Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
Lysander now invited to Ephesus all the bravest and most distinguished
Greeks from the cities on the Ionic coast, and thus laid the
foundation of all those oligarchies and revolutionary governments
which were afterwards established there, by encouraging them to form
political clubs, and devote themselves energetically to carrying on
the war, because in the event of success they would not only conquer
the Athenians, but also would be able to put down all democratic
government, and establish themselves as absolute rulers in their
respective cities. He proved the truth of his professions to these
people by his acts, as he promoted those whom he personally knew, and
those with whom he was connected by the ties of hospitality, to
important posts and commands, aiding and abetting their most
unscrupulous and unjust acts, so that all men began to look up to him
and to be eager to win his favour, imagining that if he remained in
power, their most extravagant wishes would be gratified. For this
reason they were dissatisfied with Kallikratidas, when he took command
of the fleet as Lysander's successor, and even after he had proved
himself to be as brave and honest as a man could be, they still
disliked his truthful, straightforward, Dorian manners. Yet they could
not but admire his virtue, as men admire some antique heroic statue,
although they regretted Lysander's ready zeal for the interest of his
friends so much that some of them actually wept when he sailed away.
VI. Lysander made this class of persons yet more irritated against
Kallikratidas by sending back to Sardis the balance of the money which
he had received from Cyrus for the fleet, bidding the sailors ask
Kallikratidas for pay, and see how he would manage to maintain the
men. And when he finally left Ephesus, he endeavoured to force
Kallikratidas to admit that he had handed over to him a fleet which
was mistress of the seas. Kallikratidas, however, wishing to expose
his vainglorious boasts, answered: "If so, sail from hence, passing
Samos on your left, and hand over the fleet to me at Miletus; for we
need not fear the Athenians at Samos, if our fleet is mistress of the
seas." To this Lysander answered that it was not he, but Kallikratidas
who was in command, and at once sailed away to Peloponnesus, leaving
Kallikratidas in great perplexity; for he had brought no money with
him from his own country, and he could not endure to wring money out
of the distressed Greek cities on the coast. There remained only one
course open to him: to go to the satraps of the king of Persia, and
ask them for money, as Lysander had done. Kallikratidas was the worst
man in the world for such a task, being high-spirited and generous,
and thinking it less dishonourable for Greeks to be defeated by other
Greeks than for them to court and flatter barbarians who had nothing
to recommend them but their riches. Forced by want of money, however,
he made a journey into Lydia, and at once went to the house of Cyrus,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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