a smaller history of greece-第34章

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After　spending　two　days　in　vain　attempts　to　force　this　position；　Nicias　and　Demosthenes　resolved　during　the　night　to　strike　off　to　the　left　towards　the　sea。　　But　they　were　overtaken；　surrounded　by　superior　forces；　and　compelled　to　surrender　at　discretion。　　Out　of　the　40；000　who　started　from　the　camp　only　10；000　at　the　utmost　were　left　at　the　end　of　the　sixth　day's　march；　the　rest　had　either　deserted　or　been　slain。　　The　prisoners　were　sent　to　work　in　the　stone…quarries　of　Achradina　and　Epipolae。　　Here　they　were　crowded　together　without　any　shelter；　and　with　scarcely　provisions　enough　to　sustain　life。　The　numerous　bodies　of　those　who　died　were　left　to　putrify　where　they　had　fallen；　till　at　length　the　place　became　such　an　intolerable　centre　of　stench　and　infection　that；　at　the　end　of　seventy　days；　the　Syracusans；　for　their　own　comfort　and　safety；　were　obliged　to　remove　the　survivors；　who　were　sold　as　slaves。　Nicias　and　Demosthenes　were　condemned　to　death　in　spite　of　all　the　efforts　of　Gylippus　and　Hermocrates　to　save　them。

Such　was　the　end　of　two　of　the　largest　and　best　appointed　armaments　that　had　ever　gone　forth　from　Athens。　　Nicias；　as　we　have　seen；　was　from　the　first　opposed　to　the　expedition　in　which　they　were　employed；　as　pregnant　with　the　most　dangerous　consequences　to　Athens；　and；　though　it　must　be　admitted　that　in　this　respect　his　views　were　sound；　it　cannot　at　the　same　time　be　concealed　that　his　own　want　of　energy；　and　his　incompetence　as　a　general；　were　the　chief　causes　of　the　failure　of　the　undertaking。　His　mistakes　involved　the　fall　of　Demosthenes；　an　officer　of　far　greater　resolution　and　ability　than　himself；　and　who；　had　his　counsels　been　followed；　would　in　all　probability　have　conducted　the　enterprise　to　a　safe　termination；　though　there　was　no　longer　room　to　hope　for　success。



CHAPTER　XIII。

THE　PELOPONNESIAN　WAR。THIRD　PERIOD；　FROM　THE　SICILIAN　EXPEDITION　TO　THE　END　OF　THE　WAR；　B。C。　413…404。

The　destruction　of　the　Sicilian　armament　was　a　fatal　blow　to　the　power　of　Athens。　　It　is　astonishing　that　she　was　able　to　protract　the　war　so　long　with　diminished　strength　and　resources。　　Her　situation　inspired　her　enemies　with　new　vigour；　states　hitherto　neutral　declared　against　her；　her　subject…allies　prepared　to　throw　off　the　yoke；　even　the　Persian　satraps　and　the　court　of　Susa　bestirred　themselves　against　her。　　The　first　blow　to　her　empire　was　struck　by　the　wealthy　and　populous　island　of　Chios。　This　again　was　the　work　of　Alcibiades；　the　implacable　enemy　of　his　native　land；　at　whose　advice　a　Lacedaemonian　fleet　was　sent　to　the　assistance　of　the　Chians。　　Their　example　was　followed　by　all　the　other　Athenian　allies　in　Asia；　with　the　exception　of　Samos；　in　which　the　democratical　party　gained　the　upper　hand。　　In　the　midst　of　this　general　defection　the　Athenians　did　not　give　way　to　despair。　　Pericles　had　set　apart　a　reserve　of　1000　talents　to　meet　the　contingency　of　an　actual　invasion。　　This　still　remained　untouched；　and　now　by　an　unanimous　vote　the　penalty　of　death；　which　forbad　its　appropriation　to　any　other　purpose；　was　abolished；　and　the　fund　applied　in　fitting　out　a　fleet　against　Chios。　　Samos　became　the　head…quarters　of　the　fleet；　and　the　base　of　their　operations　during　the　remainder　of　the　war。

