And so I pass on at once to narrate the chief achievements of his
reign, since by the light of deeds the character of him who wrought
them will, if I mistake not, best shine forth.

Agesilaus was still a youth[5] when he obtained the kingdom, and he
was still but a novice in his office when the news came that the king
of Persia was collecting a mighty armament by sea and land for the
invasion of Hellas. The Lacedaemonians and their allies sat debating
these matters, when Agesilaus undertook to cross over into Asia. He
only asked for thirty Spartans and two thousand New Citizens,[6]
besides a contingent of the allies six thousand strong; with these he
would cross over into Asia and endeavour to effect a peace; or, if the
barbarian preferred war, he would leave him little leisure to invade
Hellas.

[5] B.C. 399; according to Plut. ("Ages." ad fin.) he was forty-three,
and therefore still "not old." See "Hell." III. iv. 1 for the
startling news, B.C. 396.

[6] For the class of Neodamodes, see Arnold's note to Thuc. v. 34
(Jowett, "Thuc." ii. 307); also Thuc. vii. 58; "Hell." I. iii. 15.

The proposal was welcomed with enthusiasm on the part of many. They
could not but admire the eagerness of their king to retaliate upon the
Persian for his former invasions of Hellas by counter-invasion on his
own soil. They liked the preference also which he showed for attacking
rather than awaiting his enemy's attack, and his intention to carry on
the war at the expense of Persia rather than that of Hellas; but it
was the perfection of policy, they felt, so to change the arena of