Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/316

 294 HISTORY OF GREECE. former rescript, which commanded Athens to call in all her armed ships, was now revoked, we cannot say ; but it seems probable. At the same time that the Athenians sent this second embassy, they also despatched an armament under Timotheus to the coast of Asia Minor, yet with express instructions not to violate the peace with the Persian king. Agesilaus, king of Sparta, went to the same scene, though without any public force; availing himself only of liis long-established military reputation to promote the interests of his country as negotiator. Both Spartan and Athe- nian attention was now turned, directly and specially, towards Ariobarzanes the satrap of Phrygia ; who (as has been already related) had sent over to Greece, two years before, Philiskus of Abydus, with the view either of obtaining from the Thebans peace on terms favorable to Sparta, or of aiding the latter against them. 1 Ariobarzanes was then preparing, and apparently had since openly consummated, his revolt from the Persian king, which Agesi- laus employed all his influence in fomenting. The Athenians, however, still wishing to avoid a distinct breach with Persia, instructed Timotheus to assist Ariobarzanes, yet with a formal proviso, that he should not break truce with the Great King. They also conferred both upon Ariobarzanes (with his three sons), and upon Philiskus, the gift of Athenian citizenship. 2 That satrap seems now to have had a large mercenary force, and to have been in possession of both sides of the Hellespont, as well as of Perin- thus on the Propontis ; while Philiskus, as his chief officer, exer- cised extensive ascendency, disgraced by much tyranny and bru- tality, over the Grecian cities in that region. Precluded by his instructions from openly aiding the revolted Ariobarzanes, Timotheus turned his force against the island of Samos ; which was now held by Kyprothemis, a Grecian chief with a military force in the service of Tigranes, Persian satrap Athenian mission to Susa ; we hear of him as having come back with a friendly letter from the Persian king to Agesilaus (Xenophon, Enc. Ages, viii, 3 ; Plutarch, Apophth. Lacon. p. 1213 E.), brought by a Persian mes- senger. But the statement is too vague to enable us to v rify this ts tho actual occasion. 1 Xen. Hellen. vii, 1, 27. 165 ; p. 687, 8. 242.
 * Demosthen. De Rhodior. Libert, p. 193, s. 10, cont. Aristokrat. p. 666,