political position in
Hellas during the 360's . During the 360s BC, the
city-state of
Corinth found herself in an unfamiliar and radically changing world. In the forty plus years since the end of the
Peloponesian War, the political power houses of the eastern
Mediterranean had changed fairly drastically. The city-states of
Athens,
Sparta and
Thebes had each contended to become the political and military leaders of Hellas. This, in conjunction with interference from the
Achaemenid Empire in the form of the so-called
King's Peace, dictated by
Artaxerxes II, and the rise of
Jason of Pherae had created an unprecedented complex political environment on the Greek peninsula. To the end of protecting her own interests, Corinth, a
demokratia, gave Timophanes a force of four hundred
mercenaries. He was given the command because of his popularity among his fellow citizens who perceived him as brave due to his military exploits. Corinth expected that Timophanes and the soldiers would serve as a deterrent to the city's many rivals in the
Peloponnese and
Attica, with
Athens being named by
Xenophon as a particular threat. == Assassination ==