FROM THE BATTLE OF KNIDUS TO THE REBUILDING OF THE LONG WALLS OF ATHENS.
War in Central Greece against Sparta—called the Corinthian war.—Relations of Sparta with the neighboring states and with her allies after the accession of Agesilaus. Discontent among the allies.—Great power of Sparta, stretching even to Northern Greece—state of Herakleia.—Growing disposition in Greece to hostility against Sparta, when she becomes engaged in the war against Persia.—The satrap Tithraustes sends an envoy with money into Greece, to light up war against Sparta—his success at Thebes, Corinth, and Argos.—The Persian money did not create hostility against Sparta, but merely brought out hostile tendencies pre-existing. Philo-Laconian sentiment of Xenophon.—War between Sparta and Thebes—the Bœotian war.—Active operations of Sparta against Bœotia—Lysander is sent to act from Herakleia on the northward—Pausanias conducts an army from Peloponnesus.—The Thebans apply to Athens for aid—remarkable proof of the altered sentiment in Greece.—Speech of the Theban envoy at Athens.—Political feeling at Athens—good effects of the amnesty after the expulsion of the Thirty.—Unanimous vote of the Athenians to assist Thebes against Sparta.—State of the Bœotian confederacy—Orchomenus revolts and joins Lysander, who invades Bœotia with his army and attacks Haliartus.—Lysander is repulsed and slain before Haliartus.—Pausanias arrives in Bœotia after the death of Lysander—Thrasybulus and an Athenian army come to the aid of the Thebans.—Pausanias evacuates Bœotia, on receiving the dead bodies of Lysander and the rest for burial.—Anger against Pausanias at Sparta; he escapes into voluntary exile; he is condemned in his absence.—Condemnation of Pausanias not deserved.—Sparta not less unjust in condemning unsuccessful generals than Athens.—Character of Lysander—his mischievous influence, as well for Sparta as for Greece generally.—His plans to make himself king at Sparta—discourse of the sophist Kleon.—Encouragement to the enemies of Sparta, from the death of Lysander—alliance against her between Thebes, Athens, Corinth, and Argos—the Eubœans and others join the alliance.—Increased importance of Thebes—she now rises to the rank of a primary power—the Theban leader Ismenias.—Successful operations of Ismenias to the north of Bœotia—capture of Herakleia from Sparta.—Synod of anti-Spartan allies at Corinth—their confident hopes—the Lacedæmonians send to recall Agesilaus from Asia.—Large muster near Corinth of Spartans and Peloponnesians on one side, of anti-Spartan allies on the other.—Boldness of the language against Sparta—speech of the Corinthian Timolaus.—The anti-Spartan allies take up a defensive position near Corinth—advance of the Lacedæmonians to attack them.—Battle of Corinth—victory of the Lacedæmonians in their part of the battle; their allies in the other parts being worsted.—Lacedæmonian ascendency within Peloponnesus is secured, but no farther result gained.—Agesilaus—his vexation on being recalled from Asia—his large plans of Asiatic conquest.—Regret of the Asiatic allies when he quits Asia—he leaves Euxenus in Asia with four thousand men.—Agesilaus crosses the Hellespont and marches homeward through Thrace, Macedonia, and Thessaly.—Agesilaus and his army on the northern frontier of Bœotia—eclipse of the sun—news of the naval defeat at Knidus.—Bœotians and their allies mustered at Korôneia.—Battle of Korôneia—Agesilaus with most of his army is victorious; while the Thebans on their side are also victorious.—Terrible combat between the Thebans and Spartans; on the whole, the result is favorable to the Thebans.—Victory of Agesilaus, not without severe wounds—yet not very decisive—his conduct after the battle.—Army of Agesilaus withdraws from Bœotia—he goes to the Pythian games—sails homeward across the Corinthian Gulf—his honorable reception at Sparta.—Results of the battles of Corinth and Korôneia. Sparta had gained nothing by the former, and had rather lost by the latter.—Reverses of Sparta after the defeat of Knidus. Loss of the insular empire of Sparta.