After　a　time　the　tide　of　success　began　to　turn　in　favour　of　the　Athenians。　　They　recovered　Lesbos　and　Clazomenae；　defeated　the　Chians；　and　laid　waste　their　territory。　　They　also　gained　a　victory　over　the　Peloponnesians　at　Miletus；　while　the　Peloponnesian　fleet　had　lost　the　assistance　of　Tissaphernes；　the　Persian　satrap；　through　the　intrigues　of　Alcibiades。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　months　Alcibiades　had　completely　forfeited　the　confidence　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　　The　Spartan　king　Agis；　whose　wife　he　had　seduced；　was　his　personal　enemy；　and　after　the　defeat　of　the　Peloponnesians　at　Miletus；　Agis　denounced　him　as　a　traitor；　and　persuaded　the　new　Ephors　to　send　out　instructions　to　put　him　to　death。　　Of　this；　however；　he　was　informed　time　enough　to　make　his　escape　to　Tissaphernes　at　Magnesia。　　Here　he　ingratiated　himself　into　the　confidence　of　the　satrap；　and　persuaded　him　that　it　was　not　for　the　interest　of　Persia　that　either　of　the　Grecian　parties　should　be　successful；　but　rather　that　they　should　wear　each　other　out　in　their　mutual　struggles；　when　Persia　would　in　the　end　succeed　in　expelling　both。　　This　advice　was　adopted　by　the　satrap；　and　in　order　to　carry　it　into　execution；　steps　were　taken　to　secure　the　inactivity　of　the　Peloponnesian　armament；　which；　if　vigorously　employed；　was　powerful　enough　to　put　a　speedy　end　to　the　war。　　In　order　to　secure　his　return　to　Athens；　Alcibiades　now　endeavoured　to　persuade　Tissaphernes　that　it　was　more　for　the　Persian　interest　to　conclude　a　league　with　Athens　than　with　Sparta；　but　the　only　part　of　his　advice　which　the　satrap　seems　to　have　sincerely　adopted　was　that　of　playing　off　one　party　against　the　other。　About　this；　however；　Alcibiades　did　not　at　all　concern　himself。　It　was　enough　for　his　views；　which　had　merely　the　selfish　aim　of　his　own　restoration　to　Athens；　if　he　could　make　it　appear　that　he　possessed　sufficient　influence　with　Tissaphernes　to　procure　his　assistance　for　the　Athenians。　　He　therefore　began　to　communicate　with　the　Athenian　generals　at　Samos；　and　held　out　the　hope　of　a　Persian　alliance　as　the　price　of　his　restoration　to　his　country。　But　as　he　both　hated　and　feared　the　Athenian　democracy；　he　coupled　his　offer　with　the　condition　that　a　revolution　should　be　effected　at　Athens；　and　an　oligarchy　established。　　The　Athenian　generals　greedily　caught　at　the　proposal；　and　though　the　great　mass　of　the　soldiery　were　violently　opposed　to　it；　they　were　silenced；　if　not　satisfied；　when　told　that　Athens　could　be　saved　only　by　means　of　Persia。　　The　oligarchical　conspirators　formed　themselves　into　a　confederacy；　and　Pisander　was　sent　to　Athens　to　lay　the　proposal　before　the　Athenian　assembly。　　It　met；　as　it　might　be　supposed；　with　the　most　determined　opposition。　　The　single　but　unanswerable　reply　of　Pisander　was；　the　necessities　of　the　republic；　and　at　length　a　reluctant　vote　for　a　change　of　constitution　was　extorted　from　the　people。　　Pisander　and　ten　others　were　despatched　to　treat　with　Alcibiades　and　Tissaphernes。

Upon　their　arrival　in　Ionia　they　informed　Alcibiades　that　measures　had　been　taken　for　establishing　an　oligarchical　form　of　government　at　Athens；　and　required　him　to　fulfil　his　part　of　the　engagement　by　procuring　the　aid　and　alliance　of　Persia。　　But　Alcibiades　knew　that　he　had　undertaken　what　he　could　not　perform；　and　he　now　resolved　to　escape　from　the　dilemma　by　one　of　his　habitual　artifices。　　He　received　the　Athenian　deputation　in　the　presence　of　Tissaphernes　himself；　and　made　such　extravagant　demands　on　behalf　of　the　satrap　that　Pisander　and　his　colleagues　indignantly　broke　off　the　conference。

Notwithstanding　the　conduct　of　Alcibiades　the　oligarchical　conspirators　proceeded　with　the　revolution　at　Athens；　in　which　they　had　gone　too　far　to　recede。　　Pisander；　with　five　of　the　envoys；　returned　to　Athens　to　complete　the　work　they　had　begun。

Pisander　proposed　in　the　assembly；　and　carried　a　resolution；　that　a　committee　of　ten　should　be　appointed　to　prepare　a　new　constitution；　which　was　to　be　submitted　to　the　approbation　of　the　people。　　But　when　the　day　appointed　for　that　purpose　arrived；　the　assembly　was　not　convened　in　the　Pnyx；　but　in　the　temple　of　Poseidon　at　Colonus；　a　village　upwards　of　a　mile　from　Athens。　Here　the　conspirators　could　plant　their　own　partisans；　and　were　less　liable　to　be　overawed　by　superior　numbers。　　Pisander　obtained　the　assent　of　the　meeting　to　the　following　revolutionary　changes：1。　The　abolition　of　all　the　existing　magistracies；　　2。　The　cessation　of　all　payments　for　the　discharge　of　civil　functions；　　3。　The　appointment　of　a　committee　of　five　persons；　who　were　to　name　ninety…five　more；　each　of　the　hundred　thus　constituted　to　choose　three　persons；　the　body　of　Four　Hundred　thus　formed　to　be　an　irresponsible　government；　holding　its　sittings　in　the　senate　house。　　The　four　hundred　were　to　convene　a　select　body　of　five　thousand　citizens　whenever　they　thought　proper。　　Nobody　knew　who　these　five　thousand　were；　but　they　answered　two　purposes；　namely；　to　give　a