Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/336

 314 HISTORY OF GREECE found it politic to vindicate their independence, and had compelled the Eleians, after a war of two or three years, to renounce form- ally all dominion over them. 1 No sooner, however, had the bat- tle of Leuktra disarmed Sparta, than the Eleians reclaimed theii lost dominion ; a while the subjects on their side found new protec- tors in the Arcadians, and were even admitted, under pretence of kindred race, into the Pan- Arcadian confederacy. 3 The Persian rescript brought down by Pelopidas (367366 B. c.) seems to have reversed this arrangement, recognizing the imperial rights of the Eleians. 4 But as the Arcadians had repudiated the rescript, it remained for the Eleians to enforce their imperial rights by arms, if they could. They found Sparta in the same interest as themselves ; not only equally hostile to the Arcadians, but also complaining that she had been robbed of Messene, as they com- plained of the loss of Triphylia. Sparta had just gained a slight advantage over the Arcadians, in the recapture of Sellasia ; chiefly through the aid of a Syracusan reinforcement of twelve triremes, sent to them by the younger Dionysius, but with orders speedily to return. 5 Besides the imperial claims over Triphylia and the Pisatid, which thus placed Elis in alliance with Sparta and in conflict with Arcadia, there was also a territory lying north of the Alpheius (on the hilly ground forming the western or Eleian side of Mount Erymanthus, between Elis and the north-western portion of Arca- dia), which included Lasion and the highland townships called Akroreii, and which was disputed between Elis and Arcadia. At this moment, it was included as a portion of the Pan- Arcadian aggregate ; 6 but the Eleians, claiming it as their own and suddenly marching in along with a body of Arcadian exiles, seized and occupied Lasion as well as some of the neighboring Akroreii. The Arcadians were not slow in avenging the affront. A body of their Pan- Arcadian militia called the epariti, collected from the various cities and districts, marched to Lasion, defeated the Eleian hoplites with considerable loss both of men and arms, and 5 Xen. Hellen. iii, 3. 30, 31. * Xen. Hellen. vi, 5, 2. 3 Xen. Hellen. vii. 2, 26. 4 Xen. Hellen. vii, 1, 38. 6 Xen. Hellen. vii, 4, 12. 8 It had been taken from Elis by Agis, at the peace of 399 B. c. after hit victorious -war (Xen. Hellen. iii, 2, 31).