§2.24ἀπό γε μὴν τούτου ἐπὶ τὴν Λακεδαίμονα στρατευσαμένων Ἀρκάδων τε πάντων καὶ Ἀργείων καὶ Ἠλείων καὶ Βοιωτῶν, καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς Φωκέων καὶ Λοκρῶν ἀμφοτέρων καὶ Θετταλῶν καὶ Αἰνιάνων καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων καὶ Εὐβοέων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἀφεστηκότων μὲν τῶν δούλων, πολλῶν δὲ περιοικίδων πόλεων, καὶ αὐτῶν Σπαρτιατῶν οὐ μειόνων ἀπολωλότων ἐν τῇ ἐν Λεύκτροις μάχῃ ἢ λειπομένων, ὅμως διεφύλαξε τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ταῦτα ἀτείχιστον οὖσαν, ὅπου μὲν τῷ παντὶ πλέον ἂν εἶχον οἱ πολέμιοι, οὐκ ἐξάγων ἐνταῦθα, ὅπου δὲ οἱ πολῖται πλέον ἕξειν ἔμελλον, εὐρώστως παρατεταγμένος, νομίζων εἰς μὲν τὸ πλατὺ ἐξιὼν πάντοθεν ἂν περιέχεσθαι, ἐν δὲ τοῖς στενοῖς καὶ ὑπερδεξίοις τόποις ὑπομένων τῷ παντὶ κρατεῖν ἄν.
But indeed, after this, when all the Arcadians, Argives, Eleans, and Boeotians marched against Lacedaemon, and with them the Phocians, both the Locrians, the Thessalians, the Aenianians, the Acarnanians, and the Euboeans, and in addition to these, when the slaves and many of the perioecic cities revolted, and when no fewer of the Spartans themselves had perished in the battle at Leuctra than were left, nevertheless he preserved the city, and that too though it was unwalled, by not leading out his forces to where the enemy would have the advantage in every way, but drawing them up vigorously where the citizens were likely to have the advantage, thinking that if he went out into the open, he would be surrounded on all sides, but if he remained in the narrow and commanding places, he would prevail completely.
§2.25ἐπεί γε μὴν ἀπεχώρησε τὸ στράτευμα, πῶς οὐκ ἂν φαίη τις αὐτὸν εὐγνωμόνως χρῆσθαι ἑαυτῷ;
When, however, the army withdrew, how could anyone fail to say that he conducted himself with great wisdom?
ὡς γὰρ τοῦ στρατεύεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ πεζῇ καὶ ἐφʼ ἵππων ἀπεῖργεν ἤδη τὸ γῆρας, χρημάτων δὲ ἑώρα τὴν πόλιν δεομένην, εἰ μέλλοι σύμμαχόν τινα ἕξειν, ἐπὶ τὸ πορίζειν ταῦτα ἑαυτὸν ἔταξε.
For since old age now prevented him from campaigning either on foot or on horseback, and he saw that the city stood in need of money if it was to have any ally, he set himself to provide this.
καὶ ὅσα μὲν ἐδύνατο οἴκοι μένων ἐμηχανᾶτο, ἃ δὲ καιρὸς ἦν οὐκ ὤκνει μετιέναι, οὐδʼ ᾐσχύνετο, εἰ μέλλοι τὴν πόλιν ὠφελήσειν, πρεσβευτὴς ἐκπορευόμενος ἀντὶ στρατηγοῦ.
And whatever he could devise while remaining at home he contrived, and what there was occasion to pursue he did not hesitate to go after, nor was he ashamed, if he was to benefit the city, to go abroad as an ambassador instead of a general.
§2.26ὅμως δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρεσβείᾳ μεγάλου στρατηγοῦ ἔργα διεπράξατο.
Yet even in his embassy he performed the deeds of a great general.
Αὐτοφραδάτης τε γὰρ πολιορκῶν ἐν Ἀσσῷ Ἀριοβαρζάνην σύμμαχον ὄντα δείσας Ἀγησίλαον φεύγων ᾤχετο· Κότυς δʼ αὖ Σηστὸν πολιορκῶν Ἀριοβαρζάνου ἔτι οὖσαν λύσας καὶ οὗτος τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀπηλλάγη· ὥστʼ οὐκ ἀλόγως καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πρεσβείας τρόπαιον τῶν πολεμίων εἱστήκει αὐτῷ.
For Autophradates, who was besieging Ariobarzanes, an ally, in Assos, fled and departed out of fear of Agesilaus; and Cotys, on his part, who was besieging Sestos, which was still in the possession of Ariobarzanes, also raised the siege and departed; so that it was not without reason that a trophy over the enemy was set up for him even from his embassy.
Μαύσωλός γε μὴν κατὰ θάλατταν ἑκατὸν ναυσὶ πολιορκῶν ἀμφότερα τὰ χωρία ταῦτα οὐκέτι δείσας ἀλλὰ πεισθεὶς ἀπέπλευσεν οἴκαδε.
Mausolus, moreover, who was besieging both these places by sea with a hundred ships, no longer out of fear, but having been persuaded, sailed away home.
§2.27κἀνταῦθα οὖν ἄξια θαύματος διεπράξατο· οἵ τε γὰρ εὖ πεπονθέναι νομίζοντες ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ φεύγοντες αὐτὸν χρήματα ἀμφότεροι ἔδοσαν.
