s. He was the first Greek king who had sailed to Asia since the
Trojan war, and, in imitation of Agamemnon, he stopped at Aulis, in
Boeotia, to offer sacrifice to Diana. He dreamt that a message came that
it ought to be the same sacrifice as Agamemnon had made, but he declared
that he would not act so cruelly towards his own child, and caused a
white hind to be crowned, and offered as the goddess' chosen offering;
but as this was not the usual sacrifice, the Thebans were affronted, and
threw away the sacrifice as it lay on the altar. This was reckoned as a
bad omen, and Agesilaus went on his way, doubting whether he should meet
with success.

He was a man who went very much by omens, for after he had landed, had
gained several successes, and was just advancing into Caria, at the
sacrifice he found the liver of one of the victims imperfect, and this
decided him on going back to Ephesus for the winter, to collect more
horse. When he marched on in the spring he was much stronger; he
advanced into the Persian territories, and defeated the Persians and
their allies wherever he met them, and at last the satrap Pharnabazus
begged to have a conference with him, being much struck with his valour.

Agesilaus came first to the place of meeting, and having to wait there,
sat down on the grass under a tree, and began to eat his homely meal of
bread and an onion. Presently up came the satrap in all his splendour,
with attendants carrying an umbrella over his head, and others bearing
rich carpets and costly furs for him to sit on, silver and gold plate,
and rich food and wines. But when he found that the little, shabby,
plain man under the tree was really the mighty king of Sparta, the
descendant of Hercules, Pharnabazus was ashamed of all his pomp, and went
down upon the ground by Agesilaus' side, to the great damage, as the
Greeks delighted to observe, of his fine, delicately-tinted robes. He
told Agesilaus that he thought this attack a bad reward for all the help
that the Spartans had had from Persia in the Peloponnesian war; but
Agesilaus said that they had been friends then, but that as cause of war
had arisen it was needful to fight, though he was so far from feeling
enmity that Pharnabazus should find the Greeks willing to welcome him,
and give him high command, if he would come and be a free man among them.
Pharnabazus answered that as long as he held command in the name of the
Great King he must be at war with the foes