Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/198

 176 HISTORY OF GREECK. the most vehement of all, 1 he was directed to march against th Thebans, unless they should flinch at the last moment (as they had done at the peace of Antalkidas), and relinquish their presidency over the other Bosotian cities. One citizen alone, named Prothous, interrupted this unanimity. He protested against the order, first, as a violation of their oaths, which required them to disband the army and reconstitute it on the voluntary principle, next, as imprudent in regard to the allies, who now looked upon such lib- erty as their right, and would never serve with cordiality unless it were granted to them. But Prothous was treated with disdain as a silly alarmist, 2 and the peremptory order was despatched to Kleombrotus ; accompanied, probably, by a reinforcement of Spar- tans and Lacedaemonians, the number of whom, in the ensuing battle, seems to have been greater than can reasonably be imag- ined to have been before serving in Phokis. Meanwhile no symptoms of concession were manifested at Thebes. 3 Epaminondas, on his return, had found cordial sympa- thy with the resolute tone which he had adopted both in defence of the Boeotian federation and against Sparta. Though every one felt the magnitude of the danger, it was still hoped that the enemy might be prevented from penetrating out of Phokis into Bceotia. Epaminondas accordingly occupied with a strong force the narrow pass near Koroneia, lying between a spur of Mount Helikon on one side and the Lake Kopais on the other ; the same position as had been taken by the Boeotians, and forced by the army return- ing from Asia under Agesilaus, twenty-three years before. Or- chomenus lay northward (that is, on the Phokian side) of this position ; and its citizens, as well as its Lacedaemonian garrison, now doubtless formed part of the invading army of Kleombrotus. That prince, with a degree of military skill rare in the Spartan commanders, baffled all the Theban calculations. Instead of march- 1 Plutarch, Agesilaus, c. 28. 2 Xen. Hellen. vi, 4, 2, 3. EK.KIVOV fj.ev tyTivapeiv riyf/aaro, etc. 3 It is stated that either the Lacedaemonians from Sparta, or Klecmbro- tns from Phokis, sent a near formal requisition to Thebes, that the Boeotian cities should be left autonomous ; and the requisition was repudiated (Dio- dor. xv, 51 ; Aristeides, Or. (Leuktr.) ii, xxxiv. p. 644, ed. Dindorf. Bui such mission seems very doubtful.