a smaller history of greece-第31章

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gant　concessions；　but　rather　to　say　that　they　were　merely　come　to　discuss　and　report。　　He　promised；　if　they　did　so；　to　speak　in　their　favour；　and　induce　the　Assembly　to　grant　the　restitution　of　Pylus；　to　which　he　himself　had　hitherto　been　the　chief　obstacle。　　Accordingly　on　the　next　day；　when　the　ambassadors　were　introduced　into　the　Assembly；　Alcibiades；　assuming　his　blandest　tone　and　most　winning　smile；　asked　them　on　what　footing　they　came　and　what　were　their　powers。　In　reply　to　these　questions；　the　ambassadors；　who　only　a　day　or　two　before　had　told　Nicias　and　the　Senate　that　they　were　come　as　plenipotentiaries；　now　publicly　declared；　in　the　face　of　the　Assembly；　that　they　were　not　authorized　to　conclude；　but　only　to　negotiate　and　discuss。　　At　this　announcement；　those　who　had　heard　their　previous　declaration　could　scarcely　believe　their　ears。　　A　universal　burst　of　indignation　broke　forth　at　this　exhibition　of　Spartan　duplicity；　whilst；　to　wind　up　the　scene；　Alcibiades；　affecting　to　be　more　surprised　than　any；　distinguished　himself　by　being　the　loudest　and　bitterest　in　his　invectives　against　the　perfidy　of　the　Lacedaemonians。

Shortly　afterwards　Alcibiades　procured　the　completion　of　a　treaty　of　alliance　for　100　years　with　Argos；　Elis；　and　Mantinea　（B。C。　420）。　　Thus　were　the　Grecian　states　involved　in　a　complicity　of　separate　and　often　apparently　opposite　alliances。　　It　was　evident　that　allies　so　heterogeneous　could　not　long　hold　together；　nevertheless；　nominally　at　least；　peace　was　at　first　observed。

In　the　July　which　followed　the　treaty　with　Argos；　the　Olympic　games；　which　recurred　every　fourth　year；　were　to　be　celebrated。　The　Athenians　had　been　shut　out　by　the　war　from　the　two　previous　celebrations；　and　curiosity　was　excited　throughout　Greece　to　see　what　figure　Athens　would　make　at　this　great　Pan…Hellenic　festival。　　War；　it　was　surmised；　must　have　exhausted　her　resources；　and　would　thus　prevent　her　from　appearing　with　becoming　splendour。　　But　from　this　reproach　she　was　rescued　by　the　wealth　and　vanity；　if　not　by　the　patriotism；　of　Alcibiades。　By　his　care；　the　Athenian　deputies　exhibited　the　richest　display　of　golden　ewers；　censers；　and　other　plate　to　be　used　in　the　public　sacrifice　and　procession；　whilst　for　the　games　he　entered　in　his　own　name　no　fewer　than　the　unheard…of　number　of　seven　four…horsed　chariots；　of　which　one　gained　the　first；　and　another　the　second　prize。　　Alcibiades　was　consequently　twice　crowned　with　the　olive；　and　twice　proclaimed　victor　by　the　herald。

The　growing　ambition　and　success　of　Alcibiades　prompted　him　to　carry　his　schemes　against　Sparta　into　the　very　heart　of　Peloponnesus；　without；　however；　openly　violating　the　peace。

The　Lacedaemonians　now　found　it　necessary　to　act　with　more　vigour；　and　accordingly　in　B。C。　418　they　assembled　a　very　large　army；　under　the　command　of　the　Spartan　king；　Agis。　　A　decisive　battle　was　fought　near　Mantinea；　in　which　Agis　gained　a　brilliant　victory　over　the　Argives　and　their　allies。　　This　battle　and　that　of　Delium　were　the　two　most　important　engagements　that　had　yet　been　fought　in　the　Peloponnesian　war。　　Although　the　Athenians　had　fought　on　the　side　of　the　Argives　at　Mantinea；　the　peace　between　Sparta　and　Athens　continued　to　be　nominally　observed。

In　B。C。　416　the　Athenians　attacked　and　conquered　Melos；　which　island　and　Thera　were　the　only　islands　in　the　AEgean　not　subject　to　the　Athenian　supremacy。　　The　Melians　having　rejected　all　the　Athenian　overtures　for　a　voluntary　submission；　their　capital　was　blockaded　by　sea　and　land；　and　after　a　siege　of　some　months　surrendered。　　On　the　proposal；　as　it　appears；　of　Alcibiades；　all　the　adult　males　were　put　to　death；　the　women　and　children　sold　into　slavery；　and　the　island　colonized　afresh　by　500　Athenians。　This　horrible　proceeding　was　the　more　indefensible；　as　the　Athenians；　having　attacked　the　Melians　in　full　peace；　could　not　pretend　that　they　were　justified　by　the　custom　of　war　in　slaying　the　prisoners。　　It　was　the　crowning　act　of　insolence　and　cruelty　displayed　during　their　empire；　which　from　this　period　began　rapidly　to　decline。

