ruck
the first blow, the Lacedaemonians would never be brought to break the
truce with their allies. They therefore persuaded the Opuntian Locrians
(4) to levy moneys on a debatable district, (5) jointly claimed by the
Phocians and themselves, when the Phocians would be sure to retaliate
by an attack on Locris. These expectations were fulfilled. The Phocians
immediately invaded Locris and seized moneys on their side with ample
interest. Then Androcleidas and his friends lost no time in persuading
the Thebans to assist the Locrians, on the ground that it was no
debatable district which had been entered by the Phocians, but
the admittedly friendly and allied territory of Locris itself. The
counter-invasion of Phocis and pillage of their country by the Thebans
promptly induced the Phocians to send an embassy to Lacedaemon. In
claiming assistance they explained that the war was not of their own
seeking, but that they had attacked the Locrians in self-defence. On
their side the Lacedaemonians were glad enough to seize a pretext for
marching upon the Thebans, against whom they cherished a long-standing
bitterness. They had not forgotten the claim which the Thebans had
set up to a tithe for Apollo in Deceleia, (6) nor yet their refusal to
support Lacedaemon in the attack on Piraeus; (7) and they accused them
further of having persuaded the Corinthians not to join that expedition.
Nor did they fail to call to mind some later proceedings of the
Thebans--their refusal to allow Agesilaus to sacrifice in Aulis; (8)
their snatching the victims already offered and hurling them from the
altars; their refusal to join the same general in a campaign directed
even against Asia. (9) The Lacedaemonians further reasoned that now,
if ever, was the favourable moment to conduct an expedition against
the Thebans, and once for all to put a stop to their insolent behaviour
towards them. Affairs in Asia were prospering under the strong arm of
Agesilaus, and in Hellas they had no other war on hand to trammel their
movements. Such, therefore, being the general view of the situation
adopted at Lacedaemon, the ephors proceeded to call out the ban.
Meanwhile they despatched Lysander to Phocis with orders to put himself
at the head of the Phocians along with the Oetaeans, Heracleotes,
Melians, and Aenianians, and to march upon Haliartus; before the
walls of which place Pausanias, the destined leader of the expedition,
undertook to present himself at the h