ned by Athens. Thus every
one of the leading powers of Greece applied in turn to the Great King
for his royal mandate, so erecting him by common consent into a sort of
superior, whose decision was to be final in all cases of Greek quarrel.

But this external acknowledgment of the imperial greatness of Persia
did not, and could not, check the internal decay and tendency to
disintegration, which was gradually gaining head, and threatening the
speedy dissolution of the Empire. The long reign of Artaxerxes Mnemon
was now verging towards its close. He was advanced in years, and
enfeebled in mind and body, suspicious of his sons and of his nobles,
especially of such as showed more than common ability. Under these
circumstances, revolts on the part of satraps grew frequent. First
Ariobarzanes, satrap of Phrygia, renounced his allegiance (B.C. 366),
and defended himself with success against Autophradates, satrap of
Lydia, and Mausolus, native king of Caria under Persia, to whom the
task of reducing him had been entrusted. Then Aspis, who held a part
of Cappadocia, revolted and maintained himself by the help of the
Pisidians, until he was overpowered by Datames. Next Datames himself,
satrap of the rest of Cappadocia, understanding that Artaxerxes' mind
was poisoned against him, made a treaty with Ariobarzanes, and assumed
an independent attitude in his own province. In this position he
resisted all the efforts of Autophradates to reduce him to obedience;
and Artaxerxes condescended first to make terms with him and then to
remove him by treachery. Finally (B.C. 362), there seems to have been
something like a general revolt of the western provinces, in which the
satraps of Mysia, Phrygia, and Lydia, Mausolus, prince of Caria, and the
people of Lycia, Pamphylia, Cilicia, Syria, and Phoenicia participated.
Tachos, king of Egypt, fomented the disturbances, which were also
secretly encouraged by the Spartans. A terrible conflict appeared to be
imminent; but it was avoided by the ordinary resources of bribery and
treachery. Orontes, satrap of Phrygia, and Rheomithras, one of the
revolted generals, yielding to the attractions of Persian gold, deserted
and betrayed their confederates. The insurrection was in this way
quelled, but it had raised hopes in Egypt, which did not at once
subside. Tachos, the native king, having secured the services of
Agesilaus as general, and of Chabrias, the Athenian, as admiral of his
fleet, boldly advanced