Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/454

 432 HISTORY OF GREECE. encouraging hem to rely on the pacific inclinations of Sparta, vas ill-judo*- d and disastrous in its results, as the future will hereafter slow. Attempts were made by the peace-parly both at Athens and Sparta to negotiate at first for a definitive peace : but the condi- tions of such a peace were not easy to determine, so as to satisfy both parties, and became more and more difficult, with every success of Brasidas. At length the Athenians, eager above all things to arrest his progress, sent to Sparta to propose a truce for one year, desiring the Spartans to send to Athens envoys with full powers to settle the terms : the truce would allow time and tranquillity for settling the conditions of a definitive treaty. The proposition of the truce for one year, 1 together with the first two articles ready prepared, came from Athens, as indeed we might have presumed even without proof; since the interest of Sparta was rather against it, as allowing to the Athenians the fullest leisure for making preparations against farther losses in Thrace. But her main desire was, not so much to put herself in condition to make the best possible peace, as to insure some peace which would liberate her captives : and she calculated that when once the Athenians had tasted the sweets of peace for one year, they would not again voluntarily impose upon themselves the rigorous obligations of war. 2 In the month of March, 423 B.C., on the fourteenth day of the month Elaphebolion at Athens, and on the twelfth day of the month Gerastius at Sparta, a truce for one year was concluded and sworn, between Athens on one side, and Sparta, Corinth, Sikyon, Epidaurus, and Megara, on the other. 3 The Spartans, instead of merely despatching plenipotentiaries to Athens as the Athenians had desired, went a step farther : in concurrence with the Athenian envoys, they drew up a form of truce, approved by 1 This appears from the form of the truce in Thucyd. iv, 118 ; it is pre- pared at Sparta, in consequence of a previous proposition from Athens; in sect. 6. ol 6e lovref, reAof e^ovref iovruv, ynep Kal vfiel^ ^uuf Kefovere. 2 Thucyd. iv, 117. Kal yevopevrjf dvcxej^f KaKuv Kal ral.anrupiaf PU?.?.OL iTuftvuijaeiv (rovf 'A&qvaiovf) avroi>c iretpaaafievovf %vva}Jkayr)vai, etc. a Thucyd. iv, 119. The fourteenth of Elaphebolion, and the twelfth of Gerastius, designate the same day. The truce went ready -prepared from Sparta v .o Athens, together with envoys Spartar, Corinthian, Megariaa,