B.C. 389-388.346 On the expiration of winter, and in fulfilment of his promise to the Achaeans, Agesilaus called out the ban once more with early spring to invade the Acarnanians. The latter were apprised of his intention, and, being persuaded that owing to the midland situation of their cities they would just as truly be blockaded by an enemy who chose to destroy their corn as they would be if besieged with entrenchments in regular form, they sent ambassadors to Lacedaemon, and made peace with the Achaeans and alliance with the Lacedaemonians. Thus closes this page of history concerning the affairs of Arcarnania.

To turn to the next. There was a feeling on the part of the Lacedaemonians347 that no expedition against Athens or Boeotia would be safe so long as a state so important and so close to their own frontier as Argos remained in open hostility behind them. Accordingly they called out the ban against Argos. Now when Agesipolis learnt that the duty of leadership devolved on him, and, moreover, that the sacrifices before crossing the frontier were favourable, he went to Olympia and consulted the will of the god. “Would it be lawful to him,” he inquired, “not to accept the holy truce, on the ground that the Argives made the season for it348 depend not on a fixed date, but on the prospect of a Lacedaemonian invasion?” The god indicated to the inquirer that he might lawfully repudiate any holy truce which was fraudulently antedated.349 Not content with this, the young king, on leaving Olympia, went at once to Delphi, and at that shrine put the same question to Apollo: “Were his views in accordance with his Father’s as touching the holy truce?”— to which the son of Zeus made answer: “Yea, altogether in accordance.”350

Then without further hesitation, picking up his army at Phlius (where, during his absence to visit the temples, the troops had been collecting), he advanced by Nemea into the enemy’s territory. The Argives, on their side, perceiving that they would be unable to hinder his advance, in accordance with their custom sent a couple of heralds, garlanded, and presented their usual plea of a holy truce. Agesipolis answered them curtly that the gods were not satisfied with the justice of their plea, and, refusing to accept the truce, pushed forward, causing thereby great perplexity and consternation throughout the rural districts and the capital itself.

But while he ............