προπέμψαντες πρότερον—pleonastic. The time of this embassy was doubtless when the Aetolians got wind of the expedition of Demosthenes (c. 96, 3). The sentence is not clear, hut what was done seems to be this: the three ambassadors went first to Corinth; then, having got no promise of help there, they went on to Sparta, and there they succeeded; but by the time that the force was ready to start, Demosthenes was back at Naupactus. The delay is doubtless partly due to the fact that the 3000 hoplites sent (§ 2) were all mercenaries (see c. 109, 2 note) from different quarters; and it took time to collect these.
ἐπαγωγήν—by the Messenians, c. 92, 1.
