PART II.
CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL GREECE.
CHAPTER LV.
FROM THE PEACE OF NIKIAS TO THE OLYMPIC FESTIVAL OF OLYMPIAD 90.
Negotiations for peace during the winter after the battle of Amphipolis. — Peace called the Peace of Nikias — concluded in March 421 B.C. Conditions of peace. — Peace accepted at Sparta by the majority of members of the Peloponnesian alliance. — The most powerful members of the alliance refuse to accept the truce — Bœotians, Megarians, Corinthians, and Eleians. — Position and feelings of the Lacedæmonians — their great anxiety for peace — their uncertain relations with Argos. — Steps taken by the Lacedæmonians to execute the peace — Amphipolis is not restored to Athens — the great allies of Sparta do not accept the peace. — Separate alliance for mutual defence concluded between Sparta and Athens. — Terms of the alliance. — Athens restores the Spartan captives. — Mismanagement of the political interests of Athens by Nikias and the peace party. — By the terms of the alliance Athens renounced all the advantages of her position in reference to the Lacedæmonians — she gained none of those concessions upon which she calculated, while they gained materially. — Discontent and remonstrances of the Athenians against Sparta in consequence of the non-performance of the conditions — they repent of having given up the captives — excuses of Sparta. — New combinations in Peloponnesus — suspicion entertained of concert between Sparta and Athens — Argos stands prominently forward — state of Argos — aristocratical regiment of one thousand formed in that city. — The Corinthians prevail upon Argos to stand forward as head of a new Peloponnesian alliance. — Congress of recusant Peloponnesian allies at Corinth — the Mantineians join Argos — state of Arcadia — rivalship of Tegea and Mantineia. — Remonstrances of Lacedæmonian envoys at the congress at Corinth — redefence of the Corinthians — pretence of religious scruple. — The Bœotians and Megarians refuse to break with Sparta, or to ally themselves with Argos — the Corinthians hesitate in actually joining Argos. — The Eleians become allies of Argos — their reasons for doing so — relations with Lepreum — the Corinthians now join Argos also. — Refusal of Tegea to separate from Sparta. — The Corinthians are disheartened — their application through the Bœotians to Athens. — The Lacedæmonians emancipate the Arcadian subjects of Mantineia — they plant the Brasidean Helots at Lepreum. — Treatment of the Spartan captives after their liberation from Athens and return to Sparta — they are disfranchised for a time and in a qualified manner. — The Athenians recapture Skiônê — put to death all the adult males. — Political relations in Peloponnesus — change of ephors at Sparta — the new ephors are hostile to Athens. — Congress at Sparta — Athenian, Bœotian, and Corinthian deputies, present — long debates, but no settlement attained of any one of the disputed points — intrigues of the anti-Athenian ephors — Kleobulus and Xenarês. — These ephors try to bring about underhand an alliance between Sparta and Argos, through the Bœotians — the project fails. — The Lacedæmonians conclude a special alliance with the Bœotians, thereby violating their alliance with Athens — the Bœotians raze Panaktum to the ground. — Application from the Argeians to Sparta to renew the expiring treaty. Project of renewed treaty agreed upon. Curious stipulation about combat by champions, to keep the question open about the title to Thyrea. — Lacedæmonian envoys go first to Bœotia, next to Athens — they find Panaktum demolished — they ask for the cession of Pylos from Athens. — The envoys are badly received at Athens — angry feeling against the Lacedæmonians. — Alkibiadês stands forward as a party-leader. His education and character. — Great energy and capacity of Alkibiadês in public affairs — his reckless expenditure — lawless demeanor — unprincipled character, inspiring suspicion and alarm — military service. — Alkibiadês — Sokratês — the Sophists. — Conflicting sentiments entertained towards Alkibiadês — his great energy and capacity. Admiration, fear, hatred, and jealousy, which he inspires. — Alkibiadês tries to renew the ancient but interrupted connection of his ancestors with Lacedæmon, as proxeni. — The Spartans reject his advances — he turns against them — alters his politics, and becomes their enemy at Athens. — He tries to bring Athens into alliance with Argos. — He induces the Argeians to send envoys to Athens — the Argeians eagerly embrace this opening, and drop their negotiations with Sparta. — Embassy of the Lacedæmonians to Athens, to press the Athenians not to throw up the alliance. The envoys are favorably received. — Trick by which Alkibiadês cheats and disgraces the envoys, and baffles the Lacedæmonian project. Indignation of the Athenians against Sparta. — Nikias prevails with the assembly to send himself and others as envoys to Sparta, in order to clear up the embarrassment. — Failure of the embassy of Nikias at Sparta — Athens concludes the alliance with Argos, Elis, and Mantineia. — Conditions of this convention and alliance. — Complicated relations among the Grecian states as to treaty and alliance. — Olympic festival of the 90th Olympiad, July 420 B.C., its memorable character. — First appearance of Athens at the Olympic festival since the beginning of the war. Immense display of Alkibiadês in the chariot-race. — The Eleians exclude the Spartan sacred legation from this Olympic festival, in consequence of alleged violation of the Olympic truce. — Alarm felt at the festival lest the Spartans should come in arms. — Depressed estimation of Sparta throughout Greece — Herakleia.
CHAPTER LVI.
FROM THE FESTIVAL OF OLYMPIAD 90, DOWN TO THE BATTLE OF MANTINEIA.