T CHAP. to listen to proposals for an alliance with Argos. This indeed he perceived to be the most natural and advantageous connection for both states, though he was conscious of other motives for bringing it about. His message was gladly received at Argos; the negotiation with Sparta was immediately dropped, and an embassy, accompanied by envoys from Elis and Mantinea, was despatched to Athens. The Spartan government lost no time in endeavouring to prevent this formidable coalition, and sent three ambassadors, Philocharidas, Leon, Endius, selected as personally acceptable to the Athenians, to make such apologies and offers as might divert them from entering into it. Endius belonged to the Spartan family with which that of Alcibiades had been anciently connected, and from which he derived his name; and he was probably chosen for the purpose of soothing and winning Alcibiades; but the consequence was that Alcibiades the more easily overreached him and his colleagues. They were first introduced to the council of Five Hundred, where they announced that they were come with full powers to terminate all differences; and their explanations and proposals were received with such approbation as to alarm Alcibiades for the effect which they might produce in the assembly of the people. Taking advantage therefore of the confidence which he gained through his relation to Endius, he assumed the character of a friend, and promised with solemn assurances to aid them in obtaining the restitution of Pylus, the main object of their mission, which he had hitherto strenuously opposed, and in reestablishing a good understanding between the two states; but he persuaded them that it would be dangerous to let the assembly know the extent of their powers, and made it a condition of his co-operation, that they should disavow them. The Spartans fell into this trap, and when in the assembly they were XXIV. questioned as to their commission, they made the CHAP. answer which had been concerted with Alcibiades. But he now convicted them of self-contradiction, and armed with such specious evidence of their doubledealing, inveighed more vehemently than ever against Spartan insincerity, and urged the people to break off all negotiation with them, and at once to close with the proposals of Argos; and this motion would have been immediately carried, if the shock of an earthquake had not interrupted the business of the day. The correspondence between the Spartan envoys and Alcibiades had been concealed from Nicias, whose concurrence did not appear to be needed, and he was as much surprised as he had reason to be offended by the conduct of the Spartans. Still in the assembly which was held the next day, he endeavoured to heal the breach made through their imprudence, and urged the expediency of ascertaining the intentions of Sparta before her alliance was abandoned for that of Argos. The delay required for this purpose could neither injure the interest nor the dignity of Athens, which occupied the vantage ground, and had no reason either to fear or to wish for war, while the power and pride of Sparta had suffered a severe shock. His arguments or authority prevailed on the people to send him to Sparta at the head of an embassy, which was instructed to demand satisfaction on the three most important points on which the Athenians felt themselves aggrieved: the restitution of Amphipolis, the rebuilding of Panactum, and the dissolution of the separate alliance with Bootia. This last was the point which the Spartan government was most unwilling to concede; and when the Athenian envoys insisted on it as an indispensable condition, on which alone Athens would decline to connect herself in like manner with Argos, Xenares and his party obtained a majority for returning a CHAP. positive refusal. All that Nicias could carry to prevent his mission from appearing entirely fruitless, was that the existing treaties should be ratified afresh. But the issue of the embassy, when reported at Athens, excited great indignation against Sparta, and murmurs against himself as the author of the once desired and applauded peace. Alcibiades no longer met with any opposition when he renewed his motion; and a treaty was immediately concluded with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea, for an alliance offensive and defensive, to last a hundred years. One of its articles provided that none of the parties should allow the enemies of the rest to pass through its territory or to cross the sea: a clause which could only concern Athens. The terms on which each was to send succour to its allies were exactly regulated. In a common war the command was to be equally shared by the confederates. No new articles were to be added but by unanimous consent. Still this treaty was not construed as putting an end to those which subsisted between Sparta and Athens. Corinth did not enter into it; but, as the breach between Sparta and Athens grew wider, became more disposed for a reconciliation with her old ally; and she had already betrayed this change in her views, by rejecting a proposal which had been made to her, to contract an offensive alliance, in addition to her former engagements, with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea. Peloponnesus remained tranquil for the rest of the year, though in the middle of the summer it was threatened with a general outbreak of hostilities through the animosity cherished by Elis against Sparta on the score of Lepreum, which, as she could not safely vent it in any other way, she attempted to gratify by an abuse of her authority as president of the Olympic games. After the sacred truce for the festival of this summer-the ninetieth Olympiad had been proclaimed according to the usual form in the Elean territory, but before the heralds had arrived at Sparta, a Lacedæmonian force had marched to Lepreum, and had made an attempt upon a fortress named Phyrcus, which seems to have been either in Elis or in the hands of the Eleans. They seized this pretext to sentence the Spartans to a fine, which being-according to what was called the Olympic law-proportioned to the number of the troops employed in the breach of the truce, amounted to upwards of thirty-three talents. The Spartans contended that they were not bound by the truce until it had been proclaimed to them, and that the legality of their conduct had been virtually recognised by the Eleans themselves, since the truce was proclaimed at Sparta after the act by which it was now pretended that it had been broken; and they refused to pay the penalty. Still the Eleans seem to have expected that the name of religion would at Sparta be powerful enough to extort great concessions; and they offered, if the Spartans would give up Lepreum, to discharge them from the penalty, remitting the part that belonged to themselves, and paying that which was due to the god in their stead. When this offer was rejected, they demanded that the Spartans, before they were admitted to the approaching festival, should, in the presence of the nation assembled at Olympia, solemnly submit to this sentence, and bind themselves by an oath to pay the fine at some future time. As they refused this acknowledgment, they were put under a ban, and forbidden to celebrate the usual sacrifices at Olympia by a public deputation, and to take part in the games. It was known that they would feel this exclusion very keenly, and the Eleans apprehended that they might disturb the games by a forcible irruption, and not only stationed a body of their own CHAP. XXIV. 328 CHAP. troops to guard the sacred ground, but obtained succours from Argos and Mantinea, and a squadron of Athenian horse. Their fears were redoubled by an occurrence which took place during the A Spartan named Lichas had sent a chariot to games. contend for the prize; but as on account of the ban it was not permitted to enter the lists under the name of its owner, he caused it to be described as public property of the Baotian confederacy. His horses won, and the Baotian people was proclaimed victor. But Lichas, who was present, could not forbear from stepping forward, and making the real competitor known by placing a chaplet on the head of his successful charioteer. This was a breach of order, at least in a subject of the state which was excluded from the games; and Lichas-a man of the first rank in the first city of Peloponnesus-was ignominiously chastised by the Elean lictors. Those who offered this affront could scarcely believe that Sparta would brook it; yet the games passed off without interruption. Soon after the festival the Argives and their allies made a fresh attempt to draw Corinth over to the new confederacy. Sparta sent envoys to Corinth to counteract their efforts; but the debate was prematurely closed by an earthquake. Yet the sentiments of the Corinthians were scarcely doubtful, and were soon more clearly discovered. In the beginning of 419 the Boeotians gave a proof of their zeal in the cause of their allies, which indicated both how little reliance they placed on the continuance of peace, and how low Sparta had sunk in their estimation. In the preceding winter the colonists at the Trachinean Heraclea had been attacked by the united forces of several neighbouring tribes, and defeated in battle with a great loss. The colony was reduced by this blow to extreme weakness, and |