Agesilous's brother Telethias died in the Kalchidia Peninsula. Agesilous was hit hard and fell ill again.

Finally, another Spartan king, Agsipolis, recruited a large army again in the Peloponnese allies and headed to Northern Greece again to attack the Calcidia League.

As a result, when Agsipolis arrived in Northern Greece, it was midsummer. He unfortunately contracted fever due to the scorching heat and died of illness before he could fight the enemy.

After the king's funeral was held in a hurry, the Spartan Elder Council sent another expedition to the successor of the Kalkyidian League. After a series of hard battles, in the spring of the third year (thirteenth year of Dionia, 380 BC), Olintus forced to surrender and dissolve the alliance. At the same time, other city-states on the Kalkyidian Peninsula were forced to join the Spartan League. The coastal cities of Macedonia also returned Macedonian King Amintas, and Sparta gained supreme status in Northern Greece.

During the fierce battle in Northern Greece, the Spartans adopted a high-pressure policy on the Peloponnese Peninsula. They forced Phreus, a city-state in the central peninsula to recruit the nobles who had been exiled before. As a result, the nobles broke out in war with the civilians, and Sparta supported the nobles. After half a year of siege, he forced Phreus to surrender, and then implemented a new political system according to Sparta's wishes.

In central central Greece, after Sparta controlled Thebes and supported Platia, he was attached to other city-states of Piosha. Sparta's power began to expand into the Attica region in central central Greece and the Vakis region in western...

After the rainy spring, it is the hot summer. Polybiadas, the commander of the northern expedition of Sparta, led his army to return from Northern Greece victoriously. Before entering the flat and fertile Piosha area, they first had to pass through the Thessali, Maris, Dolis, Fokis and other areas. There are many places here that are worthy of worship as the Spartan general who returned from victory.

The first is Oeta. It is rumored that Hercules, the ancestor of the Spartan royal family, sacrificed himself on a cremation pile on this mountain and ascended to heaven in flames to join the family of the gods of Mount Olympus.

Secondly, when crossing the narrow pass, the narrowest passage can only accommodate two four-wheeled carriages passing side by side. This passage is called the Hot Spring Pass. Its name can resonate strongly among the Spartan soldiers, because a hundred years ago, the Spartan king Leonida led his 300 guards to fight against the Persian army and all died in battle, winning immortal glory for the Spartan warriors. Almost every time the Spartan army passes here, worshiping.

After trekking through the rugged mountain path, we entered a small lowland known for its fertility, called the Dorian Plain, where the Dorians in the Greek population were obtained from this place (the Spartans were also Dorians). Hundreds of years ago, the Greeks who migrated from the desolate north first took a temporary rest on the Dorian Plain, and eventually invaded the lowlands surrounded by mountains and spread throughout the coastline. Hundreds of years have passed, they have forgotten their barbaric identity, such as the Spartans have always claimed that they were the blood of Hercules and the descendants of Menelaus, the former king of Sparta.

To the south of the Doris Plain, near the Gulf of Corinth, there is also a well-known mountain in Greece called Parnasos. According to legend, there is a huge python named Pitong, which is known for being human-eating. Under the command of Hera, he chased Apollo, the Artenis brothers and sisters and their mother Leto when he was young. Apollo, who grew up, came to this mountain and found this huge monster that was devouring the group of eagles in the lonely and dark canyon, shot him with his deadly bow and arrow, thus becoming the master who ruled the area.

Apollo planted laurel trees to purify this sacred land. Later, people cut down the branches of laurel trees and built one Apollo temple after another, which became the oracle holy place for all Greeks - Delphi.

This place has high mountains and dense forests and poor soil, making it difficult for local residents to make a living.

Apollo said to them: "Guard my temple and warmly welcome the visiting crowds."

So the people of Delphi became priests of Apollo. They built a huge group of Apollo temples and impartially charged the same fee to everyone who came to seek oracles and worship. It is precisely because of the justice of Delphi priests that more and more Greeks trusted Delphi's oracles and firmly believed that for nine months every year on the pure air, the god Apollo would live there.

