Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/79

 ATHENS BEFORE THE PELOPONNLSIAN WAR. 5? ^Egean, now under the Athenian empire, would have been able to maintain any real independence, if that empire had been broken up. But though Korkyra had been secure in this policy of isolation up to. the present moment, such had been the increase and consolidation of forces elsewhere throughout Greece, that even she could pursue it no longer. To apply for admission into the Lacedaemonian confederacy, wherein her immediate enemy exercised paramount influence, being out of the question, she had no choice except to seek alliance with Athens. That city had as yet no dependencies in the Ionic gulf; she was not of kindred lineage, nor had she had any previous amicable relations with the Dorian Korkyra. But if there was thus no previous fact or feeling to lay the foundation of alliance, neither was there anything to forbid it: for in the truce between Athens and Sparta, it had been expressly stipulated, that any city, not ac- tually enrolled in the alliance of either, might join the one or the other at pleasure. 1 While the proposition of alliance was thus formally open either for acceptance or refusal, the time and cir- cumstances under which it was to be made rendered it full of grave contingencies to all parties ; and the Korkyraean envoys, who now for the first time visited Athens, for the purpose of making it, came thither with doubtful hopes of success, though to their island the question was one of life or death. According to the modern theories of government, to declare war, to make peace, and to contract alliances, are functions proper to be intrusted to the executive government apart from the representative assembly. According to ancient ideas, these were precisely the topics most essential to submit for the decision of the full assembly of the people : and in point of fact they were so submitted, even under governments only partially democrat- ical ; much more, of course, under the complete democracy of Athens. The Korkyraean envoys, on reaching that city, would first open their business to the strategi, or generals of the state, who would appoint a day for them to be heard before the public assembly, with full notice beforehand to the citizens. The mission was no secret, for the Korkyraeans had themselves intimated their intention at Qorinth, at the time when they proposed reference 1 Thucyd. i, 35-40. 3