the Athenians and the Tribunes amongst the Romans For what greater Power can there be than to inflict Punishment of Death without Form of Justice Estate follows Life and what can't they do in Religion who are absolute Masters of the other two Liberty is desired by all of which we by our wise Constitution have a greater share than any Nation either has or we could expect from a Change. And because our own Examples affect us most we may look back to the late Civil Wars which were begun and fomented for the Cause of Religion and Liberty yet both destroyed the unhappy Nation suffering well nigh as many Alterations of Government as it did Years of War and Confusion The Troubles also drew along with them Rebellion Schism Faction Atheism and a Train of Vices whose dire effects we still see in the General Corruption of Manners and Tendency of the Factious to the Old Game Nor could our Differences be composed till the Rightful Heir was recalled and the Ancient Government together with our Liberty restored which we enjoy under our Gracious Prince rather unthankfully repining than justly prizing it A brief Account of the Land and Naval Forces of the Ancient Greeks I Thought it might be necessary for the better understanding of this History to give some Account of the Land and Naval Forces of the Greeks yet not to make a set Discourse about it but only to speak of the Militia as it was in the time of the Peloponnesian War this Art continually altering and improving as well in former Times as in this present Age. It will be necessary also to Treat separately of the Lacedemonian Discipline because it was distinct from that of the rest of the Greeks and then speak of those Particulars wherein the Athenians and others varied from it The Lacedemonians were the most valiant People of all the Greeks and tho' their Numbers were but small yet they were so well experienced that they very rarely mist of Success fighting with an assurance of Victory Their Life was continually employ'd in Action and such Provision was made by the Laws of their Country that not only the Men but the Women also were used to Robust Exercises and the Parents inured to hardship that the Children might be rendred strong and able to undergo the Fatigue of War. The Youth were divided into two Parties and exercifed Mock-battels encountring wheresoever they met yet were they under such exact Discipline that if any came by and offered to part them and they refused to obey they were immediately carried before the Paedonomus a Magistrate that took cognizance of those Crimes and severely punish'd them for being so far transported with Passion as not to pay due Obedience to the Laws By this their Discipline they became hardy and resolute fighting with that obstinacy that they would rather die than yield But farther to habituate them to this Virtue of Martial Patience they were once a year cruelly whipt at the Altar of Diana Orthia which though it were rather a Punishment than an Exercise yet they bore it with an Invincible Courage In this manner they were Train'd up till they came to thirty years of age for before none were suffered to go into the Campagn unless it were upon a very great necessity Thus having spent so many years in the Speculation of War they became so strong and vigorous in the practice thereof that they lasted forty years fit for Service none having a Mission till he was seventy years of age Their Infantry consisted of Targetiers Light-arm'd and Heavy-arm'd men the Light-arm'd men were placed in the Wings being commanded out in the Forelone-hope and used in Skirmishes because they were not loaden with Armour Their Arms were Arrows Darts Staves and Stones which they threw or slung taking any extemporary Weapon that came in their way The Scholiast of Thucydides says they did not close but fought at some distance advancing and retiring as they saw occasion for either The Targetiers were a middle sort between the Light and Heavy-arm'd men having a Target or lesser Shield and a Sword They were nimble and expeditious and very useful for pursuing the Lacedemonian Regiment near Corinth being cut off by Iphicrates's Targetiers The Heavy-arm'd men were raised out of the beter sort the other two being for the most part Mercenaries and Half-slaves Their Arms were a Shield of Brass a Pike and a Scymitar their business was to repulse the Enemy and to maintain their ground because the Fortune of the Day depended on them for if they were Defeated the Army was totally Routed And in these indeed did the chief Strength of the Lacedemonians consist When they put the Enemy to flight the Horse light-arm'd men and Targetiers pursued though it was a Maxime amongst them Not to be too eager but to make their Enemies a Bridge of Gold lest Desperation should make them fight and vanquish their Pursuers Our Author also blames Agesilaus for meeting the Enemy in their flight whereas he ought to have rather given them way and followed the Pursuit As for their Horse the Lacedemonians had a Body of three hundred that fought near the King like the Roman Celeres But they were very deficient in