G R E 
Yet he exhorted all thofe to decline the danger, who 
were not ambitious to thare in it. He even commanded 
the youth to leave his camp before the engagement, 
deeming their lives too precious to be expofed in fb 
del'perate an enterprife. He, with the veteran foldiers 
wild follo'.ved him, chofe the prefent opportunity to 
zneet a glorious death in defence of their country. But 
their lives were fold dearly. The adfion was long 
doubtful ; t)ie lofs of the Arcadians great ; nor did the 
battle ceafe till the lad of the Spartans had perithed. 
The confederates having foon after ad'embled at Sel- 
Jafia, the place of rendezvous, marched forward to 
Sparta, burning and deffroying all before them. During 
five hundred years Laconia had not experienced a fimi. 
lar calamity. The guaids who delended the city were 
thrown into confternation. The women were terrified 
by the fmoke and tumult raided by the invaders; a 
fpebtacle, concerning which it had been their uliial 
boad, that they alone of all the Grecian females, had 
never beheld tlie theatre of war. Alarmed by the dan¬ 
ger which threatened them, and which tliey were fenli- 
ble of their own inability to repel, the Spartans em¬ 
braced the expedient of giving arms to their peafants 
and ilaves, whom they commonly treated with I'uch an 
excels of cruelty. Not lefs than fix thouland of thefe 
unhappy men were engaged, by threats or promifes, to 
undertake the defence of the proud tyrants wliom they 
detefted. Their formidable numbers increafed tlte ge¬ 
neral panic, whiclt had feized the magiftrates and citi¬ 
zens, and which did not finally ceafe until the arrival 
of a powerful body of men from Corinth, Plilius, Epi- 
daurus, and Pallene ; cities which, though they had 
ever oppoled the defpotifni^ were unwilling to permit the 
dcjlruiiion, of Sparta. 
This I'ealbnable reinforcement not only removed the 
conlhernation of the Spartans, but elevated tlieir minds 
from the depth of delpondency to the hope of fuccefs. 
The kings and magiftrates could fcarcely reltrain their 
impetuolity from rulhing into the field ; and this mar¬ 
tial enthufialm, guided by the confummate prudence 
of Agefilaus, enabled them to repel the firfl: alfaults of 
the enemy, and convince them that the dcllruiTion of 
the Spartan government was no fuch eafy talk. The 
condudt of Agefilaus, during this critical emergency, 
has been highly extolled by all writers, and never be¬ 
yond its merit. By a well-contrived ambulli in the 
temple of the Tyndaridae, he defeated the defigns of 
the afiailants : by very uncommon prefence of mind, 
he quelled a dangerous .infurreftion ; and while, by 
force or fbratagem, he overcame the united eiforts of 
domellic and foreign enemies, he negociated a molt im¬ 
portant treaty of alliance with the Athenians, who, in 
a crouded atiembly, determined almoft unanimoully to 
take the field. Iphicrates was named general ; twelve 
thoiifand men were ordered to repair to his ftandard ; 
the troops took a fhort repalt; and fuch was their ar¬ 
dour to meet the enemy, that many of them marched 
forth without waiting the orders of their commander. 
Epaminondas, meanwhile, committed dreadful devafta- 
tion in Laconia. His repulfe from the capital exafpe- 
rated his vengeance agapifl: the country. He defolated 
the fertile banks of the Eurotas, abounding in all the 
conveniencies of life known to the auftere manners of 
Sparta. He afl'aulted Helos and Gythium ; and, tra- 
verfing the whole province, deftroyed the villages and 
inhabitants by fire and fword. Even thefe terrible ra¬ 
vages did not fatisfy his refentment ; he determined that 
the invafion of Laconia fliouldnot be a temporary evil, 
which the labour of a few years might repair ; and for 
this purpole employed an expedient, which, even after 
he might evacuate their country, mull: leave the Lace¬ 
daemonians expofed to the rage of an implacable enemy. 
We have had occafion to relate the various fortunes of 
the Meffenians. About three centuries before the period 
now under review, their city had been deniolilhed by 
VoL.VIII. No. 555. 
