Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/249

231 EUPlIEMUS AT KAMABINA v;;i strengthen herself against the supremacy of her powerful Dorian neighbors in Peloponnesus. Finding herself after the repulse of the Persian king at the head of those lonians and other Greeks who had just revolted from him, she had made use of her position as well as of her superior navy to shake off the illegiti- mate ascendency of Sparta. Her empire was justified by regard for her own safety against Sparta, as well as by the immense su- periority of her maritime efforts in the rescue of Greece from the Persians. Even in reference to her allies, she had good ground for reducing them to subjection, because they had made them- selves the instruments and auxiliaries of the Persian king in his attempt to conquer her. Prudential views for assured safety to herself had thus led her to the acquisition of her present empire, and the same views now brought her to Sicily. lie was pre- pared to show that the interests of Kamarina were in full accordance with those of Athens. The main purpose of Athens in Sicily was to prevent her Sicilian enemies from sending aid to her Peloponnesian enemies, to accomplish which, powerful Sici- lian allies were indispensable to her. To enfeeble or subjugate her Sicilian allies would be folly : if she did this, they would not serve her purpose of keeping the Syracusans employed in their own island. Hence her desire to reestablish the expatriated Leontines, powerful and free, though she retained the Chalki dians in Euboea as subjects. Near home, she wanted nothing but subjects, disarmed and tribute-paying, while in Sicily, she required independent and efficient allies ; so that the double conduct, which Hermokrates reproached as inconsistent, proceeded from one and the same root of public prudence. Pursuant to that motive, Athens dealt differently with her different allies, according to the circumstances of each. Thus, she respected the autonomy of Chios and Methymna, and maintained equal rela- tions with other islanders near Peloponnesus ; and such were the relations which she now wished to establish in Sicily. No : it was Syracuse, not Athens, whom the Kamar ^nrcans and other Sicilians had really ground to fear. Syracuse was aiming at the acquisition of imperial sway over the island ; and that which she had already done towards the Leontines showed what she was prepared to do when the time came, agairst Kamarinfc and others. It was under this apprehension that the Kamari-