ttle order. He was
in hopes even that he might put the enemy to complete rout, so valiantly
did he lead the advance, encouraging the light troops to "come to a
close grip with the invadors," or summoning the heavy infantry of the
Thespiaeans to "bring up their supports." Presently the Theban cavalry
as they retired found themselves face to face with an impassable glen
or ravine, where in the first instance they collected in a mob, and next
wheeled right-about-face in sheer resourcelessness where to cross. The
handful of light troops who formed the Spartan vanguard took fright
at the Thebans and fled, and the Theban horsemen seeing this put in
practice the lesson of attack which the fugitives taught them. As for
Phoebidas himself, he and two or three with him fell sword in hand,
whereupon his mercenary troops all took to their heels.

When the stream of fugitives reached the Thespiaean heavy infantry
reserves, they too, in spite of much boasting beforehand that they would
never yield to Thebans, took to flight, though there was now absolutely
no pursuit whatever, for it was now late. The number slain was not
large, but, for all that, the men of Thespiae did not come to a
standstill until they found themselves safe inside their walls. As a
sequel, the hopes and spirits of the Thebans were again kindled into new
life, and they made campaigns against Thespiae and the other provincial
cities of Boeotia. (22) It must be admitted that in each case the
democratical party retired from these cities to Thebes; since absolute
governments had been established in all of them on the pattern
previously adopted at Thebes; and the result was that the friends of
Lacedaemon in these cities also needed her assistance. (23) After the
death of Phoebidas the Lacedaemonians despatched a polemarch with a
division by sea to form the garrison of Thespiae.

(22) Lit. "their other perioecid cities." For the significance of this
title as applied by the Thebans (and perhaps commonly) to the
other cities of Boeotia, see Freeman, op. cit. ch. iv. pp. 157,
173 foll.

(23) See Grote, "H. G." x. 174; Freeman, op. cit. iv. 171, 172.

B.C. 377. With the advent of spring (24) the ephors again called out the
ban against Thebes, and requested Agesilaus to lead the expedition, as
on the former campaign. He, holding to his former theory with regard to
the invasion, even before sacrificing the customary frontier sacrifice,
sent a despatch to the