H. G." x. 172 foll.

(29) See above, "Hell." V. iii. 26.

(30) Or, "under the pretext of furthering Laconian interests there was
a desire to put political opponents to death." For "Menon," Diod.
conj. "Melon."

The Thebans had not gathered in the fruits of their soil for two years
now, and began to be sorely pinched for want of corn; they therefore
sent a body of men on board a couple of triremes to Pagasae, with
ten talents (31) in hand for the purchase of corn. But while these
commissioners were engaged in effecting their purchases, Alcetas, the
Lacedaemonian who was garrisoning Oreus, (32) fitted out three triremes,
taking precautions that no rumour of his proceedings should leak out.
As soon as the corn was shipped and the vessels under weigh, he captured
not only the corn but the triremes, escort and all, numbering no less
than three hundred men. This done he locked up his prisoners in the
citadel, where he himself was also quartered. Now there was a youth, the
son of a native of Oreus, fair of mien and of gentle breeding, (33) who
danced attendance on the commandant: and the latter must needs leave the
citadel and go down to busy himself with this youth. This was a piece of
carelessness which the prisoners did not fail to observe, and turned to
good account by seizing the citadel, whereupon the town revolted,
and the Thebans experienced no further difficulty in obtaining corn
supplies.

(31) = 2,437 pounds: 10 shillings.

(32) Oreus, formerly called Histiaea, in the north of Euboea. See
Thuc. vii. 57, viii. 95; Diod. xv. 30; Grote, "H. G." ix. 263. For
Pagasae at the north extremity of the Pagasaean Gulf, "the cradle
of Greek navigation," see Tozer, "Geog. Gr." vi. p. 124; Strab.
IX. v. 15.

(33) Or, "beautiful and brave if ever youth was."

B.C. 376. At the return of spring Agesilaus lay sick--a bedridden
invalid. The history of the case is this: During the withdrawal of his
army from Thebes the year before, when at Megara, while mounting from
the Aphrodision (34) to the Government house he ruptured a vein or other
vessel of the body. This was followed by a rush of blood to his sound
leg. The knee was much swelled, and the pain intolerable, until a
Syracusan surgeon made an incision in the vein near the ankle. The blood
thus let flowed night and day; do what they could to stop the discharge,
all failed, till the patient fainted away; then it ceased. In this
plight Agesilaus w