It is also rumored that when Zeus first ascended the throne of dominating the world, he wanted to measure the land he inherited, and released two eagles to the east and west respectively, flew towards each other, and observed the flying conditions of the two eagles to determine the center of the world. As a result, the two eagles met in Delphi, and Zeus left a huge stone egg here - Onphale as a mark (this stone egg has been preserved to this day). Therefore, Delphi became famous, surpassing the Greek race, and well-known throughout the Mediterranean. For this reason, the Delphi priests also welcomed foreigners to come here to pray for oracles.

When various city-states fighting each other come to seek the judgment of the Delphi Oracle, they fully believe in the judgment of the oracle. Therefore, Delphi's neutrality must be guaranteed, otherwise no one can bear the consequences.

200 years ago, when Crisa, a neighboring city-state, tried to annex Delphi, the entire Greece was shaken and launched an angry counterattack. Many city-states formed a coalition to defend this sacred area. They even violated Greek traditions and poisoned the rivers consumed by the Clisa people. The city of Clisa was broken, and the undevoted city was razed to the ground. The bay that separated the Greek continent from the Peloponnese Peninsula was originally taken in this great city-state of Fokis and was called Clisa Bay. After the war, it was named after the important city-state of Corinth on the isthmus. More than 200 years have passed, the wilderness where Clisa was still in a deserted state, and no one dared to live because it was a place cursed by God.

After experiencing the most tragic lesson this time, the city-states around Delphi established a neighboring alliance, namely the Anfiktione League, which included the Thessals, the Ferteotes, the Lochris, the Fokis, the Pios, and the Athenians... Later, the city-states on the Peloponnese also joined in under the leadership of Sparta.

The main purpose of this alliance is to protect Delphi's neutrality and not allow any force to harm or annex Delphi. Therefore, this alliance is also called the Holy Alliance. Each alliance provides two representatives as a member of the entire alliance meeting, and holds a meeting in Delphi in spring and autumn every year to discuss the governance of the Delphi area, the maintenance of the temple, the holding of the Pitian Games and the management of the Apollo holy estate. In this way, Delphi's oracles and priests and nobles gained independent status, and Delphi became more prosperous.

On this day, noble priests from all over Delphi stepped on the winding stone steps to a steep hillside, where the main temple of Apollo, made of huge stones, is located. It is backed by the straight and bare cliffs of Mount Parnasos, and looks down at the deep valley of Prestus in front, giving people a cold and solemn feeling.

The nine high-powered Apollo priests were representatives of nine Greek tribes that lived in Delphi hundreds of years ago, and there was also a woman sitting in the temple with the nine priests.

This is an elderly woman with a shriveled body, loose skin and ravines on her face. She is not astonishing in appearance, but she is very prestigious among the Greeks, because she walked into the oracle and brought Apollo's oracle to the people in the fumigation of sulfur. She did not have her own name, she was called Pitya, and every representative of Apollo, the oracle who published the oracle was called Pitya.

Ten people sat around the temple with a serious expression.

The old priest in charge was Sirsitas, the priest of the main temple of Apollo, and he spoke, "An hour ago, I had just sent away the Spartan general Polybiadas who conquered Calcidia. Before the Spartans' north expedition, Spartan king Agsilaus sent people to obtain oracles for his outing. This time he came to thank Apollo for his guidance. The Spartans' enthusiasm for Apollo is amazing! But-"

Silsitas changed his tone and said in a deep voice: "But he brought four fully armed soldiers and allowed them to step onto the sacred Parnasos. After I protested, he asked these soldiers to go down the mountain!"

"This is blasphemy! This sacred area does not allow people with sharp weapons to enter. This is well-known. These Spartans should be severely punished!" a priest next to him shouted angrily.

"Severe punishment? The Spartans' barbarity and rudeness are famous. If they make a big fuss, we will suffer. We must know that their army is stationed in the Doris Plain not far north." Another priest said helplessly.

"Does the Spartans dare to lead their troops into Delphi? If they dare to do that, all Greece will organize another anti-Spartan alliance, and completely destroy Sparta just like Clisa!" Another priest said angrily.

"The Spartans would not do such stupid things. Their respect for Delphi is no less than that for their ancestor Hercules." The priest Sithals interrupted their quarrel and said worriedly: "But the balance of power in Greece has been broken. After the increasing number of Central Greek city-states attached to Sparta, the Holy Alliance almost became Sparta's own decision. Delphi's neutrality is difficult to maintain, which is a great threat to Delphi's survival!"
Chapter completed!