selves and freedom for the Hellenes who are now
enslaved."

Such were the words of the Corinthians. The Lacedaemonians, having now
heard all, give their opinion, took the vote of all the allied states
present in order, great and small alike; and the majority voted for war.
This decided, it was still impossible for them to commence at once, from
their want of preparation; but it was resolved that the means requisite
were to be procured by the different states, and that there was to be
no delay. And indeed, in spite of the time occupied with the necessary
arrangements, less than a year elapsed before Attica was invaded, and
the war openly begun.

This interval was spent in sending embassies to Athens charged with
complaints, in order to obtain as good a pretext for war as possible,
in the event of her paying no attention to them. The first Lacedaemonian
embassy was to order the Athenians to drive out the curse of the
goddess; the history of which is as follows. In former generations there
was an Athenian of the name of Cylon, a victor at the Olympic games,
of good birth and powerful position, who had married a daughter of
Theagenes, a Megarian, at that time tyrant of Megara. Now this Cylon was
inquiring at Delphi; when he was told by the god to seize the Acropolis
of Athens on the grand festival of Zeus. Accordingly, procuring a force
from Theagenes and persuading his friends to join him, when the
Olympic festival in Peloponnese came, he seized the Acropolis, with the
intention of making himself tyrant, thinking that this was the grand
festival of Zeus, and also an occasion appropriate for a victor at the
Olympic games. Whether the grand festival that was meant was in Attica
or elsewhere was a question which he never thought of, and which the
oracle did not offer to solve. For the Athenians also have a festival
which is called the grand festival of Zeus Meilichios or Gracious, viz.,
the Diasia. It is celebrated outside the city, and the whole people
sacrifice not real victims but a number of bloodless offerings peculiar
to the country. However, fancying he had chosen the right time, he made
the attempt. As soon as the Athenians perceived it, they flocked in, one
and all, from the country, and sat down, and laid siege to the citadel.
But as time went on, weary of the labour of blockade, most of them
departed; the responsibility of keeping guard being left to the nine
archons, with plenary powers to arrange everything acco