ft- 
G R E 
This conqiiefi:, though efFefled without ftriking a 
blow, was defti'uflive and languinary in its confe- 
quences. Epaminondas, for reafons not fiifficiently 
explained, returned witii his army to Thebes; but be¬ 
fore he arrived there, various complaints againlt his 
condudl had been made in tlie Theban aU'embly. The 
Arcadians and Argives complained tiuit a people, who 
knew by their own recent experience the inconveniences 
of ariftocracy, thould have confirmed that (evereTonn 
of government in a dependent province. The demo¬ 
cratic faction in Achaia fecretly fent emiH'aries to fe- 
coiid tlie complaint. The enemies of Epaminondas 
feized the favourable opportunity of accufing and calum¬ 
niating that illuftrious commander, and the capricious 
niultiiude were perfuaded to condemn his proceedings, 
and to fend commifTioners into Achaia, who, with the 
afliltance of the populace, as well as of a confiderable 
body of mercenaries, diflblved the ariltocracy, banifhed 
or put to death the nobles, and inftituted a democratic 
form of government. The foreign troops had fcarcely 
left tliat country, wlien the exiles, who were extremely 
numerous and powerful, returned with common con- 
fent, and, after a bloody and defperate flruggle, reco¬ 
vered their ancient influence in their refpedfive cities. 
The leaders of the populace were now, in their turn, 
put to death or expelled ; the ariftocracy was re-efta- 
bliftied ; and the magilfrates, knowing that it was dan¬ 
gerous to depend on the unfteady politics of Thebes, 
craved the proteftion of Sparta, which was readily 
granted them. "1 he Achceans approved their gratitude 
by ravaging the northern, while the Lacedaemonians in- 
fefted tJie foutliern, frontier of Arcadia ; and that un¬ 
happy province feverely felt and regretted tlie fatality 
of its fituation between two implacable enemies. 
Meanwhile, the war languifhed on both lides, till the 
hoftile confederacies were on the point of being dif- 
folved. The Athenians and Arcadians, equally dif- 
gufted with their refpettive allies, concluded a treaty 
of peace and mutual defence, by the intervention of 
Lyconiedes the Mantinaean, who was flain in his return 
from Athens by a party of Arcadian exiles. This ne- 
gociation gave general alarm; the Arcadians, wJio had 
entered into a treaty with Athens, were the allies of 
Thebes j and the united ftrength of thefe three repub¬ 
lics was at that time lufficient to fubdue and enflave the 
reft of Greece. The terror was increafed when it ap¬ 
peared that the Athenians had little inclination to eva- 
cuate feveral places in the Corinthian territory which 
tliey had undertaken to defend againft the Arcadians 
and Thebans. By feafonable vigilance the Corinthians 
anticipated a delign, too unjuft to be publicly avowed5 
they cautioufly diftembled their fears; gracioufly thanked 
Chares, who had arrived with an Athenian fleet on pre¬ 
tence of offering them his fervice, but took care not to 
admit him within their harbours; and by extreme kind- 
nefs and condefeenfion, accompanied with warm profef- 
lions of gratitude for the protedtion hitherto art’orded 
them, they got rid of the foreign garrifons, without 
coming to an open rupture with the Athenians. But 
the narrow efcape which they had made, and the dread 
of being expofed in future to any fimilar danger, made 
them extremely folicitous to promote a general peace 
on the terms propofed by the Thebans, which were, 
that Sparta (hould declare and admit the future inde¬ 
pendence of the fertile country of Meflenia. Motives 
of the fame kind influenced the cities of Achaia, and 
the little republic of Phlius, which, together with Co¬ 
rinth, were the only allies that remained faithful to 
Sparta. A fimilarity of interefts occafioned a clofe com¬ 
munication of views and mealiires among all thofe com¬ 
munities j who agreed, by common conlent, to difpatch 
an embally to Sparta, requefting that ihe would accept 
thefe conditions of peace; or if ftie thought it incon-' 
fiftest to cede her preteafions to MeffcHe, that Ihe 
E C E. 915 
would allow her faithful allies to enter into a feparate' 
negocia'ion with the TJteban republic. 
