Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
as a bar to his pretensions. Many of the other citizens, also,
were favorable to Agesilaus and zealously joined his party, induced
by the opinion they had of his merits, of which they themselves
had been spectators, in the time that he had been bred up among
them. But there was a man, named Diopithes, at Sparta, who had a
great knowledge of ancient oracles, and was thought particularly
skillful and clever in all points of religion and divination. He
alleged, that it was unlawful to make a lame man king of
Lacedaemon, citing in the debate the following oracle: --
Beware, great Sparta, lest there come of thee
Though sound thyself; an halting sovereignty;
Troubles, both long and unexpected too,
And storms of deadly warfare shall ensue.
But Lysander was not wanting with an evasion, alleging that if the
Spartans were really apprehensive of the oracle, they must have a
care of Leotychides; for it was not the limping foot of a king that
the gods cared about, but the purity of the Herculean family, into
whose sights if a spurious issue were admitted, it would make the
kingdom to halt indeed. Agesilaus likewise alleged, that the
bastardy of Leotychides was witnessed to by Neptune, who threw Agis
out of bed by a violent earthquake, after which time he ceased to
visit his wife, yet Leotychides was born above ten months after
this.
Agesilaus was upon these allegations declared king, and soon
possessed himself of the private estate of Agis, as well as his
throne, Leotychides being wholly rejected as a bastard. He now
turned his attention to his kindred by the mother's side, persons
of worth and virtue, but miserably poor. To them he gave half his
brother's estate, and by this popular act gained general good-will
and reputation, in the place of the envy and ill-feeling which the
inheritance might otherwise have procured him. What Xenophon tells
us of him, that by complying with, and, as it were, being ruled by
his country, he grew into such great power with them, that he could
do what he pleased, is meant to apply to the power he gained in the
following manner with the Ephors and Elders. These were at that
time of the greatest authority in the State; the former, officers
annually chosen; the Elders, holding their places during life; both
instituted, as already told in the life of Lycurgus, to restrain
the power of the kings. Hence it was that there was always from
generation to generation, a feud and contention between them and
the kings. But Agesilaus took another course. Instead of
contending with them, he courted them; in all proceedings he
commenced by taking their advice, was always ready to go, nay
almost run, when they called him; if he were upon his royal seat
hearing causes and the Ephors came in, he rose to them; whenever
any man was elected into the Council of Elders, he presented him
with a gown and an ox. Thus, whilst he made show of deference to
them, and of a desire to extend their authority, he secretly
advanced his own, and enlarged the prerogatives of the kings by
several liberties which their friendship to his person conceded.
To other citizens he so behaved himself, as to be less blamable in
his enmities than in his friendships; for against his enemy he
forbore to take any unjust advantage, but his friends he would
assist, even in what was unjust. If an enemy had done anything
praiseworthy, he felt it shameful to detract from his due, but his
friends he knew not how to reprove when they did ill, nay, he would
eagerly join with them, and assist them in their misdeed, and
thought all offices of friendship commendable, let the matter in
which they were employed be what it would. Again, when any of his
adversaries was overtaken in a fault, he would be the first to pity
him, and be soon entreated to procure his pardon, by which he won
the hearts of all men. Insomuch that his popularity grew at last
suspected by the Ephors, who laid a fine on him, professing that he
was appropriating the citizens to himself, who ought to be the
common property of the State. For as it is the opinion of
philosophers, that could you take away strife and opposition out of
the universe, all the heavenly bodies would stand still, generation
and motion would cease in the mutual concord and agreement of all
things, so the Spartan legislator seems to have admitted ambition
and emulation, among the ingredients of his Commonwealth as the
incentives of virtue, distinctly wishing that there should be some
dispute and competition among his men of worth, and pronouncing the
mere idle, uncontested, mutual compliance to unproved deserts to be
but a false sort of concord. And some think Homer had an eye to
this, when he introduces Agamemnon well pleased with the quarrel
arising between Ulysses and Achilles, and with the "terrible
words" that passed between them, which he would never have done,
unless he had thought emulations and dissensions between the
noblest men to be of great public benefit. Yet this maxim is not
simply to be granted, without restriction, for if animosities go
too far, they are very dangerous to cities, and of most pernicious
consequence.
When Agesilaus was newly entered upon the government, there came
news from Asia, that the Persian king was making great naval
preparations, resolving with a high hand to dispossess the Spartans
of their maritime supremacy. Lysander was eager for the
opportunity of going over and succoring his friends in Asia, whom
he had there left governors and masters of the cities, whose
mal-administration and tyrannical behavior was causing them to be
driven out, and in some cases put to death. He therefore persuaded
Agesilaus to claim the command of the expedition, and by carrying
the war far from Greece into Persia, to anticipate the designs of
the barbarian. He also wrote to his friends in Asia, that by
embassy they should demand Agesilaus for their captain. Agesilaus,
therefore, coming into the public assembly, offered his service,
upon condition that he might have thirty Spartans for captains and
counselors, two thousand chosen men of the newly enfranchised
helots, and allies to the number of six thousand. Lysander's
authority and assistance soon obtained his request, so that he was
sent away with the thirty Spartans, of whom Lysander was at once
the chief, not only because of his power and reputation, but also
on account of his friendship with Agesilaus, who esteemed his
procuring him this charge a greater obligation, than that of
preferring him to the kingdom.
