Dr. Roel Konijnendijk

We're going to stomp on you now.

And they go around the Greek world essentially sort of splitting up states and breaking up federations because they claim it's a violation of the peace.

And that's how they get to be the biggest fish in a very small pond, in a shrinking pond, essentially.

So they kind of manipulate the wording of it to kind of suit their own agendas there.

Well, it's not just for you, it's Xenophon, right?

Like he actually steps in.

Well, that's because he and I are like this.

Sorry, yeah, that's it.

You're all made Xenophon.

Like he actually invokes the gods at this point.

He says, you know, everything was going great for Sparta, but at this point they offended the gods.

This is actually like divine retribution will follow because they have committed this horrendous sort of

It's not just a misstep or a diplomatic faux pas or even just a military sort of provocation.

It's actually just they've done wrong, right?

They've done something that is sort of morally reprehensible.

No Greek condones it.

And so, you know, retribution will follow.

In a nutshell, the Thebans actually, initially, they have to put up with it.

This is a Spartan-backed oligarchy as well, same as in Athens before.

So you have an oligarchy that was already pro-Spartan, which is propped up by this garrison.