Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/288

266 HISTORY OF GREECE. enemies against whom they had to contend were not more formida- ble than women." J Such a method of illustrating the difference between good and bad physical training, would hardly have oc- curred to any one except a Spartan, brought up under the Ly- kurgean rules. While Agesilaus thus brought home to the vision of his soldiers the inefficiency of untrained bodies, he kept them throughout the winter under hard work and drill, as well in the palaestra as in arms. A force of cavalry was still wanting. To procure it, he enrolled all the richest Greeks in the various Asiatic towns, as conscripts to serve on horseback ; giving each of them leave to exempt himself, however, by providing a competent substitute and equipment, man, horse, and arms. 2 Before the commencement of spring, an adequate force of cavalry was thus assembled at Ephesus, and put into tolerable exercise. Throughout the whole whiter, that city became a place of arms, consecrated to drilling and gymnastic exercises. On parade as well as in the palaestra, Agesilaus himself was foremost in setting the example of obedience and hard work. Prizes were given to the diligent and improving among hoplites, horsemen, and light troops ; while the armorers, braziers, leather-cutters, etc., all the various artisans, whose trade lay hi muniments of war, were in the fullest employment. " It was a sight full of encouragement (says Xenophon, who was doubtless present and took part in it), to see Agesilaus and the soldiers leaving the gymnasium, all with wreaths on their heads, 1 Xen. Hellen. iii, 4, 19. 'Hyoiy/evof 6e, icai rd Kara^povelv TUV iro JMJftqv nva knf$u.?Jt.eiv Trpbf rb fidxsadai, irpoeiTre rolg K7/pv!;i, roi>f virb TUV "hgoTuv d/UtTKO/ievowf /3ap[3dpovf yvfivoiif iruht . 'Qpuvrtf ovv ol orp<ma>- rai hevKoiif per, 6 tu. rb fj.7} tieirore kn&v ea&ai, paTiaKovs 6e nal OTTO- vovf, 6i& rb uel in' ox^^druv elvai, ivofiiaav, oi'div ^toiaeiv rbv ito'Xefiov i) fi yvvaiZl deot fidxeadai. Xen. Agesil. i, 28 where he has it niovaf r><, cat airovovs , fiiti rb uel CTT' bxn}i<iTuv dvat (Polysenas, ii, 1, 5 ; Plutarch, Agesil. c. 9). Frontinus (i, 18) recounts a proceeding somewhat similar on the part of Gelon, after his great victory over the Carthaginians at Himera in Sicily t " Gelo Syracusarum tyrannus, bello adversus Pcenos suscepto, cum mul- tos cepisset, infirmissimum quemque praecipue ex auxiliaribus, qui nigerri- mi erant, nudatum in conspectu suoram produxit, ut persuaderet contem nendos." 1 Xen. Hellen. iii, 4, 15; Xen. Agesil. i, 23. Compare what is related about Scipio Africanus Livy, xxix, 1.