Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/70

52 52 HISTORY OF GREECE. had been concluded between tbem, ratified by the formal voc^ of the majority of the confederates, yet not accepted by several of the minority. Not merely peace, but also special alliance had been concluded between Athens and Sparta ; and a special alii ance between Sparta and Boeotia. Corinth, member of the Spartan confederacy, was also member of a defensive alliance with Argos, Mantineia, and Elis ; which three states had con- -lnd^d a more intimate alliance, first with each other (without Corinth), and now recently with Athens. Yet bcth Athens and Sparta still retained the alliance 1 concluded between themselves, without formal rupture on either side, though Athens still com- plained that the treaty had not been fulfilled. No relations whatever subsisted between Argos and Sparta. Between Athens and Boeotia there was an armistice terminable at ten days' no- tice. Lastly, Corinth could not be prevailed upon, in spite of repeated solicitation from the Argeians, to join the new alliance of Athens with Argos : so that no relations subsisted between Corinth and Athens ; while the Corinthians began, though faintly. to resume their former tendencies towards Sparta. 2 The alliance between Athens and Argos, of which particulars have just been given, was concluded not long before the Olympic festival of the 90th Olympiad, or 420 B.C. : the festival being about the beginning of July, the treaty might be in May. 3 That festival was memorable, on more than one ground. It was the first which had been celebi^ated since the conclusion of the peace, the leading clause of which had been expressly introduced to guarantee to all Greeks free access to the great Pan-Hellenic temples, with liberty of sacrificing, consulting the oracle, and witnessing the matches. For the last eleven years, including two Olympic festivals, Athens herself, and apparently all the numerous allies of Athens, had been excluded from sending their solemn legation, or theory, and from attending as spectators, at the Olympic games. 4 Now that such exclusion was removed, 1 Thucyd. v, 48. 2 Thucyd. v. 48-50. 3 Kara&EVTuv de KOI 'Ofa'fnriaat OTTjXtjv ^aA/c^v KOiv-y 'OAv/ttTrtotf rotf vvvi (Thucyd. v, 47), words of the treaty. 4 Dorieus of Rhodes was victor in the Pankration, both in Olymp. 88 and 89, (423-424 B.C.) Rhodes was included among the tributary allies of Athens. But the athletes who rame to contend were nrivileged and fas il