Alkibiades, a tale of the Great Athenian War

by Charles Hamilton Bromby

Tennyson.

The people soon repented of their conduct to Alkibiades. Not long after they drove him away, when Konon was beaten near Mytilene, we begin to hear the murmur growing more distinct—‘Had he been there, this would not have happened.’ Some at first believed the old fables that were told about him. Some thought he would try to make himself despotic. But these suspicions gradually died away. The desire for his wise counsel, and his strong generalship, growing as disaster followed on disaster, came to its fulness during the terrible siege. And as death and famine stalked about among the people, and their dear ones died in cruel agony before their eyes, while they awaited their own turn in consuming, gnawing hunger, and it at last was plain to those who were still left alive what must be the conditions by which alone death could be avoided, we can still, in imagination, hear the cry of impotent remorse sounding loud amongst all the other vain regrets of men throughout the ages—sorrow, contrition, repentance, anger with those who had misled them, and regret come too late.

Then in the reign of terror, in the year of anarchy, as the greatest fell, not now by famine nobly suffered, but by the sword and poison of their countrymen, who, encouraged by an enemy encamped within the citadel and holy places, in Athens trampled on Athenians, all within the city, except the Thirty and their creatures and the enemy, were ever casting longing, but forlorn and hopeless, eyes towards that fortress on the Hellespont where they believed their former saviour dwelt.

The Thirty were not ignorant of this desire among their indignant subjects. They trembled at the thought of what Alkibiades even yet might do. Neither were the Spartans certain of the fruits of their victory while their old opponent was alive.

One of the first acts of the thirty tyrants after coming into power was to decree his banishment. They proceeded to confiscate all his estates in Attika. They had some cause for their apprehension. In the early winter, during the siege of Athens, unable to hold himself aloof from what was going on, and knowing that he would be the next object of the hatred of the Spartans, Alkibiades had left his stronghold in Thrace, crossed over into Phrygia, and sought out Pharnabazos at Daskylion. They had exchanged oaths of mutual friendship and hospitality. Alkibiades believed that he could trust the Persian satrap, and, indeed, he was in want of faithful supporters at that time. His soul was set in tumult at the thought of his native city being about to fall into the hands of Spartans and Boiotians. He could not rest while it was in his power to help her. The satrap had been a noble foe; it might be that he would become a generous friend. At least, he was not a partisan of Sparta or of the young Kyros.

Alkibiades was courteously received at Daskylion by Pharnabazos, who had long admired him for his prowess and extraordinary skill in war. In a short time the peculiar attraction which had drawn all the hearts which he had ever tried to win was felt by his new friend.

Just as he had been before the intimate associate of Tissaphernes, so now he soon became the constant companion and counsellor of the satrap of the Propontis. To compensate him somewhat for the loss of his patrimonial estates in Attika, Pharnabazos, with Eastern magnificence, gave him the annual revenue of Grunion, a town in Mysia, on which he might have lived in ease and Asiatic luxury, as Themistokles had done before him. To most people, indeed, to everybody else, the state of Athens looked as if it was beyond all cure. Nothing could well appear more utterly forlorn than her then condition; nothing more hopeless than the prospect of recovering her freedom.

While he was at the court of Pharnabazos he heard of the death of king Dareios Nothos, and the succession of his eldest son Artaxerxes. He knew the character and ambition of Kyros, the late king’s younger son, and suspected that he was plotting deeply with Lysandros against his brother. He found that Kyros was collecting an army from among the Greeks of the Ionian towns, enlisting especially the Spartans. This could not be without some hidden object; and no doubt the object was to levy war against, and attempt to overthrow, the king, his elder brother. To Alkibiades this opened a fresh opportunity. There was no salvation for his country to be found in Greece. The thought came suddenly upon him one night, when he was pondering on these things, to seek help from the Persian king. Lysandros and the Spartans were bound to stand by their ally, the crafty Kyros, to whom they owed so much, and from whom they might require more. With Persian gold he might recruit an army of experienced Athenian hoplites and Argive peltasts, meet at last on equal terms the cunning Spartan leader, avenge the slaughter of three thousand fellow-countrymen slain at Aigos Potamoi, and punish the destroyer of his country’s liberty.

Then why not set out at once and at all hazards for the Persian capital, see the new king himself, be the first to disclose to him the danger that was threatening him from his own family, show him the number and the strength of the army of the Grecian colonists that was being drawn together by Kyros, offer to lead against them the royal forces and the picked Greek band which with Persian aid might easily be raised, and rid the king of this unworthy and treacherous brother? His fame had penetrated into Asia; his name was well known at Susa and Babylon, the Persian capitals. What might he not become at the court of the Great King—he who had never lost a battle, or failed to gain the love and admiration of anyone whose affection he was anxious to obtain? Then, having roused up the wrath of Artaxerxes against the Lakedaimonian allies of the unnatural Kyros, and gained his confidence and gratitude, what might he not accomplish at the head of a well-trained army?

Already he could fancy himself, victorious over Lysandros, Spartans, and Boiotians, over all his country’s enemies, entering once more triumphant into Athens, to end his days in peace and happiness, dealing out just laws to his emancipated countrymen.