270 HISTORY OF GREECE. Lysimenes, and to increase their numerical strength. Selecting from them a special body-guard for his own personal safety, and being thus master of the city under the ostensible color of chief of the new democracy, he commenced a career of the most rapa- cious and sanguinary tyranny. 1 He caused several of his col- leagues to be assassinated, and banished others. He expelled also by wholesale the wealthiest and most eminent citizens, on suspi- cion of Laconism ; confiscating their properties to supply himself with money, pillaging the public treasure, and even stripping the temples of all their rich stock of consecrated gold and silver orna- ments. He farther procured for himself adherents by liberating numerous slaves, exalting them to the citizenship, and probably enrolling them among his paid force. 2 The power which he thus acquired became very great The money seized enabled him not only to keep in regular pay his numerous mercenaries, but also to bribe the leading Arcadians and Argeians, so that they connived at his enormities ; while he was farther ready and active in the field to lend them military support. The Theban harmost still held the acropolis with his garrison, though Euphron was master of the town and harbor. During the height of Euphron's power at Sikyon, the neigh- boring city of Phlius was severely pressed. The Phliasians had remained steadily attached to Sparta throughout all her misfor- tunes ; notwithstanding incessant hostilities from Argos, Arcadia, Pellene, and Sikyon, which destroyed their crops and inflicted upon them serious hardships. I have already recounted, that in the year 369 B. c., a little before the line of Oneium was forced by Epaminondas, the town of Phlius, having been surprised by its own exiles with the aid of Eleians and Arcadians, had only been saved by the desperate bravery and resistance of its citi- zens. 3 In the ensuing year, 368 B. c., the Argeian and Arcadian force again ravaged the Phliasian plain, doing great damage ; yet not without some loss to themselves in their departure, from the attack of the chosen Phliasian hoplites and of some Athenian horsemen from Corinth. 4 In the ensuing year 3 67 B. c., a second invasion of the Phliasian territory was attempted b;. Euphron. 1 Xen. Hellen. vii, 1, 44-46 ; Diodor. XT, 70. * Xen. Hellen, vii, 3, 8. Xen. Hellen. vii, 26-9. * Xen. Hellen. vii, 2, 10