Whilst the army was collecting to the rendezvous at Geraestus,
Agesilaus went with some of his friends to Aulis, where in a dream
he saw a man approach him, and speak to him after this manner: "O
king of the Lacedaemonians, you cannot but know that, before
yourself, there hath been but one general captain of the whole of
the Greeks, namely, Agamemnon; now, since you succeed him in the
same office and command of the same men, since you war against the
same enemies, and begin your expedition from the same place, you
ought also to offer such a sacrifice, as he offered before he
weighed anchor." Agesilaus at the same moment remembered that the
sacrifice which Agamemnon offered was his own daughter, he being so
directed by the oracle. Yet was he not at all disturbed at it, but
as soon as he arose, he told his dream to his friends, adding, that
he would propitiate the goddess with the sacrifices a goddess must
delight in, and would not follow the ignorant example of his
predecessor. He therefore ordered a hind to be crowned with
chaplets, and bade his own soothsayer perform the rite, not the
usual person whom the Boeotians, in ordinary course, appointed to
that office. When the Boeotian magistrates understood it, they
were much offended, and sent officers to Agesilaus, to forbid his
sacrificing contrary to the laws of the country. These having
delivered their message to him, immediately went to the altar, and
threw down the quarters of the hind that lay upon it. Agesilaus
took this very ill, and without further sacrifice immediately
sailed away, highly displeased with the Boeotians, and much
discouraged in his mind at the omen, boding to himself an
unsuccessful voyage, and an imperfect issue of the whole
expedition.
When he came to Ephesus, he found the power and interest of
Lysander, and the honors paid to him, insufferably great; all
applications were made to him, crowds of suitors attended at his
door, and followed upon his steps, as if nothing but the mere name
of commander belonged, to satisfy the usage, to Agesilaus, the
whole power of it being devolved upon Lysander. None of all the
commanders that had been sent into Asia was either so powerful or
so formidable as he; no one had rewarded his friends better, or had
been more severe against his enemies; which things having been
lately done, made the greater impression on men's minds, especially
when they compared the simple and popular behavior of Agesilaus,
with the harsh and violent and brief-spoken demeanor which Lysander
still retained. Universal deference was yielded to this, and
little regard shown to Agesilaus. This first occasioned offense to
the other Spartan captains, who resented that they should rather
seem the attendants of Lysander, than the councilors of Agesilaus.
And at length Agesilaus himself, though not perhaps all envious man
in his nature, nor apt to be troubled at the honors redounding upon
other men, yet eager for honor and jealous of his glory, began to
apprehend that Lysander's greatness would carry away from him the
reputation of whatever great action should happen. He therefore
went this way to work. He first opposed him in all his counsels;
whatever Lysander specially advised was rejected, and other
proposals followed. Then whoever made any address to him, if he
found him attached to Lysander, certainly lost his suit. So also
in judicial cases, anyone whom he spoke strongly against was sure
to come off with success, and any man whom he was particularly
solicitous to procure some benefit for, might think it well if he
got away without an actual loss. These things being clearly not
done by chance, but constantly and of a set purpose, Lysander was
soon sensible of them, and hesitated not to tell his friends, that
they suffered for his sake, bidding them apply themselves to the
king, and such as were more powerful with him than he was. Such
sayings of his seeming to be designed purposely to excite ill
feeling, Agesilaus went on to offer him a yet more open affront,
appointing him his meat-carver; and would in public companies
scornfully say, "Let them go now and pay their court to my carver."
Lysander, no longer able to brook these indignities, complained at
last to Agesilaus himself, telling him, that he knew very well how
to humble his friends. Agesilaus answered, "I know certainly how
to humble those who pretend to more power than myself." "That,"
replied Lysander, "is perhaps rather said by you, than done by me;
I desire only, that you will assign me some office and place, in
which I may serve you without incurring your displeasure."
Upon this Agesilaus sent him to the Hellespont, whence he procured
Spithridates, a Persian of the province of Pharnabazus, to come to
the assistance of the Greeks with two hundred horse, and a great
supply of money. Yet his anger did not so come down, but he
thenceforward pursued the design of wresting the kingdom out of the
hands of the two families which then enjoyed it, and making it
wholly elective; and it is thought that he would on account of this
quarrel have excited a great commotion in Sparta, if he had not
died in the Boeotian war. Thus ambitious spirits in a
commonwealth, when they transgress their bounds, are apt to do more