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Anecdotes from the Life of Agesilaus, King of Sparta Agesilaus is said to have been a little man, of a contemptible
presence; but the goodness of his humor, and his constant
cheerfulness and playfulness of temper, always free from anything
of moroseness or haughtiness, made him more attractive, even to
his old age, than the most beautiful and youthful men of the
nation. Theophrastus writes, that the Ephors laid a fine upon
Archidamus for marrying a little wife, "For," said they, "she will
bring us a race of kinglets, instead of kings." Agesilaus was excessively fond of his children; and it is to him
the story belongs, that when they were little ones, he used to
make a horse of a stick, and ride with them; and being caught at
this sport by a friend, he desired him not to mention it, till he
himself should be the father of children. When the Mantineans revolted from Thebes to Sparta, and
Epaminondas understood that Agesilaus had come to their assistance
with a powerful army, he privately in the night quitted his
quarters at Tegea, and unknown to the Mantineans, passing by
Agesilaus, marched toward Sparta, insomuch that he failed very
little of taking it empty and unarmed. Agesilaus had intelligence
sent him by Euthynus, the Thespian, as Callisthenes says, but
Xenophon says by a Cretan, and immediately despatched a horseman
to Lacedaemon, to apprise them of it, and to let them know that he
was hastening to them. Shortly after his arrival the Thebans
crossed the Eurotas. They made an assault upon the town, and were
received by Agesilaus with great courage, and with exertions
beyond what was to be expected at his years. For he did not now
fight with that caution and cunning which he formerly made use of,
but put all upon a desperate push; which, though not his usual
method, succeeded so well, that he rescued the city out of the
very hand s of Epaminondas, and forced him to retire, and, at the
erection of a trophy, was able, in the presence of their wives and
children, to declare that the Lacedaemonians had nobly paid their
debt to their country, and particularly his son Archidamus, who
had that day made himself illustrious, both by his courage and
agility of body, rapidly passing about by the short lanes to every
endangered point, and everywhere maintaining the town against the
enemy with but few to help him. Isadas, too, the son of Phoebidas,
must have been, I think, the admiration of the enemy as well as of
his friends. He was a youth of remarkable beauty and stature, in
the very flower of the most attractive time of life, when the boy
is just rising into the man. He had no arms upon him, and scarcely
clothes; he had just anointed himself at home, when, upon the
alarm, without further waiting, in that undress, he snatched a
spear in one hand, and a sword in the other, and broke his way
through the combatants to the enemies, striking at all he met. He
received no wound, whether it were that a special divine care
rewarded his valor with an extraordinary protection, or whether
his shape being so large and beautiful, and his dress so unusual,
they thought him more than a man. The Ephors gave him a garland;
but as soon as they had done so, they fined him a thousand
drachma, for going out to battle unarmed.
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