On this occasion, therefore, he accomplished deeds worthy of wonder; for both those who thought they had been well treated by him and those who fled from him gave him money.
Ταχώς γε μὴν καὶ Μαύσωλος, διὰ τὴν πρόσθεν Ἀγησιλάου ξενίαν συμβαλόμενος καὶ οὗτος χρήματα τῇ Λακεδαίμονι, ἀπέπεμψαν αὐτὸν οἴκαδε προπομπὴν δόντες μεγαλοπρεπῆ.
Tachos, too, and Mausolus, contributing money to Lacedaemon on account of their former guest-friendship with Agesilaus, sent him back home, having given him a magnificent escort.
§2.28ἐκ δὲ τούτου ἤδη μὲν ἔτη ἐγεγόνει ἀμφὶ τὰ ὀγδοήκοντα· κατανενοηκὼς δὲ τὸν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλέα ἐπιθυμοῦντα τῷ Πέρσῃ πολεμεῖν, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν πεζούς, πολλοὺς δὲ ἱππέας, πολλὰ δὲ χρήματα ἔχοντα, ἅσμενος ἤκουσεν ὅτι μετεπέμπετο αὐτόν, καὶ ταῦτα ἡγεμονίαν ὑπισχνούμενος.
After this, he was now about eighty years of age; but having perceived that the king of the Egyptians was desirous of making war upon the Persian, and possessed many infantry, many cavalry, and much money, he was glad to hear that he was sending for him, and that too promising him the chief command.
§2.29ἐνόμιζε γὰρ τῇ αὐτῇ ὁρμῇ τῷ μὲν Αἰγυπτίῳ χάριν ἀποδώσειν ἀνθʼ ὧν εὐεργετήκει τὴν Λακεδαίμονα, τοὺς δʼ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ Ἕλληνας πάλιν ἐλευθερώσειν, τῷ δὲ Πέρσῃ δίκην ἐπιθήσειν καὶ τῶν πρόσθεν καὶ ὅτι νῦν σύμμαχος εἶναι φάσκων ἐπέταττε Μεσσήνην ἀφιέναι.
For he thought that by the same enterprise he would return a favor to the Egyptian for the benefits he had conferred on Lacedaemon, and would again liberate the Greeks in Asia, and would inflict punishment on the Persian both for his former deeds and because, while claiming to be an ally now, he was commanding them to let go of Messene.
§2.30ἐπεὶ μέντοι ὁ μεταπεμψάμενος οὐκ ἀπεδίδου τὴν ἡγεμονίαν αὐτῷ, ὁ μὲν Ἀγησίλαος ὡς τὸ μέγιστον ἐξηπατημένος ἐφρόντιζε τί δεῖ ποιεῖν.
When, however, the one who had sent for him did not give him the command, Agesilaus, as one who had been greatly deceived, considered what he ought to do.
ἐκ τούτου δὲ πρῶτον μὲν οἱ δίχα στρατευόμενοι τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀφίστανται τοῦ βασιλέως, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες ἀπέλιπον αὐτόν.
After this, first those of the Egyptians who were campaigning separately revolted from the king, and then all the others also abandoned him.
καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν δείσας ἀπεχώρησε φυγῇ εἰς Σιδῶνα τῆς Φοινίκης, οἱ δʼ Αἰγύπτιοι στασιάζοντες διττοὺς βασιλέας αἱροῦνται.
And the king himself, being afraid, withdrew in flight to Sidon in Phoenicia, while the Egyptians, being in rebellion, chose two kings.
§2.31ἐνταῦθα δὴ Ἀγησίλαος γνοὺς ὅτι, εἰ μὲν μηδετέρῳ συλλήψοιτο, μισθὸν οὐδέτερος λύσει τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἀγορὰν δὲ οὐδέτερος παρέξει, ὁπότερός τʼ ἂν κρατήσῃ, οὗτος ἐχθρὸς ἔσται, εἰ δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ συλλήψοιτο, οὗτός γε εὖ παθὼν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς φίλος ἔσοιτο, οὕτω δὴ κρίνας ὁπότερος φιλέλλην μᾶλλον ἐδόκει εἶναι, στρατευσάμενος μετὰ τούτου τὸν μὲν μισέλληνα μάχῃ νικήσας χειροῦται, τὸν δʼ ἕτερον συγκαθίστησι·
Thereupon Agesilaus, knowing that if he should assist neither, neither would pay wages to the Greeks nor provide a market, and whichever of the two should prevail would be an enemy, but if he should assist one of them, this one, having received a benefit, would in all likelihood be a friend, thus decided which of the two seemed to be more friendly to the Greeks, and having campaigned with him, defeated the enemy of the Greeks in battle and subdued him, while establishing the other on the throne.
καὶ φίλον ποιήσας τῇ Λακεδαίμονι καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ προσλαβὼν οὕτως ἀποπλεῖ οἴκαδε καίπερ μέσου χειμῶνος ὄντος, σπεύδων ὡς μὴ ἀργὸς ἡ πόλις εἰς τὸ ἐπιὸν θέρος πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους γένοιτο.
And having made him a friend to Lacedaemon and received much money besides, he sailed back home, even though it was midwinter, hastening so that the city should not be inactive against its enemies for the coming summer.