In their external relations, the Arcadians conducted themselves with jealousy and haughtiness. Witness their conduct after the battle of Cheronea, when they proudly refused to acknowledge Philip as captain general of the Greeks. At the battle of Platxa, the Tcgeans, though only 1500 strong, nobly contended with the Athenians for the post of honour and of danger ; and, though disappointed, they proved themselves in the bat tle worthy of the honour. Indeed the Arcadians, on many occasions, were ardent in defence of the Grecian liberties. The Mantineans, who arrived too late to have a share in the same decisive engagement, would push on by themselves in pursuit of the flying Persians; and, on their return home, they banished the generals who had detained them.
The ancient policy of Arcadia was merely to secure her own independence. Her most formidable enemy was Lacedxmon ; and this oppressor of Peloponnesus she pertinaciously opposed, supporting the Messenians often with her entire force. For several centuries, the humiliation of Sparta was the great object of the Arca dians ; of this they never lost sight, except when com pelled to join her by the overgrown power of Athens. They soon, however, returned to their ancient policy. The domineering spirit of the Lacedxmonians, who now, by the fall of Athens, became diseased with ambi tion, rendered their prosperity intolerable to their neigh bours. They were soon opposed and humbled by the united efforts of Thebes and Arcadia, under the direc tion of Epaminondas. The immediate issue of this war was glorious to the Arcadians, who were besides strengthened by the restoration of their ancient con federates, the Messenians. They became now intoxi
cated with success ; for, aspiring at foreign conquest, and entertaining the foolish ambition of giving law to the whole peninsula, they were so imprudent as to expose themselves at once to domestic faction and external as sociations. From this period their affairs began to de cline ; and the greatest event, for which Arcadia was afterwards distinguished, was its giving birth to Phi lopxmen, the last of the Greeks.
The population of this country at any particular period cannot be exactly ascertained, but it must have been very considerable. According to Homer's catalogue of the Grecian armies, the Arcadians, under Agapenor, oc cupied sixty ships in the expedition to Troy. But the game number sufficed to carry the quota of Menelaus, king of Sparta ; so that, at whatever time the poem was composed, we may consider it as stating the then com parative strength of the two countries. This computa tion is in a manner verified by another fact. About the fifth century before the Christian xra, the number of slaves in Arcadia amounted to 300,000. In so poor a country we arc certainly below the truth in computing the free-born at one third of that number ; of which a fourth, or 25,000 men, could be capable of bearing arms ;—a force not greatly inferior to the array of Sparta. See Pausan. in Arcad. Xenoph. Hist. Grcec. Pass. Homeri .11. B. v. 580, et infra. Strati. lib. 8. Diod. Sic., lib. 15. Uni-vers. Hist., c. 18. § 6. Gillies, Hist. Pass. Barthel. Anaclzars., c. 52. Cellarii Geoff. (E)