this part of their Militia those they had were arm'd with Spears and Charged full Cariere some of them carried Bows and were called Hippotoxotae They were furnished with the main Body of their Horse from the Thebans and being at War with them they were deprived of those Auxiliaries So that Epaminondas the Theban General knowing the Lacedemonians were weak in Cavalry charged them at the Battels of Leuctra and Mantinea with his own and the Thessalian Troops whereby he gave them those two memorable Overthrows The Lacedemonian Forces consisted both of their own Subjects called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Allies Of the first there were four sorts The Spartans which were the Inhabitants of the City and enjoyed more Priviledges than the rest the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Lacedemonians which dwelt in the Country the Half-slaves who had merited Freedom by their Valour The Lacedemonians thinking it of dangerous Consequence to cut them absolutely off of all hopes lest the desperateness of their Fortune might provoke them to rise up in Arms against the Government and subvert it the last were the Slaves the Candidates for Liberty whom they trained because the Wars made such a consumption of People and raised Emulation in them that they might advance themselves thereby to their Freedom The Confederates made up the Gross of their Army for their own Numbers were but small which they concealed either out of a Maxime of their own or that the Enemies by knowing how few they were might not despise them Yet this inconsiderable Number were men of such extraordinary Valour that Agis being askt How many strong the Lacedemonians were made answer Enough to fight any Army whatsoever However one may conclude from the Forces they had at Leuctra that
Letter and to bring along with them from thence a very beautiful Woman which was likely to raise the Affections as well of the Old as younger sort amongst the Lacedemonians Cinado had served the Ephori in the like Capacity before so they gave him a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were two Sticks of an equal bigness one that the States and the other that the General had They wreathed a piece of Leather about the Stick and wrote thwart the Wreaths so that if it fell into the Enemies hands yet they could not read it because they wanted a Stick wherewith to fit it for the Parts of the Letters would not meet exactly together A. Gellius 17. Lib. 9. Chap. private Letter containing the Names of those that were to be taken and asking what men he should take along with him the Ephori commanded him to go to the Eldest Hippagreta There were three of these they commanded Body of chosen Heavy-armed men Crag and order him to send along with him six or seven young men of any that hapned to be there taking care that the Hippagreta should have notice whom to send and that those who were sent should understand they were to seize Cinado telling him they had provided three Carts that they might not bring those they took on foot concealing as far as it was possible that all were to be employed about him only They did not apprehend him in the City for that they knew not the depth of the Plot and designed first to learn of Cinado who were his Confederates before the Conspirators understood it was discovered that they might not fly They that were to apprehend him intended to detain him with them and when they had drawn out of him the Names of the other Conspirators they were to set them down and send an Account thereof to the Ephori with all speed imaginable The Ephori took such great care that they sent a Regiment of Horse with those that were going to Aulon As soon as Cinado was taken a Trooper came with the Names of those he had set down and immediatly they apprehended Tisamenus the Priest and the principal men amongst the Conspirators When Cinado was brought back and tried he confessed all and discovered his Complices so at last they askt him why he did engage himself in such a Design he told them that he might be no worse a man than any Lacedemonian of them all At length they fastned him and his Confederates Neck and Hands in the Stocks whipping them through the Town and goaring them in the Flesh thus they were put to death Soon after Herodas a Syracusian who lived with a Master of a Ship in Phaenicia observing several Phaenician Gallies arrived at other Parts some a fitting there and more a building understood there was a Fleet of 300 Sail to be set out and going on Board the first Ship which went for Greece brought news to the Lacedemonians that the King of Persia and Tissaphernes were equipping such a Fleet though for what Design he was not able to inform them The Lacedemonians were startled at this News and assembled the Confederates to consult what measures they ought to take Lysander supposing the Greeks would be much stronger at Sea and considering how the Army that marcht with Cyrus came off perswaded Agesilaus to engage that in case they should raise him an Army of thirty Spartans two thousand Half-Slaves and six thousand of the Confederates