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PAUSANIAS KETIRES. 297 not far from Haliartus. And no sooner were these solemnities completed, than the Lacedaemonian army was led back to Pelopon- nesus ; their dejection forming a mournful contrast to the triumph- ant insolence of the Thebans, who watched their march and restrained them, not without occasional blows, from straggling out of the road into the cultivated fields. 1 The death of Lysander produced the most profound sorrow and resentment at Sparta. On returning thither, Pausanias found himself the subject of such virulent accusation, that he thought it prudent to make his escape, and take sanctuary in the temple of Athene Alea, at Tegea. He was impeached, and put on trial during his absence, on two counts ; first, for having been behind the time covenanted, in meeting Lysander at Haliartus ; next for having submitted to ask a truce from the Thebans, instead of fight- ing a battle for the purpose of obtaining the bodies of the slain. As far as there is evidence to form a judgment, it does not ap- pear that Pausanias was guilty upon either of the two counts. The first is a question of fact ; and it seems quite as likely thai Lysander was before his time, as that Pausanias was behind hia time, in arriving at Haliartus. Besides, Lysander, arriving there first, would have been quite safe, had he not resolved to attack without delay ; in which the chances of war turned out against him ; though the resolution in itself may have been well conceived. Next, as to the truce solicited for burying the dead bodies, it does not appear that Pausanias could with any prudence have braved the chances of a battle. The facts of the case, even as summed up by Xenophon, who always exaggerates everything in favor of the Spartans, lead us to this conclusion. A few of the Spartan elders would doubtless prefer perishing on the field of battle, to the humiliation of sending in the herald to ask for a truce. But the mischief of fighting a battle under the influence of such a point of honor, to the exclusion of a rational estimate of conse- quences, will be seen when we come to the battle of Leuktra, where Kleombrotus, son of Pausanias was thus piqued into an im- prudence (at least this is alleged as one of the motives) to which his own life and the dominion of Sparta became forfeit.' 2 More- over, the army of Pausanias, comprising very few Spartans, con 1 Xcn. Hellen. ii', 5, 24. 2 Xen. HeU m. vi 4, 5. 13*