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Upon this, Lysander was despatched on a mission to the Hellespont,
where he found means to gain over a Persian noble named Spithridates,
who had received some offence from Pharnabazus, the satrap of that
province. Lysander induced this man to join Agesilaus with all his
property, and with a regiment of two hundred horse; yet he himself did
not forget his quarrel, and for the rest of his life assiduously
plotted to remove the succession to the throne of Sparta from the two
royal families, and to throw it open to all Spartans alike. It is
indeed probable that he would have raised an important commotion in
Sparta, had he not been slain in an expedition in Boeotia. Thus do
ambitious men do more harm than good in a state, unless they have an
unusual power of self-restraint. Lysander no doubt acted very
offensively, and made a very unreasonable display of his pride; yet
Agesilaus might have discovered some better method of correcting the
faults of so great a man. Indeed, in my opinion they were both equally
blinded by the same passion for personal aggrandizement, so that the
one forgot the power of his prince, and the other could not bear with
the shortcomings of his friend.
IX. Tissaphernes was at first afraid of Agesilaus, and began to treat
with him about setting free the Greek cities on the Ionian coast from
the power of the king of Persia. Afterwards, however, he imagined that
the force at his disposal justified him in breaking off these
negotiations, and he declared war, to the great delight of Agesilaus.
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