n that their acropolis was in the
hands of their enemies, their wives captives, their city at the mercy of
the foe. Leontiades returned to his seat and at once gave orders for the
arrest of his chief opponent Ismenias. He had a party armed and ready.
The Senate was helpless. Ismenias was seized and conveyed to Sparta,
where he was basely put to death. The other senators hurried home, glad
to escape with their lives. Three hundred of them left the city in
haste, and made their way as exiles to Athens. The other citizens, whose
wives and daughters were in Spartan hands, felt obliged to submit.
"Order reigned" in Thebes; such was the message which Leontiades bore to
Sparta.

Thus it was that Sparta gained possession of one of her greatest
opponents. Leontiades and his fellows, backed by a Spartan general,
ruled the city harshly. The rich were robbed, the prisons were filled,
many more citizens fled into exile. Thebes was in the condition of a
conquered city; the people, helpless and indignant, waited impatiently
the slow revolution of the wheel of destiny which should once more set
them free.

As for the exiles at Athens, they sought in vain to obtain Athenian aid
to recover their city from the foe. Athens was by no means in love with
Sparta, but peace had been declared, and all they could agree to do was
to give the fugitives a place of refuge. Evidently the city, which had
been won by treason, was not to be recovered by open war. If set free at
all it must be by secret measures. And with this intent a conspiracy was
formed between the leaders of the exiles and certain citizens of Thebes
for the overthrow of Leontiades and his colleagues and the expulsion of
the Spartan garrison from the citadel. And this it was that brought the
seven men to Thebes,--seven exiles, armed with hidden daggers, with
which they were to win a city and start a revolution which in the end
would destroy the power of Sparta the imperial.

Of the seven exiles who thus returned, under cover of night and
disguise, to their native city, the chief was Pelopidas, a rich and
patriotic Theban, who was yet to prove himself one of the great men of
Greece. Entering the gates, they proceeded quietly through the streets,
and soon found an abiding-place in the house of Charon, an earnest
patriot. This was their appointed rendezvous.

And now we have a curious incident to tell, showing on what small
accidents great events may hinge. Among the Thebans who had