The advent of Cyrus, commonly known as Cyrus the younger, into Asia Minor, was an event of the greatest importance, opening what may be called the last phase in the Peloponnesian war.

Cyrus the younger—effects of his coming down to Asia Minor.

He was the younger of the two sons of the Persian king Darius Nothus by the cruel queen Parysatis, and was now sent down by his father as satrap of Lydia, Phrygia the greater, and Kappadokia—as well as general of all that military division of which the muster-place was Kastôlus. His command did not at this time comprise the Greek cities on the coast, which were still left to Tissaphernês and Pharnabazus. But he nevertheless brought down with him a strong interest in the Grecian war, and an intense anti-Athenian feeling, with full authority from his father to carry it out into act. Whatever this young man willed, he willed strongly: his bodily activity, rising superior to those temptations of sensual indulgence which often enervated the Persian grandees, provoked the admiration even of Spartans; and his energetic character was combined with a certain measure of ability. Though he had not as yet conceived that deliberate plan for mounting the Persian throne which afterwards absorbed his whole mind, and was so near succeeding by the help of the Ten Thousand Greeks—yet he seems to have had from the beginning the sentiment and ambition of a king in prospect, not those of a satrap.

B.C. 419. New policy of Athens, attempted by Alkibiadês.

Shortly after the remarkable events of the Olympic festival described in my last chapter, the Argeians and their allies sent a fresh embassy to invite the Corinthians to join them. They thought it a promising opportunity, after the affront just put upon Sparta, to prevail upon the Corinthians to desert her: but Spartan envoys were present also, and though the discussions were much protracted, no new resolution was adopted. An earthquake—possibly an earthquake not real, but simulated for convenience—abruptly terminated the congress. The Corinthians,—though seemingly distrusting Argos now that she was united with Athens, and leaning rather towards Sparta,—were unwilling to pronounce themselves in favour of one so as to make an enemy of the other.

In spite of this first failure, the new alliance of Athens and Argos manifested its fruits vigorously in the ensuing spring. Under the inspirations of Alkibiadês, Athens was about to attempt the new experiment of seeking to obtain intra-Peloponnesian followers and influence. At the beginning of the war, she had been maritime, defensive, and simply conservative, under the guidance of Periklês. After the events of Sphakteria, she made use of that great advantage to aim at the recovery of Megara and Bœotia, which she had before been compelled to abandon by the Thirty Years' truce—at the recommendation of Kleon. In this attempt she employed the eighth year of the war, but with signal ill-success; while Brasidas during that period broke open the gates of her maritime empire, and robbed her of many important dependencies.

Arsaces founded the Parthian Empire about B.C. 250. He first acquired Parthia and then Hyrcania. His successors gradually extended their dominion over the adjacent provinces until it included almost all the countries East of the Euphrates which had belonged to the old Persian Monarchy. The empire of the Arsacidœ under about 28 kings subsisted 475 years, from the rise of Arsaces in B. C. 250 in the consulship of Manlius and Regulus to the overthrow of Artabanus by Artaxerxes in the beginning of A. D. 226, at the close of the 4th year of Alexander Severus.

Each of the Parthian kings in addition to his own name assumed the name of the founder Arsaces: Strabo XV p. 702. This also appears from Justin, and from the coins of the Parthian kings which shall be described below.

IArsaces. B.C. 250. For the testimonies to Arsaces see F. H. III p. 18 appendix p.311. The two years ascribed to Arsaces by Arrian, if reckoned from his first appearance, are too short a space for his acts. They were probably dated from his ultimate success in the reign of Seleucus Callinicus about B. C. 245. 244

IITiridates. The son of Arsaces according to Justin 41. 5 Hujus filius et successor regni, Arsaces et ipse nomine. His brother according to Arrian : See F. H. III p. 311. Arsaces, whose war with Antiochus in B.C. 209 is described by Polybius X. 28, was Tiridates: Justin. 41. 5 adversus Antiochum Seleucifilium centum millibus peditum et viginti millibus equitum instructum mira virtute pugnavit.