him
weeping at the woes of Hekuba and Andromache, though he never had
pitied any of the people whom he had put to death himself. But he,
terrified by the prestige and reputation of Epameinondas for strategy,

"Let fall his feathers like a craven cock,"

and quickly sent an embassy to him to make peace. Epameinondas scorned
to make a treaty of peace and friendship between the Thebans and such
a man, but agreed to an armistice for thirty days, and taking
Pelopidas and Ismenias returned home.

XXX. When the Thebans heard that ambassadors were being sent from
Athens and Sparta to the Great King to make an alliance with him, they
also sent Pelopidas, a step most advantageous to his reputation. As he
went on his journey through the Persian provinces he excited the
greatest admiration, for the fame of his victories over the
Lacedaemonians had spread trumpet-tongued through Asia, and from the
time of his first success at Leuktra it had begun to reach far and
wide, some new exploit being ever added to it, till it reached to the
furthest peoples. Next, when he reached the court, he was an object of
wonder and interest to the satraps, generals, and officers there.
"This is the man," they said, "who destroyed the Lacedaemonian dominion
over sea and land, and who reduced to the little state at the foot of
Taygetus by the Eurotas, that Sparta which a little while before went
to war under Agesilaus with the Great King himself about Susa and
Ecbatana." At this Artaxerxes himself was pleased, and admired
Pelopidas and showed him great honour, as he wished it to appear that
he was courted and sought after by the most powerful Greeks. After an
interview, in which he found that he spoke with sounder sense than the
Athenians, and greater simplicity than the Spartans, he esteemed him
still more, and after the fashion of monarchs, did not conceal his
regard, but let the other ambassadors see plainly that he was highest
in favour. Of all the Greeks he showed Antalkidas the greatest honour,
when he took off his own wreath of flowers at table and dipping it in
scent, gave it him to put on. He attempted no such refinements with
Pelopidas, but gave him presents, more splendid and valuable than was
customary, and assented to his proposals that all Greek states should
be independent, that Messenia should be reconstituted, and that the
Thebans should be accounted the king's old friends.

With these answers, and none of the presents except su