ter were apprised of his
intention, and, being persuaded that owing to the midland situation of
their cities they would just as truly be blockaded by an enemy who chose
to destroy their corn as they would be if besieged with entrenchments in
regular form, they sent ambassadors to Lacedaemon, and made peace with
the Achaeans and alliance with the Lacedaemonians. Thus closes this page
of history concerning the affairs of Arcarnania.

(1) According to others, B.C. 390.

To turn to the next. There was a feeling on the part of the
Lacedaemonians (2) that no expedition against Athens or Boeotia would be
safe so long as a state so important and so close to their own frontier
as Argos remained in open hostility behind them. Accordingly they called
out the ban against Argos. Now when Agesipolis learnt that the duty of
leadership devolved on him, and, moreover, that the sacrifices before
crossing the frontier were favourable, he went to Olympia and consulted
the will of the god. "Would it be lawful to him," he inquired, "not to
accept the holy truce, on the ground that the Argives made the season
for it (3) depend not on a fixed date, but on the prospect of a
Lacedaemonian invasion?" The god indicated to the inquirer that he might
lawfully repudiate any holy truce which was fraudulently antedated. (4)
Not content with this, the young king, on leaving Olympia, went at once
to Delphi, and at that shrine put the same question to Apollo: "Were his
views in accordance with his Father's as touching the holy truce?"--to
which the son of Zeus made answer: "Yea, altogether in accordance." (5)

(2) Or, "It was agreed by the Lacedaemonians."

(3) I.e. "the season of the Carneia."

(4) Or, "wrongfully put forward." See below, V. i. 29; iii. 28; Paus.
III. v. 8; Jebb. "Att. Or." i. p. 131; Grote, "H. G." ix. 494
foll.; Jowett, "Thuc." ii. 315; note to Thuc. V. liv. 3.

(5) Grote; cf. Aristot. "Rhet." ii. 33.

Then without further hesitation, picking up his army at Phlius
(where, during his absence to visit the temples, the troops had been
collecting), he advanced by Nemea into the enemy's territory. The
Argives, on their side, perceiving that they would be unable to hinder
his advance, in accordance with their custom sent a couple of heralds,
garlanded, and presented their usual plea of a holy truce. Agesipolis
answered them curtly that the gods were not satisfied with the justice
of their plea, and, refusing to accept the