Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/337

 EXTREME WEAKNESS OF ARGOS. 319 recognize d. as first power or president of Greece, both by foreiguei's who invite alliance (Croesus), or by Greeks who seek help, such as the Plataeans against Thebes, or the lonians against Persia, But Sparta has not been hitherto found willing to take on herself the performance of this duty of protector-general. She refused the Jonians and the Samian Maeandrius, as well as the Platajans, in spite of their entreaties founded on common Hellenic lineage : tLe expedition which she undertook against Polykrates of Sa- mos, was founded upon private motives of displeasure, even in the estimation of the Lacedaemonians themselves : moreover, even if all these requests had been granted, she might have seemed to be rather obeying a generous sympathy than perform- ing a duty incumbent upon her as superior. But in the case now before us, of Athens against -ZEgina, the latter consideration stands distinctly prominent. Athens is not a member of the clus- ter of Spartan allies, nor does she claim the compassion of Sparta, as defenceless against an overpowering Grecian neighbor. She complains of a Pan-Hellenic obligation as having been contra- vened by the JEginetans to her detriment and danger, and calla upon Sparta to enforce upon the delinquents respect to these obli- gations. For the first time in Grecian history, such a call is made ; for the first time in Grecian history, it is effectively answered. We may reasonably doubt, whether it would have been thus answered, considering the tardy, unimpressible, ani home-keeping character of the Spartans, with their general in- sensibility to distant dangers, 1 if the adventure of the Persian herald had not occurred to gall their pride beyond endurance; to drive them into unpardonable hostility with the Great King ; and to cast them into the same boat with Athens for keeping off an enemy who threatened the common liberties of Hellas. From this time, then, we may consider that there exists a re- cognized political union of Greece against the Persians, 2 or at least something as near to a political union as Grecian temper will permit, with Sparta as its head for the present. To such a preeminence of Sparta, Grecian history had been gradually 1 Thucyd. i, 70-118. aonvoi npbf vpuf (i. e. the Spartans) fif?^Tiif Kid t,irot>rjfiriTal trpof evdrifioTuTovf.
 * Herodot. vii, 1 45-148. Ol avvufioTcu 'EAA^vwr etcl r> Hepay.