1But not long afterwards he returned to the army of his own accord, and there revealed his designs in a manner not foolish but insane: for he changed not only his ancestral customs but even his way of life and his dress. 2He used royal pomp and Median clothing; 2Median and Egyptian guards followed him; 2he feasted in the Persian manner, more luxuriously than those present could endure; 3he refused access to those who sought it, answered arrogantly, gave orders cruelly. 3He was unwilling to return to Sparta; 3he had taken himself to Colonae, a place in the territory of the Troad; 3there he formed plans hostile both to his country and to himself.
4When the Spartans found this out, they sent envoys to him with the message-staff, on which, in their fashion, was written: that unless he returned home, they would condemn him to death. 5Shaken by this message, and hoping that even then he could ward off the threatening danger by money and influence, he returned home. 5As soon as he arrived there, he was thrown into the public prison by the ephors: for under their laws any ephor may do this to a king. 5From there, however, he got himself free, but he was none the less under suspicion: for the belief remained that he had an alliance with the king.
6There is a certain class of men called Helots, a great number of whom farm the lands of the Spartans and perform the duties of slaves. 6He was thought to be tampering with these too, with the hope of freedom. 7But because there was no open charge on any of these matters by which he could be convicted, they did not think that so great and famous a man ought to be judged on suspicion, but that they must wait until the matter revealed itself.