“These were victories won with the aid of all who joined in that expedition. But after they had divided the territory with the Argives and the Messenians and for themselves had settled in Sparta—at this juncture, as you say, they were so proud that although they then numbered no more than two thousand menThe Spartans at the time of the Persian Wars numbered eight thousand according to Hdt. 7.234. Aristotle (Aristot. Pol. 2.9) states that in his day there were hardly one thousand. they considered themselves unworthy to live unless they could make themselves masters of all the cities in the Peloponnesus.

In this state of mind, they undertook to wage war and did not cease, albeit they were involved in many misadventures and dangers, before they had reduced them all to subjection, except the city of the Argives. But when at length they held the greatest territory and the strongest power in Hellas and a reputation appropriate to men who had achieved such mighty things, they continued no less to pride themselves upon the fact that they could boast of a record unique and glorious: