Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/220

 HISTORY OF GREECE. nor ability, by two brothers, Polyphron and Polydorus. Had he lived longer, he would have influenced most seriously the sub- sequent destinies of Greece. What else he would have done, we cannot say ; but he would have interfered materially with the development of Theban power. Thebes was a great gainer by hia death, though perfectly innocent of it, and though in alliance with him to the last ; insomuch that his widow went to reside there for security. 1 Epaminondas was relieved from a most formidable rival, while the body of Theban allies north of Bceotia became much more dependent than they would have remained, if there had been a competing power like that of Jason in Thessaly. The treasures of the god were preserved a few years longer, to be rifled by another hand. While these proceedings were going on in Northern Greece, during the months immediately succeeding the battle of Leuktra, events not less serious and stirring had occurred in Peloponnesus. The treaty sworn at Sparta twenty days before that battle, bound the Lacedaemonians to disband their forces, remove all their har- mosts and garrisons, and leave every subordinate city to its own liberty of action. As they did not scruple to violate the treaty by the orders sent to Kleombrotus, so they probably were not zealous in executing the remaining conditions ; though officers were named, for the express purpose of going round to see that the evacuation of the cities was really carried into effect. 2 But it probably was not accomplished in twenty days ; nor would it perhaps have been ever more than nominally accomplished, if Kleombrotus had been successful in Boeotia. But after these twenty days came the por- tentous intelligence of the fate of that prince and his army. The invincible arm of Sparta was broken ; she had not a man to spare for the maintenance of foreign ascendency. Her harmosts dis- appeared at once, (as they had disappeared from the Asiatic and insular cities twenty-three years before, immediately after the battle of Knidus, 3 ) and returned home. Nor was this all. The Lacedaemonian ascendency had been maintained everywhere by local oligarchies or dekarchies, which had been for the most part violent and oppressive. Against these governments, now deprived 1 Xen. Hellen. vi, 4, 37. 2 Diodor. xv, 38. 3 Xenoph. Helen. iv, 8, 1-5.