mpanies complete,
while others again were still completing their equipments. Nor was it
only what he saw, but he had heard say further that there were to be
three hundred of these vessels all told; whereupon he had taken passage
on the first sailing ship bound for Hellas. He was in haste to lay this
information before the Lacedaemonians, feeling sure that the king and
Tissaphernes were concerned in these preparations--though where the
fleet was to act, or against whom, he would not venture to predict.

(1) See Grote, "H. G." ix. 353, for chronology, etc.

These reports threw the Lacedaemonians into a flutter of expectation and
anxiety. They summoned a meeting of the allies, and began to deliberate
as to what ought to be done. Lysander, convinced of the enormous
superiority of the Hellenic navy, and with regard to land forces drawing
an obvious inference from the exploits and final deliverance of the
troops with Cyrus, persuaded Agesilaus, to undertake a campaign into
Asia, provided the authorities would furnish him with thirty Spartans,
two thousand of the enfranchised, (2) and contingents of the allies
amounting to six thousand men. Apart from these calculations, Lysander
had a personal object: he wished to accompany the king himself, and by
his aid to re-establish the decarchies originally set up by himself in
the different cities, but at a later date expelled through the action
of the ephors, who had issued a fiat re-establishing the old order of
constitution.

(2) Technically, "neodamodes."

B.C. 396. To this offer on the part of Agesilaus to undertake such an
expedition the Lacedaemonians responded by presenting him with all
he asked for, and six months' provisions besides. When the hour of
departure came he offered all such sacrifices as are necessary, and
lastly those "before crossing the border," (3) and so set out. This
done, he despatched to the several states (4) messengers with directions
as to the numbers to be sent from each, and the points of rendezvous;
but for himself he was minded to go and do sacrifice at Aulis, even as
Agamemnon had offered sacrifice in that place ere he set sail for
Troy. But when he had reached the place and had begun to sacrifice, the
Boeotarchs (5) being apprised of his design, sent a body of cavalry and
bade him desist from further sacrificing; (6) and lighting upon victims
already offered, they hurled them from off the altars, scattering the
fragments. Then Agesilaus, cal