdutary eft'eft; for in a Ikirrailli 
between the advanced guards, immediately preceding 
the battle, the Lacedaemonian troops, animated by, their 
imagined victory in the eaft, defeated and repelled the 
enemy. Meanwhile the main bodies of either army 
advanced into the plain of Coronasa, at firll in awful 
lilence; but liaving approached v.dthin a furlong of each 
other, the Thebans raifed an univerfal (hout, and ra» 
turioufly to the cliarge. Their impetuofity bore down 
every thing before them ; but the troops immediately 
commanded by Agefilaiis repelled the left wing of the 
enemy, chiefly confifting of Argives and AtheniaHS, 
Already thofe who furrounded his perfon fainted him, 
as conqueror, and adorned him with the crown of vic¬ 
tory ; wiien it was teld, that the Thebans had broke 
and totally routed ths Orchomenians, and were advan¬ 
cing to feize the baggage. Agefilaus, by a rapid evo¬ 
lution, prepared to intercept them, in order to fruftratc 
tJiis defign. The Thebans perceived this movement, 
wheeled about, and marched in an oppofitc diredtion, 
that tltey might join and rally their allies, who fled 
towards the mountains of Helicon. In the rencounter 
which followed, Xenophon is difpofed to admire ratlier 
the valour than the prudence of tiie Spartan king. 
Inftead of allowing the Thebans to pafs, tliat^he might 
attack their rear and flanks, lie boldly oppofed their 
progrefs, and alfailed their front. The lliock was ter¬ 
rible ; tlieir fliields, meeting, clafhed ; they fought, 
flew, and were flain. No voice was heard, yet none was 
filent; the field refounded with tlie noile of rage and 
battle ; and this was the moll defperate and bloody ac¬ 
tion of any in that age. At length the firmnefs of the 
Thebans effedled their long-attempted palfage to Heli¬ 
con ; but could not encourage their allies to renew the 
engagement. 
Agefilaus had received feveral wounds, yet did he 
not flirink from the battle in the moment of vidtory. 
When informed that about fourfeore of tlie enemy had 
taken refuge in the neighbouring temple of Minerva, 
he religioufly refpefled the right of fanctuary, ordered 
his foldiers to abflaiii from hurting tliem, and even ap¬ 
pointed a body of horfe to condudl them to a place of 
lecurity. Tiie next day was employed by the vidtor* 
in eredting a trophy on the feene of this important ac¬ 
tion ; while tiie enemy acknowledged their defeat', by 
requeuing the bodies of the flain. Notvvithflanding his 
fatigue and wounds, Agefilaus travelled to Phocis, that 
he might dedicate the tenth of his fpoil in,the temple 
of Delphian Apollo. Having returned towards the Pe- 
lopoiinefus, he difbanded his eaflern troops, moft of 
whom were defirous to revifit their refpedtive cities ; 
his Peloponnefian and Lacedaemonian forces inclined alfo 
to return home, that they might reap the fruits of har- 
vefl ; and Agefilaus, probably to avoid a journey pain¬ 
ful to his wounds, failed to Sparta, to join in the cele¬ 
bration of the Hyacintliian feftival. 
The fea-fight of Cnidus, and the battle of Coroiifea, 
W'ere the moft important and decifive adtions in the 
Boeotian or Corinthian war, which lafled eight years; 
namely, frem tlie year 394, to the year 387, before Chrift ; 
and it is worthy of obfervation, that the partial adtions, 
which happened on either element, generally followed 
the bias of thole important vidtories. Succefs for the 
moft part attended the lailors of Athens, and the fol. 
diers of Sparta; though the naval exploits ofT'eleu- 
tias, the kiiil'nian of Agefilaus, who furprifed the Pirajus 
witli twelve galleys, took many mercliantmeir, deftroyed 
feveral (hips of war, and fcoured the coaft of Attica, 
formed an exception extremely honourable to that com¬ 
mander; and the military advantages of Ipliicrates the 
Athenian, though unimportant in their confequeace.a, 
announced thofe great talents for war, which afterwards 
rendered him fe ilUiftrioiis. But, in general, Ag'efilau* 
1 and 
