costly bed and slaves to make it, as if Greeks did not know how, and
also eighty cows and their herdsmen, on the pretence of wanting cow's
milk for some weakness that he suffered from; and at last he went down
to the sea-coast carried in a palanquin, and four talents were given
by the king to his bearers--still, it does not seem to have been his
venality which especially disgusted the Athenians. At any rate,
Epikrates, called the "Bearded," once brought a motion before the
assembly that instead of electing nine archons yearly they should send
nine poor citizens as ambassadors to the Great King, that they might
be enriched by him, at which there was great laughter. But it was
because of the success of the Thebans that they were so vexed, not
reflecting on the power of Pelopidas's name, and how far it outweighed
all their rhetoric in the estimation of one who always inclined to the
stronger side.

XXXI. On his return, Pelopidas was welcomed with no little gratitude
because he had re-established Messenia, and obtained freedom for all
other Greeks. But Alexander of Pheræ had relapsed into his old
courses, and had ravaged the territory of many cities of Thessaly. The
Phthiot Achæans and Magnetes formed a league to oppose him, and
hearing of Pelopidas's return, these cities sent to Thebes begging for
a force to help them and for him as its general. The Thebans willingly
decreed this, but when all was ready and the general was about to
march, the sun was eclipsed and darkness fell upon the city.
Pelopidas, seeing that all men were disheartened at this, thought that
it was useless to force frightened men full of presage of evil, to
march with him, nor did he like to risk the lives of six thousand
citizens, but he offered his own services to the Thessalians, and took
with him three hundred horsemen, volunteers and men of other states.
With this force he started, though forbidden by the prophets and