90 HISTORY OF GREECE. cations of the Kadraeia were, nor hew far it was provisioned. But we can hardly wonder that these officers were considered to have dishonored the Lacedasmouian arms, by making no attempt to defend it ; when we recollect that hardly more than four or five days would be required to procure adequate relief from home, and that forty-three years afterwards, the Macedonian garrison in the same place maintained itself against the Thebans in the city for more than fourteen days, until the return of Alexander from Ulyria. 1 The first messenger who brought news to Sparta of the conspiracy and revolution at Thebes, appears to have com- municated at the same time that the garrison had evacuated the Kadmeia and was in full retreat, with a train of Theban exiles from the defeated party. 2 Plutarch (Pelopid. c. 13) augments the theatrical effect by saying that the Lacedaemonian garrison on its retreat, actually met at Megra the reinforce- ments under king Kleombrotus, which had advanced thus far, on their march to relieve the Kadmeia. But this is highly improbable. The ac- count of Xenophon intimates clearly that the Kadmeia was surrounded on the next morning after the nocturnal movement. The commanders capitu- lated in the first moment of distraction and despair, without even standing an assault. 1 Arrian, i, 6.
- In recounting this revolution at Thebes, and the proceedings of the
Athenians in regard to it, I have followed Xenophon almost entirely. Diodorus (xv, 25, 26) concurs with Xenophon in stating that the Theban exiles got back from Attica to Thebes by night, partly through the concur- rence of the Athenians (avvemhaSo/tevuv T&V 'A.$7]vaiuv) slew the rulers called the citizens to freedom next morning, finding all hearty in the cause and then proceeded to besiege the fifteen hundred Lacedaemonians and Peloponnesians in the Kadmeia. But after thus much of agreement, Diodorus states what followed, in a manner quite inconsistent with Xenophon ; thus (he tells us) The Lacedaemonian commander sent instant intelligence to Sparta of what had happened, with request for a reinforcement. The Thebaus at once attempted to storm the Kadmeia, but were repulsed with great loss, both of killed and wounded. Fearing that they might not be able to take the fort before reinforcement should come from Sparta, they sent envoys to Athens to ask for aid, reminding the Athenians that they (the Thebans) had helped to emancipate Athens from the Thirty, and to restore the de- mocracy (vTrou.i[iv7}aKOVTee fiev on Kai aiirol avyaarrfya-yov rbv 6?j/iov T<JV 'A$?/vajj' KCI?' ov naipbv inrb ruv Tpuucovra KaretJoiiAw^crav). The Athenians, partly from desire to requite this favor, partly from a wish to secure the Thebans as allies against Sparta, passed a public vote to assist