The　event　destined　to　produce　that　catastrophethe　intervention　of　the　Athenians　in　the　affairs　of　Sicilywas　already　in　progress。　　A　quarrel　had　broken　out　between　Egesta　and　Selinus；　both　which　cities　were　seated　near　the　western　extremity　of　Sicily；　and　Selinus；　having　obtained　the　aid　of　Syracuse；　was　pressing　very　hard　upon　the　Egestaeans。　　The　latter　appealed　to　the　interests　of　the　Athenians　rather　than　to　their　sympathies。　They　represented　how　great　a　blow　it　would　be　to　Athens　if　the　Dorians　became　predominant　in　Sicily；　and　joined　the　Peloponnesian　confederacy；　and　they　undertook；　if　the　Athenians　would　send　an　armament　to　their　assistance；　to　provide　the　necessary　funds　for　the　prosecution　of　the　war。　　Their　most　powerful　advocate　was　Alcibiades；　whose　ambitious　views　are　said　to　have　extended　even　to　the　conquest　of　Carthage。　　The　quieter　and　more　prudent　Nicias　and　his　party　threw　their　weight　into　the　opposite　scale。　　But　the　Athenian　assembly；　dazzled　by　the　idea　of　so　splendid　an　enterprise；　decided　on　despatching　a　large　fleet　under　Nicias；　Alcibiades；　and　Lamachus；　with　the　design　of　assisting　Egesta；　and　of　establishing　the　influence　of　Athens　throughout　Sicily；　by　whatever　means　might　be　found　practicable。

For　the　next　three　months　the　preparations　for　the　undertaking　were　pressed　on　with　the　greatest　ardour。　　Young　and　old；　rich　and　poor；　all　vied　with　one　another　to　obtain　a　share　in　the　expedition。　　Five　years　of　comparative　peace　had　accumulated　a　fresh　supply　both　of　men　and　money；　and　the　merchants　of　Athens　embarked　in　the　enterprise　as　in　a　trading　expedition。　　It　was　only　a　few　of　the　wisest　heads　that　escaped　the　general　fever　of　excitement；　The　expedition　was　on　the　point　of　sailing；　when　a　sudden　and　mysterious　event　converted　all　these　exulting　feelings　into　gloomy　foreboding。

At　every　door　in　Athens；　at　the　corners　of　streets；　in　the　market　place；　before　temples；　gymnasia；　and　other　public　places；　stood　Hermae；　or　statues　of　the　god　Hermes；　consisting　of　a　bust　of　that　deity　surmounting　a　quadrangular　pillar　of　marble　about　the　height　of　the　human　figure。　　When　the　Athenians　rose　one　morning　towards　the　end　of　May；　415　B。C。；　it　was　found　that　all　these　figures　had　been　mutilated　during　the　night；　and　reduced　by　unknown　hands　to　a　shapeless　mass。　　The　act　inspired　political；　as　well　as　religious；　alarm。　　It　seemed　to　indicate　a　widespread　conspiracy；　for　so　sudden　and　general　a　mutilation　must　have　been　the　work　of　many　hands。　　The　sacrilege　might　only　be　a　preliminary　attempt　of　some　powerful　citizen　to　seize　the　despotisn；　and　suspicion　pointed　its　finger　at　Alcibiades。　Active　measures　were　taken　and　large　rewards　offered　for　the　discovery　of　the　perpetrators。　　A　public　board　was　appointed　to　examine　witnesses；　which　did　not；　indeed；　succeed　in　eliciting　any　facts　bearing　on　the　actual　subject　of　inquiry；　but　which　obtained　evidence　respecting　similar　acts　of　impiety　committed　at　previous　times　in　drunken　frolics。　　In　these　Alcibiades　himself　was　implicated；　and　though　the　fleet　was　on　the　very　eve　of　departure；　a　citizen　rose　in　the　assembly　and　accused　Alcibiades　of　having　profaned　the　Eleusinian　mysteries　by　giving　a　representation　of　them　in　a　private　house；　producing　in　evidence　the　testimony　of　a　slave。　　Alcibiades　denied　the　accusation；　and　implored　the　people　to　have　it　investigated　at　once。　　His　enemies；　however；　had　sufficient　influence　to　get　the　inquiry　postponed　till　his　return；　thus　keeping　the　charge　hanging　over　his　head；　and　gaining　time　to　poison　the　public　mind　against　him。

The　Athenian　fleet；　consisting　of　100　triremes；　and　having　on　board　1500　chosen　Athenian　hoplites；　as　well　as　auxiliaries；　at　length　set　sail；　and　proceeded　to　Corcyra；　where　it　was　joined　by　the　other　allies　in　the　month　of　July；　415　B。C。　　Upon　arriving　at　Rhegium　the　generals　received　the　discouraging　news　that　Egesta　was　unable　to　contribute　more　than　thirty　talents。　　A　council　of　war　was　now　held；　and　it　was　finally　resolved　to　gain　as　many　allies　as　they　could　among　the　Greek　cities　in　Sicily；　and；　having　thus　ascertained　what　assistance　they　could　rely　upon；　to