Agesilaus   

upon Lysander. None of all the commanders that had been sent into
Asia was either so powerful or so formidable as he; no one had rewarded
his friends better, or had been more severe against his enemies; which
things having been lately done, made the greater impression on men's
minds, especially when they compared the simple and popular behaviour
of Agesilaus with the harsh and violent and brief-spoken demeanour
which Lysander still retained. Universal preference was yielded to
this, and little regard shown to Agesilaus. This first occasioned
offence to the other Spartan captains, who resented that they should
rather seem the attendants of Lysander, than the councillors of Agesilaus.
And at length Agesilaus himself, though not perhaps an envious man
in his nature, nor apt to be troubled at the honours redounding upon
other men, yet eager for honour and jealous of his glory, began to
apprehend that Lysander's greatness would carry away from him the
reputation of whatever great action should happen. He therefore went
this way to work. He first opposed him in all his counsels; whatever
Lysander specially advised was rejected, and other proposals followed.
Then whoever made any address to him, if he found him attached to
Lysander, certainly lost his suit. So also in judicial cases, any
one whom he spoke strongly against was sure to come off with success,
and any man whom he was particularly solicitous to procure some benefit
for might think it well if he got away without an actual loss.
These things being clearly not done by chance, but constantly and
of a set purpose, Lysander was soon sensible of them, and hesitated
not to tell his friends, that they suffered for his sake, bidding
them apply themselves to the king, and such as were more powerful
with him than he was. Such sayings of his seeming to be designed purposely
to excite ill-feeling, Agesilaus went on to offer himself a more open
affront, appointing him his meat-carver, and would in public companies,
scornfully say, "Let them go now and pay their court to my carver."
Lysander, no longer able to brook these indignities, complained at
last to Agesilaus himself, telling him that he knew very well how
to humble his friends. Agesilaus answered, "I know certainly how to
humble those who pretend to more power than myself." "That," replied
Lysander, "is perhaps rather said by you, than done by me: I desire
only that you will assign me some office and place in which I may
serve you without incurring your displeasure."
Upon this Agesilaus sent him to the Hellespont, whence he procured
Spithridates, a Persian of the province of Pharnabazus, to come to
the assistance of the Greeks with two hundred horse and a great supply
of money. Yet his anger did not so come down, but he thenceforward
pursued the design of wresting the kingdom out of the hands of the
two families which then enjoyed it, and making it wholly elective;
and it is thought that he would on account of his quarrel have excited
a great commotion in Sparta, if he had not died in the Boeotian war.
Thus ambitious spirits in a commonwealth, when they transgress their
bounds, are apt to do more harm than good. For though Lysander's pride
and assumption was most ill-timed and insufferable in its display,
yet Agesilaus surely could have found some other way of setting him
right, less offensive to a man of his reputation and ambitious temper.
Indeed they were both blinded with the same passion, so as one not
to recognize the authority of his superior, the other not to bear
with the imperfections of his friend.
Tisaphernes, being at first afraid of Agesilaus, treated with him
about setting the Grecian cities at liberty, which was agreed on.
But soon after finding a sufficient force drawn together, he resolved
upon war, for which Agesilaus was not sorry. For the expectation of
this expedition was great, and he did not think it for his honour
that Xenophon with ten thousand men should march through the heart
of Asia to the sea, beating the Persian forces when and how he pleased,
and that he at the head of the Spartans, then sovereigns both at sea
and land, should not achieve some memorable action for Greece. And
so to be even with Tisaphernes, he requites his perjury by a fair
stratagem. He pretends to march into Caria, whither, when he has drawn