Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/466

 458 AGIS. easily be prevailed with to part with their land. Lysander, also, was of the same opinion, being deceived in like man- ner by the craft of Agesilaus ; so that all men were pres- ently commanded to bring in their bonds, or deeds of obligation, by the Lacedaemonians called Claria, into the market-place, where being laid together in a heap, they set fire to them. The wealthy, money-lending people, one may easily imagine, beheld it with a heavy heart ; but Agesilaus told them scoffingly, his eyes had never seen so bright and so pure a flame. And now the people pressed earnestly for an immedi ate division of lands ; the kings also had ordered it should be done ; but Agesilaus, sometimes pretending one diffi- culty, and sometimes another, delayed the execution, till an occasion happened to call Agis to the wars. The Achseans, in virtue of a defensive treaty of alliance, sent to demand succors, as they expected every day that the ./Etolians would attempt to enter Peloponnesus, from the territory of Megara. They had sent Aratus, their gen- eral, to collect forces to hinder this incursion. Aratus wrote to the ephors, who immediately gave order that Agis should hasten to their assistance with the Lacedaemo- nian auxiliaries. Agis was extremely pleased to see the zeal and bravery of those who went with him upon this expe- dition. They were for the most part young men, and poor; and being just released from their debts and set at liberty, and hoping on their return to receive each man his lot of land, they followed their king with wonderful alacrity. The cities through which they passed, were iu admiration to see how they marched from one end of Pe- loponnesus to the other, without the least disorder, and, in a manner, without being heard. It gave the Greeks occa- sion to discourse with one another, how great might be the temperance and modesty of a Laconian army in old time, under their famous captains Agesilaus. Lysander, or