al Peisander. Details of the disaster were not wanting. The
engagement of the hostile fleets took place off Cnidus. Pharnabazus, the
Persian admiral, was present with the Phoenician fleet, and in front
of him were ranged the ships of the Hellenic squadron under Conon.
Peisander had ventured to draw out his squadron to meet the combined
fleets, though the numerical inferiority of his fleet to that of the
Hellenic navy under Conon was conspicuous, and he had the mortification
of seeing the allies who formed his left wing take to flight
immediately. He himself came to close quarters with the enemy, and was
driven on shore, on board his trireme, under pressure of the hostile
rams. The rest, as many as were driven to shore, deserted their ships
and sought safety as best they could in the territory of Cnidus. The
admiral alone stuck to his ship, and fell sword in hand.

(8) B.C. 394, August 14.

It was impossible for Agesilaus not to feel depressed by those tidings
at first; on further reflection, however, it seemed to him that the
moral quality of more than half his troops well entitled them to share
in the sunshine of success, but in the day of trouble, when things
looked black, he was not bound to take them into his confidence.
Accordingly he turned round and gave out that he had received news that
Peisander was dead, but that he had fallen in the arms of victory in
a sea-fight; and suiting his action to the word, he proceeded to offer
sacrifice in return for good tidings, (9) distributing portions of the
victims to a large number of recipients. So it befell that in the first
skirmish with the enemy the troops of Agesilaus gained the upper hand,
in consequence of the report that the Lacedaemonians had won a victory
by sea.

(9) "Splendide mendax." For the ethics of the matter, see "Mem." IV.
ii. 17; "Cyrop." I. vi. 31.

To confront Agesilaus stood an army composed of the Boeotians,
Athenians, Argives, Corinthians, Aenianians, Euboeans, and both
divisions of the Locrians. Agesilaus on his side had with him a division
(10) of Lacedaemonians, which had crossed from Corinth, also half the
division from Orchomenus; besides which there were the neodamodes (11)
from Lacedaemon, on service with him already; and in addition to these
the foreign contingent under Herippidas; (12) and again the quota
furnished by the Hellenic cities in Asia, with others from the cities in
Europe which he had brought over during his progress;