His mother, terrified at first at her son’s rashness, condemned the whole as the visionary scheme of a young man, who was attempting a measure not only prejudicial to the state, but quite impracticable. But when the reasonings of Agesilaus had convinced her that it would not only be of the greatest utility to the publick but might be effected with great ease and safety, and the king himself entreated her to contribute her wealth and interest to promote an enterprise which would redound so much to his glory and reputation;[25] she and the rest of her female friends at last changed their sentiments. Fired then with the same glorious emulation, and stimulated to virtue; as it were by some divine impulse, they not only voluntarily spurred on Agis, but summoned and encouraged all their friends, and incited the other ladies to engage in so generous an enterprise.[26] For they were conscious (as Plutarch observes) of the great ascendency which the Spartan women had always over their husbands, who gave their wives a much greater share in the publick administration, than their wives allowed them in the management of their domestic affairs. A circumstance which at that time had drawn almost all the wealth of Sparta into the hands of the women, and proved a terrible, and almost unsurmountable obstacle to Agis. For the ladies had violently opposed a scheme of reformation, which not only tended to deprive them of those pleasures and trifling ornaments, which, from their ignorance of what was truly good and laudable, they absurdly looked upon as their supreme happiness, but to rob them of that respect and authority which they derived from their superior wealth. Such of them therefore as were unwilling to give up these advantages, applied to Leonidas, and entreated him, as he was the more respectable man for his age and experience, to check his young hotheaded colleague, and quash whatever attempts he should make to carry his designs into execution. The older Spartans were no less averse to a reformation of that nature. For as they were deeply immersed in corruption, they trembled at the very name of Lycurgus, as much as runaway slaves, when retaken, do at the sight of their master. Leonidas was extremely ready to side with and assist the rich, but durst not openly oppose Agis for fear of the people, who were eager for such a revolution. He attempted therefore to counteract all his attempts underhand, and insinuated to the magistrates, that Agis aimed at setting up a tyranny, by bribing the poor with the fortunes of the rich; and proposed the partition of lands and the abolition of debts as the means for purchasing guards for himself only, not citizens, as he pretended, for Sparta.