Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/284

 262 HISTORY OF GREECE. body of cavalry, ascending an eminence, came suddenly upon mi equal detachment of Persian cavalry, under Rhathines and Ba- gaeus ; who attacked them vigorously, and drove them back with some loss, until they were protected by Agesilaus himself coming up with the hoplites. The effect of such a check (and there were probably others of the same kind, though Xenophon does not spe- cify them) on the spirits of the army was discouraging. On the next morning, the sacrifices being found unfavorable for farther advance, Agesilaus gave orders for retreating towards the sea. He reached Ephesus about the close of autumn ; resolved to em ploy the whiter in organizing a more powerful cavalry, which experience proved to be indispensable. 1 This autumnal march through Phrygia was more lucrative than glorious. Yet it enables Xenophon to bring to view different mer- its of his hero Agesilaus ; in doing which he exhibits to us ancient warfare and Asiatic habits on a very painful side. In common both with Kallikratidas and Lysander, though not with the ordi- nary Spartan commanders, Agesilaus was indifferent to the acqui eition of money for himself. But he was not the less anxious to enrich his friends, and would sometimes connive at unwarrantable modes of acquisition for their benefit. Deserters often came in to give information of rich prizes or valuable prisoners ; which advantages, if he had chosen, he might have appropriated to him- self. But he made it a practice to throw both the booty and the honor in the way of some favorite officer ; just as we have seen (in a former chapter) that Xenophon himself was allowed by the army to capture Asidates and enjoy a large portion of his ransom.* Again, when the army in the course of its march was at a consid- erable distance from the sea, and appeared to be advancing farthei inland, the authorized auctioneers, whose province it was to sell the booty, found the buyers extremely slack. It was difficult to keep or carry what was bought, and opportunity for resale did not 1 Xen. Hellen. iii, 4, 13-15 ; Xen. Agesil. i, 23. 'Eirei ftevroi ovds kv Ty bpvyiq. uva TU iredia kdvvaro aTpareveiT&ai, <5td rqv $apva{3aov lirnsiav, etc. Plutarch, Agesil. c. 9. These military operations of Agesilaus are loosely adverted to in the early part of c. 79 of the fourteenth Hook of Diodorus. 8 Xen. Agesil. i, 19 ; Xen. Anabas. vii, 8, 20-23 ; Plutarch, Reipub. Ge- lend. Praecept. p 809, B. See above, Chapter Ixxii, of this History.