In396BC,Agesilaus,KingofSparta,crossedintoAsiaMinorwithaforceof2000newlyfreedslavesand6000alliestoliberateGreekcitiesfromPersiandominion.WhenhecametoEphesus,Tisaphernes,thesatrapofLydiaandCaria,beingatfirstafraid,treatedwithhimaboutsettingtheGreekcitiesatliberty,whichwasagreedon.Butsoonafter,findingasufficientforcedrawntogether,heresolveduponwar.
TobeevenwithTisaphernes,AgesilausrequiteshisperjurybypretendingtomarchintoCaria,whitherwhenhehasdrawnTisaphernesandhisarmy,hesuddenlyturnsback,andfallsuponPhrygia,takesmanyoftheircities,andcarriesawaygreatbooty,showingthattobreakasolemnagreementwasadownrightcontemptofthegods,butoutwittinganenemyinwarwasnotonlyjustbutglorious.
公元前三九六年，斯巴達國王阿格西勞斯為了協助一些希臘城市擺脫波斯駕馭，率領二千個剛獲解放的奴隸以及六千盟軍到小亞細亞，兵抵以弗所，里底亞、卡里亞兩地波斯總督蒂施亞弗內斯最初膽怯，和他談判，協議容許希臘城市自由。但不久之後，蒂施亞弗內斯招募得足夠士兵，就決定開戰。
為了報復蒂施亞弗內斯背約，阿格西勞斯假裝進犯卡里亞，把蒂施亞弗內斯和他的軍隊引到卡里亞後，突然回頭攻打佛里幾亞，連下多個城市，奪得大量戰利品，藉此指出，背棄嚴肅盟約是對神明的大不敬，而在戰爭中智勝敵人則不但公平，還可引以為榮。