Agesilaus launched an expedition against Corinth, which was under Argive control (391). He arrived in Corinth at the time of the Isthmian games, which he allowed the Corinthians to celebrate under his protection. When he withdrew his forces, however, the Argives regained control of Corinth and repeated the games. Some of the athletes won again, but others won first time round but not in the repeat games.
While he was in Corinth Agesilaus received news of a major defeat of a Spartan division by Athenian forces under Iphicrates. Agesilaus collected the survivors and took them back with him to Sparta in a series of night marches (390).
The Spartan fleet under Pisander, Agesilaus' brother-in-law, had been defeated by a combined Persian-Athenian fleet, and Pharnabazus continued to stir up trouble for the Spartans by helping the Athenians re-fortify their city. Since their coastal districts were vulnerable to naval raids, the Spartans decided to make peace with the Persian king and sent Antalcides, a political opponent of Agesilaus to make peace with Persia (386). Antalcides was very eager for a peace to be concluded because he felt that war benefited Agesilaus. Under the terms of the peace, the Greek cities in Asia were handed back to the Persians, and all Greek cities in Greece proper were declared independent of each other, a move that was directed against the Thebans who would lose their control over the other cities in Boeotia.
In 382, Phoebidas, a Spartan commander with troops on their way to Thrace, took advantage of an invitation from some Theban discontents to seize control of the Cadmeia, the Theban citadel. It was suspected that Phoebidas was acting under Agesilaus' instructions. Certainly, Agesilaus fully supported Phoebidas after the fact. When the Thebans revolted against the Spartan-supported regime and drove out the Spartan garrison, Agesilaus declared war against Thebes (379).
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