within the Peloponnesus, but no further. Agesilaus advanced from Asia
through Thrace to co-operate, but learned, on the confines of Boeotia, the
news of the great battle of Cnidus. At Coronaea another battle was fought
between the Spartan and anti-Spartan forces, which was also indecisive,
but in which the Thebans displayed great heroism. This battle compelled
Agesilaus, with the Spartan forces, which he commanded, to retire from
Boeotia.

(M614) This battle was a moral defeat to Sparta. Nearly all her maritime
allies deserted her--all but Abydos, which was held by the celebrated
Dercyllidas. Pharnabazus and Conon now sailed with their fleet to Corinth,
but the Persian satrap soon left and Conon remained sole admiral, assisted
with Persian money. With this aid he rebuilt the long walls of Athens,
with the hearty co-operation of those allies which had once been opposed
to Athens.

(M615) Conon had large plans for the restoration of the Athenian power. He
organized a large mercenary force at Corinth, which had now become the
seat of war. But as many evils resulted from the presence of so many
soldiers in the city, a conspiracy headed by the oligarchal party took
place, with a view of restoring the Lacedaemonian power. Pasimelus, the
head of the conspirators, admitted the enemy within the long walls of the
city, which, as in Athens, secured a communication between the city and
the port. And between these walls a battle took place, in which the
Lacedaemonians were victorious with a severe loss. They pulled down a
portion of the walls between Corinth and the port of Lechaeum, sallied
forth, and captured two Corinthian dependencies, but the city of Corinth
remained in the hands of their gallant defenders, under the Athenian
Iphicrates. The long walls were soon restored, by aid of the Athenians,
but were again retaken by Agesilaus and the Spartans, together with
Lechaeum. This success alarmed Thebes, which unsuccessfully sued for peace.
The war continued, with the loss, to the Corinthians, of Piraeum, an
important island port, which induced the Thebans again to open
negotiations for peace, which were contemptuously rejected.

(M616) In the midst of these successes, tidings came to Agesilaus of a
disaster which was attended with important consequences, and which spoiled
his triumph. This was the destruction of a detachment of six hundred
Lacedaemonian hoplites by the light troops of Iphicrates--an unprecedented
victory--for