at home, he rushed out of his house, with a sword in one hand and a
spear in the other, ran through the front ranks, and plunged among the
enemy, striking down all who opposed him. He received not a single
wound, either because the gods admired his bravery and protected him,
or else because he appeared to his foes to be something more than man.
After this exploit we are told that the Ephors crowned him for his
bravery, and fined him a thousand drachmas for having fought without
his shield.

XXXV. A few days afterwards was fought the battle of Mantinea, where,
just as Epameinondas was carrying all before him and urging his troops
to pursue, Antikrates the Lacedaemonium met him and wounded him,
according to Dioskorides with a spear, while the Lacedaemonians to this
day call the descendants of Antikrates Machairones, that is, children
of the sword, as though he struck him with a sword. Indeed, they
regarded Antikrates with such a love and admiration, because of the
terror which Epameinondas had struck into their hearts while he was
alive, that they decreed especial honours and presents to be bestowed
upon him, and granted to his descendants an immunity from taxes and
public burdens which is enjoyed at the present day by Kallikrates, one
of the descendants of Antikrates.

After this battle and the death of Epameinondas the Greek states made
peace between one another. When, however, all the other states were
swearing to observe the peace, Agesilaus objected to the Messenians,
men, he said, without a city, swearing any such oath. The rest,
however, raised no objections to the oath of the Messenians, and the
Lacedaemonians upon this refused to take any part in the proceedings,
so that they alone remained at war, because they hoped to recover the
territory of Messenia. Agesilaus was thought an obstinate and headlong
man, and insatiable of war, because he took such pains to undermine
the general peace, and to keep Sparta at war at a time when he was in
such distress for money to carry it on, that he was obliged to borrow
from his personal friends and to get up subscriptions among the
citizens, and when he had much better have allowed the state some
repose and watched for a suitable opportunity to regain the country;
instead of which, although he had lost so great an empire by sea and
land, he yet insisted on continuing his frantic and fruitless efforts
to reconquer the paltry territory of Messenia.

XXXVI. He still further t