to undertake an Expedition into Asia Besides he intended to accompany Agesilaus himself that they both might restore the Decemvirates which he had established in the Cities and the Ephori supprest and to reinstate them in their Liberty Agesilaus offered his Service and the Lacedemonians granted his Demands with six Months Provisions So having offered the necessary Sacrifices and particularly for a successful Voyage he departed and dispatched Messengers to all the Confederate Towns requiring them to send their respective Quota's of men and repair to the Rendevous intending himself to sacrifice at Aulis There were XI of them Thucyd. Lib. 4. where Agamemnon when he set Sail for Troy had sacrificed But the States of Baeotia having Intelligence of his Design sent a Party of Horse and forbad him to sacrifice any more throwing the Sacrifices they light on off the Altar Agesilaus called the Gods to witness and going on Board his Gally in a heat set Sail arriving at Geraestus where he got together what Forces he possibly could and went with his Fleet to Ephesus When he came thither Tissaphernes sent first to know of him what Business he had there Agesilaus answered him That his Business was to set the Asiatick Towns at Liberty as we says he have done already to those with us in Greece Tissaphernes made answer If you Agesilaus will grant a Cessation of Arms till I can send to the King of Persia I believe you may effect your Business and so return home again I would agree to 't replied Agesilaus but that I think you 'l impose upon me You may assure your self said Tissaphernes that if you perform your part we shall make no attempt upon your Countrey during the Cessation When they had agreed upon these Conditions Tissaphernes swore to Herippidas Dercyllidas Megialius that were deputed to him that he would make a Peace without any Fraud and they again swore to Tissaphernes for Agesilaus that if the latter performed his part the Peace should remain firm on their side But Tissaphernes soon violated his Oath for instead of making Peace he sent to the King of Persia for more Forces yet Agesilaus though he understood his Design kept the Truce Whilst Agesilaus lay still at Ephesus the Governments of the Towns being in Confusion because there neither were Democracies as under the Athenians nor Decemvirates as in Lysander's time All the Cities addrest themselves to Lysander being one they knew and intreated him to negotiate their Business with Agesilaus which drew a great Attendance always after him so that Agesilaus appeared like a private man and Lysander like a King which Agesilaus declared afterwards made him uneasie The rest of the XXX Commissioners moved with Envy forbore not to tell Agesilaus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Lysander violated the Laws and lookt bigger than a King so that when Lysander introduced any to Agesilaus all whom he understood to be in favour with him he dismist without their Business done When Lysander saw all things went contrary to his desires and perceived how matters were he would not suffer the People to run after him for the future telling those plainly that begged his Assistance that if he should appear in their cause it would fare the worse He resented his disgrace very ill and going to the King said to him Agesilaus Is it one of your Arts to lessen your Friends Yes said he if they be such as would appear greater than my self and I should be ashamed on the other hand if I
all gone ashore Only Mnasippus the Rhodian advised the rest not to abide there and shipping his men departed and though he met Iphicrates's Fleet yet he made his escape but the Syracusian Ships were taken men and all Iphicrates took off the Jacks of those Ships and towed them into the Port of Corcyra and set a certain Ransom on every man except Anippus the Admiral whom he kept either to get a good Sum out of or else for a Market but he for grief laid violent hands on himself The rest Iphicrates discharged having taken the Corcyreans security for payment of their Ransoms His own Seamen he maintained by employing them in Husbandry for the Corcyreans and transported the Targetiers and Heavyar'd men into Acarnania to assist the Confederate Towns where ever there was occasion After that he made War upon the Thyreans a valiant People being possessed of a strong Town Then he joyned the Corcyrcan Fleet and making ninety Sail went first to Cephallenia to raise Contribution which some paid freely and some by constraint In the next place he went and ravaged the Lacedemonians Country and took in the Towns in those parts either by surrender or if they were obstinate by force Of all Iphicrates's Voyages this in my opinion deserves not the least praise I also approve of his taking Callistratus the Orator along with him though no very agreeable man for such an Employment and Chabrias who had the Reputation of being a great General For if he thought them wise men and so took them for his Counsellors this was prudently done Or if he thought them to be Enemies yet he had such confidence in himself as to be taken doing no ill thing