224 HISTORY OF GREECE. the belief in their power was thus proportionally abridged. It now remained for Epaminondas to complete their humiliation by exe- cuting those two enterprises which had formed the special purpose of his expedition : the reestablishment of Messene, and the con- solidation of the Arcadians. The recent invasion of Lacoma, victorious as well as lucrative, had inspired the Arcadians with increased confidence and antipa- thy against Sparta, and increased disposition to listen to Epami- nondas. When that eminent man proclaimed the necessity of estab- lishing a strong frontier against Sparta on the side of Arcadia, and when he announced his intention of farther weakening Sparta by the restoration of the exiled Messenians, the general feeling of the small Arcadian communities, already tending in the direction of coalescence, became strong enough to overbear all such impedi- ments of detail as the breaking up of ancient abode and habit involves. Respecting early Athenian history, we are told by Thu- cydides, 1 that the legendary Theseus, " having become powerful, in addition to his great capacity," had effected the discontinuance of those numerous independent governments which once divided Attica, and had consolidated them all into one common govern- ment at Athens. Just such was the revolution now operated by Epaminondas, through the like combination of intelligence and power. A Board of CEkists or Founders was named to carry out the resolution taken by the Arcadian assemblies at Asea and Tegea, for the establishment of a Pan- Arcadian city and centre. Of this Board, two were from Tegea, two from Mantinea, two from Klei- tor, two from the district of Menalus, two from that of the Parrha- sians. A convenient site being chosen upon the river Helisson (which flowed through and divided the town in two), about twenty miles west of Tegea, well-fitted to block up the marches of Sparta in a north-westerly direction, the foundation of the new Great City (Megalopolis) was laid by the CEkists jointly with Epami- nondas. Forty distinct Arcadian townships, 2 from all sides of this centre, were persuaded to join the new community. Ten were from the Maenalii, eight from the Parrhasii, six from the Eutresii , 1 Thucyd. ii, 15. 'ETretdi? 6e tirjaevs tdacifavoe, yevofifjog ufru rov t;vve TOV Kal dvvarbf, etc. ' Diodor. xv, 72.