E C E. 9iz 
tlie Spartans ; their territory had been feized, and di¬ 
vided among that people; tiie ancient inhabivaiUs had 
been reduced into fervitude, and compelled to culti¬ 
vate their paternal fields for tiie benefii of cruel maf- 
ters; or difperfed in miferable baniihinent over Greece, 
Italy, and Sicily. After two centuries of hiimili itioa 
and calamity, the humanity, or perhajis the policy, of 
Athens, rook compaffion on this unfortunate race, and 
fettled them in the territory of Naupail'uS, and the 
neighbouring ifiand of Ceplialenia. The Mcfleniaiis 
difplayed their gratitude by important fervices during 
the Pelopoimefian war; but their-mofi: vigorous exer¬ 
tions could not then retard the declining fortune of 
Athens. 'I'he event of tluit war rendered Sparta tlie 
arbiter of Greece ; and the Meffenians were the firft 
objects of her memorable tyranny, being univerfally 
enfiaved, banifiied, or put to death. It is probable 
tliat the fcattered remains of this miferable community 
would flock from every quarter to the ftandard of Epa- 
niinondas, rejoicing in an opportunity to retaliate the 
unrelenting perfecution of a people who now fuft'ered 
themfelves the fame calamities which they had fo often 
inflicied on others. But the general voice of hifldry 
aferibes to Epaminondas the merit of aflembling the 
Melfemans. It is certain that he rebuilt their city, and 
put them in pofleflion of their territory; an aft of ge¬ 
nerous compaflion which inflicted a mofl: unexpected 
puniflimeni on tlie Spartans, who beheld the aflies of a 
nation, which they had twice endeavoured to extin- 
guilli, now revive and flourifli, never to be again fuh- 
jefted to their controul. 
Epaminondas had accomplifhed this extraordinary en- 
terprile, when he received intelligence of the motions 
of the Athenian army commanded by Iphicrates. I'hat 
illurtrious general had allowed the atdour of his troops 
to evaporate, by purtuing a conduct which it is impotli- 
ble, at this diflance of time, to explain, but which the 
military hiflorian condemns, as highly unworthy of his 
former renown. His Ibldiers loudly demanded to meet 
the enemy, or even to aflault the wails of Argos, the 
ftrongeft and moft [lopulous city in Peloponnefus, and 
not inferior to Thebes in animofity againll their common, 
foe. Iphicrates, however, embraced none of thofe 
nieafures, but led his army towards Arcadia; expect¬ 
ing, perhaps, what aftually happened, that the news of 
his arrival there wotild deliver Laconia from tlie hof- 
tile invader. It cannot however be imagined, that 
Epaminondas feared the ifl'ue of an engagement with 
the Athenians. But he was juftly alarmed with the in- 
tereft which that people had taken in the affairs of 
Sparta'. The indignation and relentment vihich they, 
the rivals and enemies of the injured, difeovered on 
this occafion, taught him what fentiments his coiiduft 
nutfi: excite in more impartial hates, (hould he perfifi; in 
his plan to defiroy Sparta ; or, as the orator Leptiiies 
exprefled it, “ pluck out an eye of Greece.” Many con¬ 
curring califes tended alfo to accelerate his depart ure„ 
The Arcadians were called home to defend their iioufes 
and families. The Elians and Argives were anxious to 
fecure their booty by an expeditious retreat. Even the 
I'hebans were weary of an expedition which had con- 
fumed feveral winter months, a feafon in which they 
were not accuftomed to'keep the field. 
Early in the enfuing fpring, the La.cedEemoiiians, with 
the allies who ftill adhered to their caul'e, difpatched 
an embafly to Athens, in order to ftrengtlien the bands 
of amity with that republic. In the conference held 
for that purpofe, it appeared that the Spartans were 
either very deeply affefted by the recent obligations 
conferred on them, or that they very earneflly defired 
the continuance of fimilar favours. They acknow¬ 
ledged that the experience, the bravery, the naval vic¬ 
tories and fortune, of Athens, juffly entitled her to the 
lovereignty of the Grecian leas; and when this concef. 
fion, which had been long and difdainfully withheld, 
iO Z could 
