effect; the Phliasian exiles were friends of Lacedaemon; nor did
it appear that they owed their exile to any misdoing. Under the
circumstances, Lacedaemon claimed their recall from banishment, not by
force, but as a concession voluntarily granted. When the matter was thus
stated, the Phliasians were not without alarm that an army might much
upon Phlius, and a party inside the town might admit the enemy within
the walls; for within the walls of Phlius were to be found many who,
either as blood relations or for other reasons, were partisans of the
exiles, and as so often happens, at any rate in the majority of states,
there was a revolutionary party who, in their ardour to reform, would
welcome gladly their restoration. Owing to fears of this character, a
formal decree was passed: to welcome home the exiles, and to restore
to them all undisputed property, the purchasers of the same being
indemnified from the treasury of the state; and in the event of any
ambiguity or question arising between the parties, the same to be
determined before a court of justice. Such was the position of affairs
in connection with the Phliasian exiles at the date in question.

B.C. 383. (13) And now from yet another quarter ambassadors arrived at
Lacedaemon: that is to say, from Acanthus and Apollonia, the two largest
and most important states of the Olynthian confederacy. The ephorate,
after learning from them the object of their visit, presented them to
the assembly and the allies, in presence of whom Cleigenes of Acanthus
made a speech to this effect:

(13) Al. B.C. 382.

"Men of Lacedaemon and of the allied states," he said, "are you aware of
a silent but portentous growth within the bosom of Hellas? (14) Few here
need to be told that for size and importance Olynthus now stands at
the head of the Thracian cities. But are you aware that the citizens of
Olynthus had already brought over several states by the bribe of joint
citizenship and common laws; that they have forcibly annexed some of the
larger states; and that, so encouraged, they have taken in hand
further to free the cities of Macedonia from Amyntas the king of the
Macedonians; that, as soon as their immediate neighbours had shown
compliance, they at once proceeded to attack larger and more distant
communities; so much so, that when we started to come hither, we left
them masters not only of many other places, but of Pella itself, the
capital of Macedonia. Amyntas, (15) we saw pl