ent the
Arcadians came to the rescue and extricated the Argives, who were
closely besieged, and this in spite not only of the enemy, but of the
savage nature of the ground itself. Again they marched on Asine (24) in
Laconian territory, and defeated the Lacedaemonian garrison, putting
the polemarch Geranor, who was a Spartan, to the sword, and sacking the
suburbs of the town. Indeed, whenever or wherever they had a mind to
send an invading force, neither night nor wintry weather, nor length of
road nor mountain barrier could stay their march. So that at this date
they regarded their prowess as invincible. (25) The Thebans, it will be
understood, could not but feel a touch of jealousy at these pretensions,
and their former friendship to the Arcadians lost its ardour. With the
Eleians, indeed, matters were worse. The revelation came to them when
they demanded back from the Arcadians certain cities (26) of which the
Lacedaemonians had deprived them. They discovered that their views
were held of no account, but that the Triphylians and the rest who had
revolted from them were to be made much of, because they claimed to
be Arcadians. (27) Hence, as contrasted with the Thebans, the Eleians
cherished feelings towards their late friends which were positively
hostile.

(23) {arkhontas}, see below, "Hell." VII. iv. 33. The formal title of
these Federal magistrates may or may not have been {arkhontes};
Freeman, "H. F. G." 203, note 6.

(24) See Grote, "H. G." x. 356.

(25) Or, "regarded themselves as the very perfection of soldiery."

(26) In reference to "Hell." III. ii. 25 foll., see Freeman, op. cit.
p. 201, and below, "Hell." VII. iv. 12 (B.C. 365); Busolt, op.
cit. p. 186 foll., in reference to Lasion.

(27) Busolt, p. 150.

B.C. 368. Self-esteem amounting to arrogance--such was the spirit which
animated each section of the allies, when a new phase was introduced by
the arrival of Philiscus (28) of Abydos on an embassy from Ariobarzanes
(29) with large sums of money. This agent's first step was to assemble
a congress of Thebans, allies, and Lacedaemonians at Delphi to treat
of peace. On their arrival, without attempting to communicate or take
counsel with the god as to how peace might be re-established, they fell
to deliberating unassisted; and when the Thebans refused to acquiesce
in the dependency of Messene (30) upon Lacedaemon, Philiscus set about
collecting a large foreign brigade to side with