326 HISTORY OF GKEECF persuasion of the like impending danger. To caase a revolution in Tegea, would be a great point gained for the oligarchical parity, and would he rendered comparatively practicable by the congre gation of a miscellaneous body of Arcadians in the town. It is indeed not impossible, that the idea of such a plot may really have been conceived ; but it is at least highly probable, that the likeli- hood of such an occurrence was sincerely believed in by oppo- nents. 1 The explanation of the Theban governor, affirming that his order for arrest had either really averted, or appeared to hira indispensable to avert, a projected treacherous betrayal, reached Thebes at the same time as the complaints against him. It was not only received as perfectly satisfactory, but Epaminondas even replied to the complainants by counter-complaints of his own, " The arrest (he said) was an act more justifiable than the release of those arrested. You Arcadians have already committed trea- son against us. It was on your account, and at your request, thai' we carried the war into Peloponnesus, and you now conclude peace without consulting us ! Be assured that we shall presently come in arms into Arcadia, and make war to support our partisans in the country." 2 Such was the peremptory reply which the Arcadian envoy brought back from Thebes, announcing to his countrymen that they must prepare for war forthwith. They accordingly concerted measures for resistance with the Eleians and Achaeans. They sent an invitation to the Lacedaemonians to march into Arcadia, and assist in repelling any enemy who should approach for the purpose of subjugating Peloponnesus, yet with the proviso, as to head-ship, that each state should take the lead when the war was in its own territory ; and they farther sent to solicit aid from Athens. Such were the measures taken by the Mantineans and their partisans, now forming the majority in the Pan- Arcadian aggregate, who (to use the language of Xenophon) " were really solicitous for Peloponnesus." 3 "Why do these Thebans (said 1 The representation of Diodorus (xv, 82), though very loose and vague, gives us to understand that the two opposing parties at Tegea came to an actual conflict of arms, on occasion of the peace.
- Xen. Hellen. vii, 4, 40.
3 Xen. Hellen. vii 5.1. Ot uritiop-evoi rrjf
