imself.

B.C. 400-399 (?). (25) During the rest of the summer and the ensuing
winter the territory of the Eleians was ravaged and ransacked by
Lysippus and his troops, until Thrasydaeus, the following summer, sent
to Lacedaemon and agreed to dismantle the walls of Phea and Cyllene, and
to grant autonomy to the Triphylian townships (26)--together with Phrixa
and Epitalium, the Letrinians, Amphidolians, and Marganians; and besides
these to the Acroreians and to Lasion, a place claimed by the Arcadians.
With regard to Epeium, a town midway between Heraea and Macistus,
the Eleians claimed the right to keep it, on the plea that they had
purchased the whole district from its then owners, for thirty talents,
(27) which sum they had actually paid. But the Lacedaemonians, acting on
the principle "that a purchase which forcibly deprives the weaker party
of his possession is no more justifiable than a seizure by violence,"
compelled them to emancipate Epeium also. From the presidency of the
temple of Olympian Zeus, however, they did not oust them; not that it
belonged to Elis of ancient right, but because the rival claimants,
(28) it was felt, were "villagers," hardly equal to the exercise of
the presidency. After these concessions, peace and alliance between the
Eleians and the Lacedaemonians were established, and the war between
Elis and Sparta ceased.

(25) Grote ("H. G." ix. 316) discusses the date of this war between
Elis and Sparta, which he thinks, reaches over three different
years, 402-400 B.C. But Curtius (vol. iv. Eng. tr. p. 196)
disagrees: "The Eleian war must have occurred in 401-400 B.C., and
Grote rightly conjectures that the Eleians were anxious to bring
it to a close before the celebration of the festival. But he errs
in extending its duration over three years." See Diod. xiv. 17.
24; Paus. III. viii. 2 foll.

(26) Grote remarks: "There is something perplexing in Xenophon's
description of the Triphylian townships which the Eleians
surrendered" ("H. G." ix. 315). I adopt Grote's emend. {kai
Phrixan}. See Busolt, op. cit. p. 176.

(27) = 7,312 pounds: 10 shillings.

(28) I.e. the men of the Pisatid. See below, VII. iv. 28; Busolt, op.
cit. p 156.

III

After this Agis came to Delphi and offered as a sacrifice a tenth of the
spoil. On his return journey he fell ill at Heraea--being by this time
an old man--and was carried back to Lacedaemon. He survived th