Embassy to Athens, Athenians throw up The envoys are favour ably re ceived. locharidas, Leon, and Endius; with full powers of the Laceto settle all matters of difference. The envoys dæmonians were instructed to deprecate all alliance of Athens to press the with Argos-to explain that the alliance of Sparta not to with Boeotia had been concluded without any the alliance. purpose or possibility of evil to Athens-and at the same time to renew the demand that Pylus should be restored to them in exchange for the demolished Panaktum. Such was still the confidence of the Lacedæmonians in the strength of assent at Athens, that they did not yet despair of obtaining an affirmative, even to this very unequal proposition. And when the three envoys, under the introduction and advice of Nikias, had their first interview with the Athenian senate, preparatory to an audience before the public assembly,-the impression which they made, on stating that they came with full powers of settlement, was highly favourable. It was indeed so favourable, that Alkibiadês became alarmed lest, if they made the same statement in the public assembly, holding out the prospect of some trifling concessions, the philo-Laconian party might determine public feeling to accept a compromise, and thus preclude all idea of alliance with Argos. Trick by biadês disgraces and baffles which Alki cheats and the envoys, To obviate such a defeat of his plans, he resorted to a singular manoeuvre. One of the Lacedæmonian envoys, Endius, was his private guest, by an ancient and particular intimacy subsisting between their two families'. This probably assisted in pro- daemonian curing for him a secret interview with the envoys, project. 1 Thucyd. viii. 6. the Lace of the against Sparta. Indignation and enabled him to address them with greater effect, Athenians on the day before the meeting of the public assembly, and without the knowledge of Nikias. He accosted them in the tone of a friend of Sparta, anxious that their proposition should succeed; but he intimated that they would find the public assembly turbulent and angry, very different from the tranquil demeanour of the senate: so that if they proclaimed themselves to have come with full powers of settlement, the people would burst out with fury, to act upon their fears and bully them into extravagant concessions. He therefore strongly urged them to declare that they had come, not with any full powers of settlement, but merely to explain, discuss, and report: the people would then find that they could gain nothing by intimidation-explanations would be heard, and disputed points be discussed with temper-while he (Alkibiadês) would speak emphatically in their favour. He would advise, and felt confident that he could persuade, the Athenians to restore Pylus-a step which his opposition had hitherto been the chief means of preventing. He gave them his solemn pledge-confirmed by an oath, according to Plutarch-that he would adopt this conduct, if they would act upon his counsel'. The envoys were much struck with the apparent 1 Thucyd. v. 45. Μηχανᾶται δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοίονδέ τι ὁ ̓Αλκιβιάδης· τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πείθει, πίστιν αὐτοῖς δοὺς, ἢν μὴ ὁμολογήσωσιν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ αὐτοκράτορες ἥκειν, Πύλον τε αὐτοῖς ἀποδώσειν (πείσειν γὰρ αὐτὸς Αθηναίους, ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν ἀντιλέγειν) καὶ τἄλλα ξυναλλάξειν. Βουλόμενος δὲ αὐτοὺς Νικίου τε ἀποστῆσαι ταῦτα ἔπραττε, καὶ ὅπως ἐν τῷ δήμῳ διαβαλὼν αὐτοὺς ὡς οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς ἐν νῷ ἔχουσιν, οὐδὲ λέγουσιν οὐδέποτε ταὐτὰ, τοὺς ̓Αργείους ξυμμάχους ποιήσῃ. sagacity of these suggestions', and still more delighted to find that the man from whom they anticipated the most formidable opposition was prepared to speak in their favour. His language obtained with them, probably, the more ready admission and confidence, inasmuch as he had volunteered his services to become the political agent of Sparta, only a few months before; and he appeared now to be simply resuming that policy. They were sure of the support of Nikias and his party, under all circumstances: if, by complying with the recommendation of Alkibiadês, they could gain his strenuous advocacy and influence also, they