In the winter of 370-369, however, Epaminondas led an invasion of Spartan territory reaching the outskirts of Sparta itself. The Thebans were unable to dislodge Agesilaus from his defensive position in the centre of the city and proceeded to lay waste the countryside. Within Sparta itself there was an attempted coup, and the insurgents took control of a easily defensible spot called the Issorium. Agesilaus persuaded the majority of those involved to disband and take up positions elsewhere. Then he arrested the ringleaders and put them to death.
Eventually the Thebans left and went back to Boeotia (369), although it is not clear why. One explanation given is that the weather turned nasty. Plutarch quotes a writer called Theopompus, who said that Agesilaus bribed the Thebans into leaving (Agesilaus 32). However, the Spartans had lost control of the territory of Messene, which had financially underpinned their whole way of life. Agesilaus refused to accept this loss and so continued the war against Thebes.
The Spartans sent an army to the aid of Mantinea, which was rebelling against the Thebans (362). While the Spartans under Agesilaus were on their way to Mantinea, Epaminondas and the Thebans marched against Sparta. Agesilaus was warned of what was happening and hastily returned to Sparta, where he fought off the Thebans. Two days later the Spartans and Thebans fought again at Mantinea, and in this battle Epaminondas was killed. A peace conference was held, but Agesilaus and the Spartans still refused to recognise Messenian independence, and so the war continued.
Sparta was getting seriously short of funds, and so, even though he was now over 80, Agesilaus hired himself out as a military commander to Tachos of Egypt, who was rebelling against Artaxerxes of Persia (361). Agesilaus was expecting to be put in command of the whole army, but in fact he was only put in charge of the mercenaries. Tachos' cousin, Nectanebis was planning a coup against Tachos. Both sides sent delegations to Sparta asking for help, but the Spartans left the question of which to support to discretion of Agesilaus as the man on the spot. He duly switched sides and joined Nectanebis. Tachos fled and took refuge with Artaxerxes.
