Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/310

238 HISTORY OF GREECE. that both town and harbor again came into the league of Thebans and Arcadians. Moreover, Athens became discontented with her Peloponnesian allies, for having neglected her summons on the emergency at Oropus, although Athenian troops had been con- stantly in service for the protection of Peloponnesus against the Thebans. The growth of such dispositions at Athens became known to the Mantinean Lykomedes ; the ablest and most ambitious leader in Arcadia, who was not only jealous of the predominance of the Thebans, but had come to a formal rupture with them at the synod held for the reception of the Persian rescript. 1 Anxious to disen- gage the Arcadians from Thebes as well as from Sparta, Lykom- edes now took advantage of the discontent of Athens to open nego- tiations with that city ; persuading the majority of the Arcadian Ten Thousand to send him thither as ambassador. There was dif- ficulty among the Athenians in entertaining his proposition, from the alliance subsisting between them and Sparta. But they were reminded, that to disengage the Arcadians from Thebes, was no less in the interest of Sparta than of Athens ; and a favorable answer was then given to Lykomedes. The latter took ship at Peiraeus for his return, but never reached Arcadia ; for he happened to land uf the spot where the Arcadian exiles of the opposite party were assembled, and these men put him to death at once. 2 In spite of his death, however, the alliance between Arcadia and Athens was fitill brought to pass, though not without opposition. Thebes was during this year engaged in her unsuccessful cam- paign in Thessaly (alluded to already) for the rescue of Pelopidas, which disabled her from effective efforts in Peloponnesus. But as soon as that rescue had been accomplished, Epaminondas, her greatest man, and her only conspicuous orator, was despatched into Arcadia to offer, in conjunction with an envoy from Argos, diplo- matic obstruction to the proposed Athenian alliance. He had to speak against Kallistratus, the most distinguished orator at Athens, 1 Xen. Hellen. vii, 1, 39; vii, 4, 2. 3 Xen. Hellen. vii, 4, 3. Xenophon notices the singularity of the accident. There were plenty of vessels in Peirajus ; Lykomedes had only to make his choice, and to deter- mine where he would disembark. He fixed upon the exact spot where the exiles were assemHed, not knowing that they were there daiuoviurara t T/OK.CI.