i he reafonablenefs of this requeft muft have been ap¬ 
parent to the Spartans, when they refiefled on the ufe- 
ful fervices of the allies, and conftdered how much they 
h id already futfered in their caufe. The Fhliafians, in 
particular, liad, during five years, given fuch illuftrious 
proofs of their unfliaken adherence to Sparta, as ft.ind 
unrivalled in the hiftory of national fidelity. • Situated 
in the midft of enemies, they had continually, fince the 
battle of LeuCtra, fufrered the invalions and alfaults of 
tlie Thebans, Arcadians, and Argives. Their territory 
was totally wafted ; their city clofely befieged ; their ci¬ 
tadel more than once furprifed and taken; their wealth, 
public and private, was exliaufted ; and they fubfifted 
precarioiifly on f-rovifions brought from Corinth, for the 
payment of which they- had pledged their beafts of bur¬ 
den and inftruments of agriculture. Yet, under the 
prelTure of thefe multiplied calamities, they had pre- 
lerved their fidelity inviolate; they had difdained to 
accept the peace w'hich the Thebans ottered them on 
condition of their fprfaking Sparta ; even, at laft, they 
were determined to negociate with Thebes for neutra¬ 
lity alone; nor had they folicited permillion to embrace 
this meafure, until Corinth, the only fource of their 
fubliftence, feefried ready to forkke tliein. 
The ftrength of fuch arguments, urged by the elo¬ 
quence of Pairocles the Phliafian, might have lofte'ned, 
if any thing could have foftciied, the inflexible temper 
of the Spartan feiiate, and difpofed that aflembly to pre¬ 
fer the intereft of their allies, and their own immediate 
fafety, to the doubtful profpeft of recovering Meflene. 
But the fpeech of Archidamus, full of animation and 
contempt for the foes of Sparta, decided their perfeve- 
rance in the war. “The Phlialians, the inhabitants of 
Corinth and Achaia, may, without exciting furprife, 
exprefs an anxiety for peace ; fafety, not glory, being 
their aim. But the Spartans have a charadfer to fuftafn, 
which it would be diflionourable to relinquifli. They 
expedt not barely to exift, but to enjoy glory-and re¬ 
nown, the true fweeteners of exiftence; and, if that be 
impoflible, they rauft perifh ! Yet is not their fituation 
defperate; a nation can never be reduced to any condi-' 
tion of diftrefs, in which a warlike genius, and a well- 
regulated government, may not afford relief. But in 
military experience and abilities, we are ftill unrivalled} 
and fucli a fyftem of policy as we enjoy, no other people 
can boaft. We enjoy, belides, temperate qnd laborious 
habits, the contempt of pleafure and wealth, an ardour 
for martial glory, and an ambition for honeft fame. 
Thefe are powerful auxiliaries, when protedled by the 
immortal gods, whofe oracles anciently approved our 
juft conqueft of Melfene, Nor, though the Corinthians 
and Achaeans forfake us, (hall we be deftitute of allies. 
The Athenians, ever jealous of Thebes, their moft for¬ 
midable neighbour, will again take arms in our caufe. 
Dionyfius, the tyrant of Sicily, gives us hope of farther 
aftiftance; the king of Egypt, and many princes of Afia, 
declared enemies of Artaxerxes, are all naturally our 
friends. We pofi'efs, befides, though not the perfons 
and adlual fervice, the hearts and' affeitions at leaft, of 
whatever is moft eminent in Greece. But had we no¬ 
thing of this kind to boaft, and were the one half of 
Greece not more difpoled to injure us, than the other 
to abet their injuflice, I have ftill one alternative to 
propofe, liarlh indeed and fevere, but becoming thofe 
lentinients which have ever animated the Spartans. 
Profperity, that conceals the infamy of cowardice, robs 
fortitude of half its glory. It is adverfity alone that 
can dii'play the full luftre of a firm and iminly charatler. 
I propofe, therefore, that rather than cede a territory, 
which your anceftors acquired by the blood and labour 
of tv^enty campaigns, you ihould remove from Sparta 
your wives, children, and parents, who will be received 
witk 
