ich he paid both
to the Ephors and the senators, he succeeded in gaining for himself
more real power than had been enjoyed by any of his predecessors.

The affairs of Asia Minor soon began to draw the attention of Agesilaus
to that quarter. The assistance lent to Cyrus by the Spartans was no
secret at the Persian court; and Tissaphernes, who had been rewarded
for his fidelity with the satrapy of Cyrus in addition to his own, no
sooner returned to his government than he attacked the Ionian cities,
then under the protection of Sparta. A considerable Lacedaemonian
force under Thimbron was despatched to their assistance, and which, as
related in the preceding chapter, was joined by the remnant of the
Greeks who had served under Cyrus. Thimbron, however, proved so
inefficient a commander, that he was superseded at the end of 399 or
beginning of 398 B.C., and Dercyllidas appointed in his place. But
though at first successful against Pharnabazus in AEolis, Dercyllidas
was subsequently surprised in Caria in such an unfavourable position
that he would have suffered severely but for the timidity of
Tissaphernes, who was afraid to venture upon an action. Under these
circumstances an armistice was agreed to for the purpose of treating
for a peace (397 B.C.).

Pharnabazus availed himself of this armistice to make active
preparations for a renewal of the war. He obtained large
reinforcements of Persian troops, and began to organize a fleet in
Phoenicia and Cilicia. This was intrusted to the Athenian admiral
Conon, of whom we now first hear again after a lapse of seven years
since his defeat at AEgospotami. After that disastrous battle Conon
fled with nine triremes to Cyprus, where he was now living under the
protection of Evagoras, prince of Salamis.

It was the news of these extensive preparations that induced Agesilaus,
on the suggestion of Lysander, to volunteer his services against the
Persians. He proposed to take with him only 30 full Spartan citizens,
or peers, to act as a sort of council, together with 2000 Neodamodes,
or enfranchised Helots, and 6000 hoplites of the allies. Lysander
intended to be the leader of the 30 Spartans, and expected through them
to be the virtual commander of the expedition of which Agesilaus was
nominally the head.

Since the time of Agamemnon no Grecian king had led an army into Asia;
and Agesilaus studiously availed himself of the prestige of that
precedent in order to attract recrui