either through cowardize or negligence This in my opinion was done like a man that was both brave and bold And these were the Exploits of Iphicrates The Athenians seeing the Plataeans their Allies driven out of Boeotia already Olym. 102. Alcisthenes Archon the Thespieans flying to them for Succors and begging of them not to see them dispossessed of their Country did not at all like these Proceedings of the Thebans yet they thought they could not in honour make War upon them nor did they think it agreeable to their Interest But when they saw them employ their Arms against the Phoceans their ancient Allies and Raze the Cities which had been faithful to them in the Persian War and were still in Amity with them they would be no longer concerned with their Affairs Hereupon the Athenians decreeing to make Peace sent Ambassadors first to the Thebans exhorting them if they thought fit to go for Peace to Lacedemon and accordingly they dispatched Ambassadors thither * There being amongst those that were chosen Callias Son of Hipponicns Autocles Son of Strombichides Demostratus Son of Aristopho Aristocles Cephisodotus Melanopus and Lycanthus When they came to the General Assembly of the Lacedemonians and Allies Callistratus the Orator was there also who had promised Iphicrates if he would send him either to procure Money for the Fleet or to make Peace and from that time he had been at Athens Negotiating a Peace They being introduced before the States Callias the †He that carried a Torch in Procession in the Feast of Ceres Callias's Speech Torch-bearer the Chief of the Embassy who was a sort of a man that had a great Conceit of himself and loved that others should have so too began after this manner Not only I my Lords of Lacedemon have been your Publick Host but my Father and Grandfather have transmitted this Hereditary Friendship down to their Posterity I will inform you how the State stands affected to our Family In time of War they choose us Generals and when they desire Peace they make us their Ambassadors I my self came hither twice before about concluding the War and in both my Embassies I made Peace between the two Nations Now I come a third time and hope to obtain an Accommodation upon more reasonable Terms For I observe we are both of a mind both having alike resented the Razing of Thespiae and Plataeae Is it not reason then that those who are of the same Interest should be rather Friends than Enemies Certainly no wise men will engage in a War upon small Differences now if we be of the same mind it will be no wonder if a Peace ensue thereupon In justice we ought not to make War with one another being Triptolemus our Progenitor is reported first to have brought Corn into Peloponnesus and to have initiated Hercules your Founder together with Castor and Pollux your Country-men the first of any Strangers into the secret Mysteries of Ceres and Proserpine How then can you in justice come and destroy their Corn from whom you at first received your Seed And ought not we to wish them all Necessaries in great abundance on whom we formerly bestowed them If it be decreed by Heaven that Wars must be amongst men we ought to begin them as slowly as may be and when begun to bring them to as speedy a conclusion as we can After him began Autocles one that was esteemed a very subtile Orator Though I know very well Autocles's Speech my Lords of Lacedemon what I am going to say will not be very grateful to you yet in my opinion they that would make a lasting Peace should first declare to each other the causes of the War You always pretended that the Cities should enjoy their own Laws yet you your selves are the greatest Opposers of their Liberty This is the very first Article of all your Treaties That your Confederates should serve you in all your Wars but how is this consistent with their Liberty being you declare any to be enemies without Communicating it and then lead your Allies against them so that those you are pleased to call Free are necessitated to bear Arms against the best of their Friends Besides you Constitute Governours by Ten men in one place and by Thirty in another not regarding whether these Magistrates Govern according to Law so they be but able to contain those Cities in Obedience to you by force whereby you seem to be more taken with a tyrannical than moderate Government When the King proposed that the Cities should enjoy their own Laws you pretended that the Thebans acted contrary to the Kings Letters for not permitting each City to be governed by its own Magistrates and Laws but you when you were once possessed of the Citadel would not so much as suffer the Thebans themselves to enjoy their own Priviledges They who would make Peace must not expect reasonable Terms from others when they stick at nothing whereby to aggrandize themselves He put them all to silence and those who had suffered by the Lacedemonians heard him with great satisfaction After him Callistratus spake Callistratus's Speech I can't deny my Lords of Lacedemon but that there have been miscarriages on both sides yet my meaning is not that we must ne're be