Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/94

76 re tiisTonv OF GKEKCE. preferred the latter, incomparably the more important enter- prise of 'the two: but such was the disgust of the Eleians at the rejection of their proposition, that they abandoned the army altogether, and went home. Notwithstanding their desertion, however, the remaining allies continued together at Mantineia, organizing their attack upon Tegea, in which city they had a strong favorable party, who had actually laid their plans, and were on the point of proclaiming the revolt of the city from Sparta, 1 when the philo-Laconian Tegeans just saved themselves by despatching the most urgent message to Sparta, and receiving the most rapid succor. The Lacedaemonians, filled with indigna- tion at the news of the surrender of Orchomenus, vented anew all their displeasure against Agis, whom they now threatened with the severe punishment of demolishing his house and fining him in the sum of one hundred thousand drachmas, or about twenty-seven and two-thirds Attic talents. He urgently entreated that an opportunity might be afforded to him of redeeming by some brave deed the ill name which he had incurred : if he failed in doing so, then they might inflict on him what penalty they chose. The penalty was accordingly withdrawn : but a restriction, new to the Spartan constitution, was now placed upon the authority of the king. It had been before a part of his pre- rogative to lead out the army single-handed and on his own authority ; but a council of ten was now named, without whose concurrence he was interdicted from exercising such power. 2 To the great good fortune of Agis, a pressing message now arrived announcing the imminent revolt of Tegea, the most important ally of Sparta, and close upon her border. Such was the alarm occasioned by this news that the whole military population instantly started off to relieve the place, Agis at their head, the most rapid movement ever known to have been made by Lacedaemonian soldiers. 3 When they arrived at Orestheium in Arcadia, in their way, perhaps hearing that the danger was 1 Thucyd. v, 64. oaov owe u^iarriKev, etc. * Thucyd. v, 63. 3 Thucyd. v, 64. ivrav&a 6rj /Soffitta TUV aKeSaifioviuv jiyvETai avruv n nal riJv KIAUTUV Travdyttel o^eta KOI ola nv~u Trporepov. The outmarch of the Spartans just before the battle of Platxa (described in Herodot. yii, 10 9cms, however, to have been quite as rapid and instantaneous.