30 Lysander, it appears, having received an oracle as follows: Sounding Hoplites see thou bear in mind, And the earth-born dragon following behind. Some however say that Hoplites does not run by Haliartus, but is a watercourse by Coronea, falling into the river Philarus near the town in former times called Hoplias and now Isomantus. The man of Haliartus who killed Lysander, by name Neochorus, bore on his shield the device of a dragon; and this, it was supposed, the oracle signified. It is said also that in the time of the Peloponnesian war, the Thebans received an oracle from the sanctuary of the Ismenian Apollo, referring at once to the battle of Delium and to this which thirty years after took place at Haliartus. It ran thus: Hunting the wolf, observe the utmost bound, And Orchalid the hill where foxes most are found. By the words, the utmost bound, Delium being intended, where Boeotia touches Attica, and by Orchalid the hill now called Alopecus*, which lies in the parts of Haliartus towards Helicon. But such a death befalling Lysander, the Spartans took it so grievously at the time, that they put the king to a trial for his life, which he not daring to await fled to Tegea, and there lived out his life in the sanctuary * Alópecus, derived from alópex, a fox. Hoplites, it should also be said, in explanation of the surprise of Lysander's friend, would be an unusual name for a stream, being the ordinary word for a heavy-armed soldier, a man-at-arms: and in this sense it would be understood in the oracle; "The sounding man-at-arms see thou bear in mind, and the earth-born dragon," &c. of Minerva. The poverty also of Lysander being discovered by his death, made his merit more manifest, since from so much wealth and power, from all the homage of the cities and of the Persian kingdom, he had not in the least degree, so far as money goes, taken means for any private splendour, as Theopompus in his history relates, to whom any one may rather give credit when he commends, than when he finds fault, as he likes better to blame than to praise. But subsequently, Ephorus says, some controversy arising at Sparta about Plain of Sparta. (From an original sketch by Sir W. Gell, in the British Museum.) some matter of the allies, which made it necessary to consult the writings which Lysander had kept by him, Agesilaus came to his house, and finding the book in which the oration on the Spartan constitution was written out, to the effect that the kingdom ought to be taken from the Eurypontida and Agiada and be offered in common, and a choice made out of the best citizens, at first he was eager to make it public and to show his countrymen the real character of Lysander. But Lacratidas, a wise man and at that time chief of the Ephors, stopped Agesilaus, and said, they had better not dig up Lysander again, but rather bury with him such a plausible and dangerous speech. All the honours were paid him after his death; and moreover they imposed a fine upon those who had engaged to marry his daughters, and then, on his decease, when Lysander was found to be poor, had refused them; because when they thought him rich they had been observant of him, but now when his poverty had proved him just and good, forsook him. in Sparta a punishment for not marrying, for a late, and for a bad marriage; and to the last penalty those were most especially liable who sought alliances with the rich, instead of with the good and with their friends. Such is the account we have collected of Lysander. For there was, it seems, A. Coin of Ægina. |