did not go back to Athens, but settled on a farm near Elis,
where he built a little temple to Diana, in imitation of the one at
Ephesus, and spent his time in husbandry, in hunting, and in writing his
histories, and also treatises on dogs and horses. Once a-year he held a
great festival in honour of Diana, offering her the tithe of all his
produce, and feasting all the villagers around on barley meal, wheaten
bread, meat, and venison, the last of which was obtained at a great
hunting match conducted by Xenophon himself and his sons.

[Picture: View on the Eurotas in Laconia]

CHAP. XXV.--THE TWO THEBAN FRIENDS. B.C. 387-362.

[Picture: Decorative chapter heading]

By the peace of Antaleidas things had been so settled that the Spartans
had the chief power over Greece, and they used it in their proud, harsh
way. In the year 387 they called the Thebans to assist in besieging the
city of Mantinea, in a valley between Argos and Arcadia. The Mantineans
sallied out, and there was a battle, in which they were defeated; but in
the course of it a Theban youth of a rich and noble family, named
Pelopidas, was surrounded by enemies. He fought desperately, and only
fell at last under seven wounds just as another Theban, a little older,
named Epaminondas, broke into his rescue, and fought over him until the
Spartans made in and bore them off, but not till Epaminondas had likewise
been badly wounded. He was the son of a poor but noble father, said to
be descended from one of the men who had sprung from the dragon's teeth;
and he had been well taught, and was an earnest philosopher of the
Pythagorean school, striving to the utmost of his power to live a good
and virtuous life. A close friendship grew up between him and Pelopidas,
though the one loved books, and the other, dogs and horses; but Pelopidas
tried to be as upright and noble as his friend, and, though a very rich
man, lived as hardily and sparingly as did Epaminondas, using his wealth
to help the poor. When some foolish friends asked him why he did not use
his riches for his own ease and pomp, he laughed at them, and, pointing
to a helpless cripple, said that riches were only useful to a man like
that.

Every high-spirited Theban hated the power that Sparta had taken over
their free state, and wanted to shake it off; but some of those who were
bribed by Sparta sent word of their intentions to a Spartan general in
the neighb