bring this about
for you as you desire." He then left the common hall (12) and retired
home to rest, but with dawn he arose and kept watch that his father
might not go out without his knowledge. Presently, when he saw him
ready to go forth, first some citizen was present, and then another and
another; and in each case he stepped aside, while they held his father
in conversation. By and by a stranger would come, and then another; and
so it went on until he even found himself making way for a string of
petitioning attendants. At last, when his father had turned his back on
the Eurotas, and was entering his house again, he was fain to turn his
back also and be gone without so much as accosting him. The next day
he fared no better: all happened as on the previous day. Now Agesilaus,
although he had his suspicions why his son went to and fro in this way,
asked no questions, but left him to take his own course. Archidamus, on
his side, was longing, as was natural, to see his friend Cleonymus; but
how he was to visit him, without having held the desired conversation
with his father, he knew not. The friends of Sphodrias, observing that
he who was once so frequent a visitor had ceased coming, were in agony;
he must surely have been deterred by the reproaches of his father. At
last, however, Archidamus dared to go to his father, and said, "Father,
Cleonymus bids me ask you to save his father; grant me this boon, if
possible, I beg you." He answered: "For yourself, my son, I can make
excuse, but how shall my city make excuse for me if I fail to condemn
that man who, for his own base purpose, traffics to the injury of the
state?" For the moment the other made no reply, but retired crestfallen
before the verdict of justice. Afterwards, whether the thought was his
own or that he was prompted by some other, he came and said, "Father,
if Sphodrias had done no wrong you would have released him, that I know;
but now, if he has done something wrong, may he not be excused by you
for our sakes?" And the father answered: "If it can be done without loss
of honour on our parts, so shall it be." At that word the young man, in
deep despondency, turned and went. Now one of the friends of Sphodrias,
conversing with Etymocles, remarked to him: "You are all bent on putting
Sphodrias to death, I take it, you friends of Agesilaus?" And Etymocles
replied: "If that be so, we all are bent on one thing, and Agesilaus on
another, since in all his conversati