220 HISTORY OF GREECE. in Laconia, inferior citizens at Sparta. On the appearance of the invading enemy, indeed, a certain feeling of common interest arose, since even the disaffected might reasonably imagine that a plun- dering soldiery, if not repelled at the point of the sword, would make their condition worse instead of better. And accordingly, when the ephors made public proclamation, that any Helot who would take heavy armor and serve in the ranks as an hoplite, should be manumitted, not less than six thousand Helots gave in their names to serve. But a body thus numerous, when seen in arms, became itself the object of mistrust to the Spartans ; so that the arrival of their new allies from Prasire was welcomed as a security, not less against the armed Helots within the city, than against the Thebans without. 1 Open enmity, however, was not wanting. A considerable number both of Periceki and Helots actually took arms on behalf of the Thebans ; others remained inactive, disregarding the urgent summons from the ephors, which could not now be enforced. 2 1 Xen. Hellen. vi, 5, 28, 29. uare (jtoftov av OVTOI napi%ov owreray/fevot leal Tdav idoKovv TroA/lot elvat t etc. s Xen. Hellen. vi, 5, 25 ; vi, 5, 32 ; vii, 2, 2. It is evident from the last of these three passages, that the number of Periceki and Helots who actually revolted, was very considerable ; and that the contrast between the second and third passages evinces the different feelings with which the two seem to have been composed by Xenophon. In the second, he is recounting the invasion of Epaminondas, with a wish to soften the magnitude of the Spartan disgrace and calamity as much as he can. Accordingly, he tells us no more than this, " there were some among the Periceki, who even took active service in the attack of Gythium, and fought along with the Thebans," fyaav 6e rtvcf TUV HepioiKuv, ol KOI kiri'&EVTO Kal avvearparEvovTO rolg //era QrjjBaiuv. But in the third passage (vii, 2, 2: compare his biography called Agcsi- laus, ii, 24) Xenophon is extolling the fidelity of the Phliasians to Sparta under adverse circumstances of the latter. Hence it then suits his argu- ment, to magnify these adverse circumstances, in order to enhance the merit of the Phliasians ; and he therefore tells us, " Many of the Periceki, all the Helots, and all the allies except a few, had revolted from Sparta," - a<j>a?i.VTuv 6' avruv ry iv AeiiKTpoie nu-XVi Ka ^ UTTOOTUVTUV /J.KV TroA/lwv Hepi O'LKUV, uiroartivTuv Se TTUVTUV TUV EI^MTUV, KTI 6e TUV ohiyuv, LiriarpaTevovTuv 6' ai'roZf, wf einelv, TTUVTUV TUV tiifftetvav (the Phliasians). I apprehend that both statements depart from the reality, though in op posite directions. I have adopted in the text something between the two
