Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/122

104 104 HISTORY OF GREECE. intercourse for individuals as yet suspended. We cannot doubt that the Athenians were invited to the Olympic festival of 416 B.C. (the 91st Olympiad), and sent thither their solemn legation along with those of Sparta and other Dorian Greeks. Now that they had again become allies of Argos, the Atheni- ans probably found out, more fully than they had before known, the intrigue carried on by the former Argeian government with the Macedonian Perdikkas. The effects of these intrigues, how- ever, had made themselves felt even earlier in the conduct of that prince, who, having as an ally of Athens engaged to cooper- ate with an Athenian expedition projected under Nikias for the spring or summer of 417 B.C. against the Chalkidians of Thrace and Amphipolis, now withdrew his concurrence, receded from the alliance of Athens, and frustrated the whole scheme of expe- dition. The Athenians accordingly placed the ports of Mace- donia under naval blockade, proclaiming Perdikkas an enemy. 1 Nearly five years had elapsed since the defeat of Kleon, with- out any fresh attempt to recover Amphipolis : the project just alluded to appears to have been the first. The proceedings of the Athenians with regard to this important town afford ample proof of that want of wisdom on the part of their leading men Nikias and Alkibiades, and of erroneous tendencies on the part of the body of the citizens, which we shall gradually find conduct ing their empire to ruin. Among all their possessions out of Attica, there was none so valuable as Amphipolis : the centre of a great commercial and mining region, situated on a large river and lake which the Athenian navy could readily commard, and claimed by them with reasonable justice, since it was their orig- inal colony, planted by their wisest statesman, Perikles. It had been lost only through unpardonable negligence on the part of their generals ; and when lost, we should have expected to see the chief energies of Athens directed to the recovery of it ; the more so, as, if once recovered, it admitted of being made sure and retained as a future possession. Kleon is the only leading man who at once proclaims to his countrymen the important truth that it never can be recovered except by force. He strenuously persuasions of Argos. to induce Athens to throw up her alliance wi b Sparta were repeated and unavailing. ' Thucyd. v, 83.