XXII. While he was encamped in the temple of Hera, near Corinth,
watching the soldiers disposing of the captives which they had taken,
ambassadors came from Thebes to treat for peace with him. He always
had borne a grudge against that city, and thinking that this would be
a good opportunity to indulge his hatred, he pretended neither to see
nor to hear them when they addressed him. But he soon paid the
penalty of his insolence; for before the Thebans left him news was
brought that an entire mora had been cut to pieces by Iphikrates. This
was the greatest disaster which had befallen the Spartans for many
years; for they lost a large number of brave and well-equipped
citizens, all heavy-armed hoplites, and that too at the hands of mere
mercenary light troops and peltasts. On hearing this Agesilaus at
first leaped up to go to their assistance; but when he heard that they
were completely destroyed, he returned to the temple of Hera, and
recalling the Boeotian ambassadors, bade them deliver their message.
But they now in their turn assumed a haughty demeanour, and made no
mention of peace, but merely demanded leave to proceed to Corinth. At
this, Agesilaus in a rage answered, "If you wish to go there to see
your friends rejoicing over their success, you will be able to do so
in safety to-morrow." On the next day he took the ambassadors with
him, and marched, laying waste the country as he went, up to the gates
of Corinth, where, having thus proved that the Corinthians dared not
come out and resent his conduct, he sent the ambassadors into the
city. As for himself, he collected the survivors of the mora, and
marched back to Lacedaemon, always starting before daybreak, and
encamping after sunset, that he might not be insulted by the
Arcadians, who bitterly hated the Lacedaemonians and enjoyed their
discomfiture. After this at the instance of the Achaeans he crossed
over into Akarnania with them, where he obtained much plunder, and
defeated the Akarnanians in battle. The Achaeans now begged him to
remain, and so prevent the enemy from sowing their fields in the
winter; but he answered that he should do exactly the reverse,
because, if the enemy next year had a good prospect of a harvest, they
would be much more inclined to keep the peace than if their fields lay
fallow. And this opinion of his was justified by the result; for as
soon as the Akarnanians heard that another campaign was threatened,
they made peace with the Achaean