Leontiades and his partisans were now established as rulers in
Thebes, with a Lacedæmonian garrison in the Kadmeia to sustain them
and execute their orders. The once-haughty Thebes was enrolled as
a member of Lacedæmonian confederacy. Sparta was now enabled to
prosecute her Olynthian expedition with redoubled vigor. Eudamidas
and Amyntas, though they repressed the growth of the Olynthian
confederacy, had not been strong enough to put it down; so that a
larger force was necessary, and the aggregate of ten thousand men,
which had been previously decreed, was put into instant requisition,
to be commanded by Teleutias, brother of Agesilaus. The new general,
a man of very popular manners, was soon on his march at the head of
this large army, which comprised many Theban hoplites as well as
horsemen, furnished by the new rulers in their unqualified devotion
to Sparta. He sent forward envoys to Amyntas in Macedonia, urging
upon him the most strenuous efforts for the purpose of recovering
the Macedonian cities which had joined the Olynthians,—and also to
Derdas, prince of the district of Upper Macedonia called Elimeia,
inviting his coöperation against that insolent city, which would
speedily extend her dominion (he contended) from the maritime region
to the interior, unless she were put down.[145]
[145] Xen. Hellen. v, 2, 38.
Though the Lacedæmonians were masters everywhere and had their
hands free,—though Teleutias was a competent officer with powerful
forces,—and though Derdas joined with four hundred excellent
Macedonian horse,—yet the conquest of Olynthus was found no easy
enterprise.[146] The Olynthian cavalry, in particular, was numerous
and efficient. Unable as they were to make head against Teleutias
in the field or repress his advance, nevertheless in a desultory
engagement which took place near the city gates, they defeated
the Lacedæmonian and Theban cavalry, threw even the infantry into
confusion, and were on the point of gaining a complete victory, had
not Derdas with his cavalry on the other wing, made a diversion which
forced them to come back for the protection of the city. Teleutias,
remaining master of the field, continued to ravage the Olynthian
territory during the summer, for which, however, the Olynthians
retaliated by frequent marauding expeditions against the cities in
alliance with him.[147]
[146] Demosthenes (De Fals. Leg. c. 75, p. 425) speaks with
proper commendation of the brave resistance made by the
Olynthians against the great force of Sparta. But his expressions
are altogether misleading as to the tenor and result of the
war. If we had no other information than his, we should be led
to imagine that the Olynthians had been victorious, and the
Lacedæmonians baffled.
[147] Xenoph. Hellen. v, 2, 40-43.
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