Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/332

316 the limits imposed, made himself despot of Argos. He then re- established the power of Argos over all the cities of her confed- eracy, which had before been so nearly dissolved as to leave all the members practically independent. Next, he is said to have acquired dominion over Corinth, and to have endeavored to assure it, by treacherously entrapping a thousand of her warlike citizens ; but his artifice was divulged and frustrated by Abron, one of his confidential friends. He is farther reported to have aimed at extending his sway over the greater part of Pelopon- nesus,—laying claim, as the descendant of Herakles, through the eldest son of Hyllus, to all the cities which that restless and irresistible hero had ever taken. According to Grecian ideas, this legendary title was always seriously construed, and often admitted as conclusive ; though of course, where there were strong opposing interests, reasons would be found to elude it. Pheidon would have the same ground of right as that which, two hundred and fifty years afterwards, determined the Herakleid Dorieus, brother of Kleomenes king of Sparta, to acquire for himself the territory near Mount Eryx in Sicily, be- cause his progenitor, Herakles, had conquered it before him. So numerous, however, were the legends respecting the con- quests of Herakles, that the claim of Pheidon must have covered the greater part of Peloponnesus, except Sparta and the plain of Messene, which were already in the hands of Herakleids. Nor was the ambition of Pheidon satisfied even with these large pretensions. He farther claimed the right of presiding at the celebration of those religious games, or Agones, which had