Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/163

145 SEI.INUS AND EGESTA. 145 embrace the pretext for interference, considering that, ten years afterwards, she interfered with such destructive effect against Selinus. At this time, however, the fear of Athens and her formidable navy appears to have been felt even at Carthage, 1 thus protecting the Sicilian Greeks against the most dangerous of their neighbors. The Egestjean envoys reached Athens in the spring of 416 B.C., at a time when the Athenians had no immediate project to occupy their thoughts, except the enterprise against Melos, which could not be either long or doubtful. Though urgent in setting forth the necessities of their position, they at the same time did not appear, like the Lcontines, as mere helpless suppliants, ad- dressing themselves to Athenian compassion. They rested their appeal chiefly on grounds of policy. The Syracusans, having already extinguished one ally of Athens (Leontini), were now hard pressing upon a second (Egesta), and would thus successive- ly subdue them all : as soon as this was completed, there would be nothing left in Sicily except an omnipotent Dorian combina tion, allied to Peloponnesus both by race and descent, and sure to lend effective aid in putting down Athens herself. It was therefore essential for Athens to forestall this coming danger by interfering forthwith to uphold her remaining allies against the encroachments of Syracuse. If she would send a naval expedi- tion adequate to the rescue of Egesta, the Egestaeans themselves engaged to provide ample funds for the prosecution of the war. 2 Such representations from the envoys, and fears of Syracusan aggrandizement as a source of strength to Peloponnesus, worked along with the prayers of the Leontines in rekindling the appe- tite of Athens for extending her power in Sicily. The impression made upon the Athenian public, favorable from the first, was wound up to a still higher pitch by renewed discussion. The envoys were repeatedly heard in the public assembly, 3 together 1 Tlmcyd. vi, 34. 2 Thucyd. vi, 6 ; Diodor. xii, 83. 3 Thucyd. vi, G. uv uKoitovrcg oi 'Adyvaioi kv rale eKK^rjaiaif TUV TE 'Eyf<r- Taitjv Tro/lAa/cif %.e~y6v~uv /cat TUV ^vvayopevovruv avroif eipTjipiaavTO, etc. Mr. Mitford takes no notice of all these previous debates, when he imputes to the Athenians hurry and pass) Dn in the ultimate decision (ch. xviii ; sect ii, vol. iv, p. 30.) VOL. vn. 7 lOoc.