Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/273

 ALARM OF THE EPHORS. 251 It does not appear that this man knew the name of any person concerned, except Kinadon himself. So deeply were the ephorg alarmed, that they refrained from any formal convocation even of what was called the Lesser Assembly, including the senate, of which the kings were members ex officio, and, perhaps, a few other principal persons besides. But the members of this assem- bly were privately brought together to deliberate on the emerg- ency ; Agesilaus, probably, among them. To arrest Kinadon at once in Sparta appeared imprudent ; since his accomplices, of number as yet unknown, would be thus admonished either to break out in insurrection, or at least to make their escape. But an elaborate stratagem was laid for arresting him out of Sparta, with- out the knowledge of his accomplices. The ephors, calling him before them, professed to confide to him (as they had done occa- sionally before) a mission to go to Aulon (a Laconian town on the frontier towards Arcadia and Triphylia) and there to seize some parties designated by name in a formal skytale or warrant ; includ- ing some of the Aulonite Perireki, some Helots, and one other person by name, a woman of peculiar beauty, resident at the place, whose influence was understood to spread disaffection among all the Lacedaemonians who came thither, old as well as young. 1 When Kinadon inquired what force he was to take with him on the mission, the ephors, to obviate all suspicion that they were picking out companions with views hostile to him, desired him to go to the Hippagretes (or commander of the three hundred youthful guards called horsemen, though they were not really mounted) and ask for the first six or seven men of the guard 2 who might happen to be hi the way. But they (the ephors) had already held secret communication with the Hippagretes, and had informed him both whom they wished to be sent, and what the persons sent were to 1 Xen. Hellen. iii, 3, 8. 'Ayayeiv <5e /ct'/levoj/ KOI rf/v -yvvaiKa, fj fiev Aeyero avrofii eivai, Avfiaiveadai 6e i^Kei roiif uiKvovfj.Kvo fioviuv KCII npeafivrepovf K.al veuTepuvf. 9 Xen. Hellen. iii, 3, 9, 10. The persons called Hippeis at Sparta, were not mounted ; they were a select body of three hundred youthful citizens, employed cither on home police or on foreign service. See Herodot. viii, 124; Strabo, x, p. 481 ; K. 0. Muller, History of the Dorians, B. iii, ch. 12, s. 5, 6.