Jason was succeeded in his dignity, but neither in his power, nor
ability, by two brothers,—Polyphron and Polydorus. Had he lived
longer, he would have influenced most seriously the subsequent
destinies of Greece. What else he would have done, we cannot say; but
he would have interfered materially with the development of Theban
power. Thebes was a great gainer by his death, though perfectly
innocent of it, and though in alliance with him to the last; insomuch
that his widow went to reside there for security.[422] Epaminondas
was relieved from a most formidable rival, while the body of Theban
allies north of Bœotia became much more dependent than they would
have remained, if there had been a competing power like that of Jason
in Thessaly. The treasures of the god were preserved a few years
longer, to be rifled by another hand.
[422] Xen. Hellen. vi, 4, 37.
While these proceedings were going on in Northern Greece, during
the months immediately succeeding the battle of Leuktra, events
not less serious and stirring had occurred in Peloponnesus. The
treaty sworn at Sparta twenty days before that battle, bound the
Lacedæmonians to disband their forces, remove all their harmosts
and garrisons, and leave every subordinate city to its own liberty
of action. As they did not scruple to violate the treaty by the
orders sent to Kleombrotus, so they probably were not zealous in
executing the remaining conditions; though officers were named, for
the express purpose of going round to see that the evacuation of the
cities was really carried into effect.[423] But it probably was not
accomplished in twenty days; nor would it perhaps have been ever more
than nominally accomplished, if Kleombrotus had been successful in
Bœotia. But after these twenty days came the portentous intelligence
of the fate of that prince and his army. The invincible arm of
Sparta was broken; she had not a man to spare for the maintenance
of foreign ascendency. Her harmosts disappeared at once, (as they
had disappeared from the Asiatic and insular cities twenty-three
years before, immediately after the battle of Knidus,[424]) and
returned home. Nor was this all. The Lacedæmonian ascendency had
been maintained everywhere by local oligarchies or dekarchies,
which had been for the most part violent and oppressive. Against
these governments, now deprived of their foreign support, the
long-accumulated flood of internal discontent burst with irresistible
force, stimulated probably by returning exiles. Their past
misgovernment was avenged by severe sentences and proscription, to
the length of great reactionary injustice; and the parties banished
by this anti-Spartan revolution became so numerous, as to harass and
alarm seriously the newly-established governments. Such were the
commotions which, during the latter half of 371 B.C., disturbed
many of the Peloponnesian towns,—Phigaleia, Phlius, Corinth, Sikyon,
Megara, etc., though with great local difference, both of detail and
of result.[425]
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