Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/327

 WAR IN ARCADIA. 301 the territory of Argos, attacked Orneae, and defeated the Argeiana in a partial action. Presently the Thebans arrived, and effected a junction with their Argeian and Arcadian allies. The united force was greatly superior in number to the Lacedaemonians ; but such superiority was counterbalanced by the bad discipline of the Thebans, who had sadly declined on this point during the interval of ten years since the death of Epaminondas. A battle ensued, partially advantageous to the Lacedaemonians ; while the Argeians and Arcadians chose to go home to their neighboring cities. The Lacedaemonians also, having ravaged a portion of Arcadia, and stormed the Arcadian town of Helissus, presently recrossed their own frontier and returned to Sparta. They left, however, a division in Arcadia under Anaxander, who, engaging with the Thebans near Telphusa, was worsted with great loss and made prisoner. In two other battles, also, the Thebans were successively victorious ; in a third, they were vanquished by the Lacedaemo- nians. With such balanced and undecided success was the war carried on until, at length, the Lacedaemonians proposed and con- cluded peace with Megalopolis. Either formally, or by implica- tion, they were forced to recognize the autonomy of that city ; thus abandoning, for the time at least, their aggressive purposes, which Demosthenes had combated and sought to frustrate before the Athenian assembly. The Thebans on their side returned home, having accomplished their object of protecting Megalopolis and Messene ; and we may presume that the Phokian allies of Sparta were sent home also. 1 The war between the Bo30tians and Phokians had doubtless slackened during this episode in Peloponnesus ; but it still went on in a series of partial actions, on the river Kephissus, at Ko- roneia, at Abas in Phokis, and near the Lokrian town of Naryx. For the most part, the Phokians are said to have been worsted ; and their commander, Phayllus, presently died of a painful disease, the suitable punishment (in the point of view of a Grecian his- torian 2 ) for his sacrilegious deeds. He left as his successor Phalae- kus, a young man, son of Onomarchus, under the guardianship and advice of an experienced friend named Mnaseas. But Mnaseas was soon surprised at night, defeated, and slain, by the Thebans 1 Diodor. xvi. 39 * Diodor. xvi. 38 VOL. xi. 26