fancied that their cause was sure of success. Accordingly, they agreed to act upon his suggestion, not only without consulting, but without even warning, Nikias-which was exactly what Alkibiadês desired, and had probably required them to promise. Next day, the public assembly met, and the envoys were introduced; upon which Alkibiadês himself, in a tone of peculiar mildness, put the question to them, upon what footing they came2? what powers they brought with them? They im. mediately declared that they had brought no full powers for treating and settlement, but only came 1 Plutarch (Alkibiad. c. 14). Ταῦτα δ ̓ εἰπὼν ὅρκους ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μετέστησεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Νικίου παντάπασι πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ, καὶ θαυμά ζοντας ἅμα τὴν δεινότητα καὶ σύνεσιν, ὡς οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀνδρὸς ovo av. Again, Plutarch, Nikias, c. 10. 2 Plutarch, Alkib. c. 14. Ερωτώμενοι δ ̓ ὑπὸ τοῦ ̓Αλκιβιάδου πάνυ φιλανθρώπως, ἐφ ̓ οἷς ἀφιγμένοι τυγχάνουσιν, οὐκ ἔφασαν ἥκειν αὐτοκράτορες. to explain and discuss. Nothing could exceed the astonishment with which their declaration was heard. The senators present, to whom these envoys a day or two before had publicly declared the distinct contrary; the assembled people, who, made aware of that previous affirmation, had come prepared to hear the ultimatum of Sparta from their lips; lastly, most of all, Nikias himself—their confidential agent and probably their host at Athenswho had doubtless announced them as plenipotentiaries, and concerted with them the management of their case before the assembly-all were alike astounded, and none knew what to make of the words just heard. But the indignation of the people equalled their astonishment. There was an unanimous burst of wrath against the standing faithlessness and duplicity of Lacedæmonians; never saying the same thing two days together. To crown the whole, Alkibiadês himself affected to share all the surprise of the multitude, and was even the loudest of them all in invectives against the envoys; denouncing Lacedæmonian perfidy and evil designs in language far more bitter than he had ever employed before. Nor was this all1: he took advantage of the vehement acclamation which welcomed his invectives to propose that the Argeian envoys should be called in and the alliance with Argos concluded forthwith. And this would cer 1 Thucyd. v. 45. Οἱ 'Αθηναῖοι οὔκετι ἠνείχοντο, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ̓Αλκιβιάδου πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον καταβοῶντος τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, ἐσήκουόν τε καὶ ἑτοῖμοι ἦσαν εὐθὺς παραγαγεῖν τοὺς ̓Αργείους, &c. Compare Plutarch, Alkib. c. 14; and Plutarch, Nikias, c. 10. tainly have been done, if a remarkable phænomenon-an earthquake—had not occurred to prevent it; causing the assembly to be adjourned to the next day, pursuant to a religious scruple then recognised as paramount. This remarkable anecdote comes in all its main circumstances from Thucydidês. It illustrates forcibly that unprincipled character which will be found to attach to Alkibiadês through life, and presents indeed an unblushing combination of impudence and fraud, which we cannot better describe than by saying that it is exactly in the vein of Fielding's Jonathan Wild. In depicting Kleon and Hyperbolus, historians vie with each other in strong language to mark the impudence which is said to have been their peculiar characteristic. Now we have no particular facts before us to measure the amount of truth in this, though as a general charge it is sufficiently credible. But we may affirm, with full assurance, that none of the muchdecried demagogues of Athens-not one of those sellers of leather, lamps, sheep, ropes, pollard, and other commodities, upon whom Aristophanês heaps so many excellent jokes-ever surpassed, if they ever equalled, the impudence of this descendant of Eakus and Zeus in his manner of over-reaching and disgracing the Lacedæmonian envoys. These latter, it must be added, display a carelessness of public faith and consistency-a facility in publicly unsaying what they have just before publicly said-and a treachery towards their own confidential agent-which is truly surprising, VOL. VII. F |