Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/155

 ATHENIAN TREATY WITH PHABNABAZUS. 133 were mutually exchanged, after the return of Alkibiades from his expedition. For Pharnabazus positively refused to complete the ratification with the other generals, until Alkibiades should be there to ratify in person also ; a proof at once of the great individual importance of the latter, and of his known facility in finding excuses to evade an agreement. Two envoys were accordingly sent by Pharnabazus to Chrysopolis, to receive the oaths of Alkibiades, while two relatives of Alkibiades came to Chalkedon as witnesses to those of Pharnabazus. Over and above the common oath shared with his colleagues, Alkibiades took a special covenant of personal friendship and hospitality with the satrap, and received from him the like. Alkibiades had employed his period of absence in capturing Selybria, from whence he obtained a sum of money, and in get- ting together a large body of Thracians, with whom he marched by land to Byzantium. That place was now besieged, immedi- ately after the capitulation of Chalkedon, by the united force of the Athenians. A w? v. of circumvallation was drawn around it, and various attacks were made by missiles and battering engines. These, however, the Lacedaemonian garrison, under the har- most Klearchus, aided by some Megarians under Helixus, and Boeotians under Koeratadas, was perfectly competent to repel. But the ravages of famine were not so easily dealt with. After the blockade had lasted some time, provisions began to fail ; so fioovTrep tt', ical TU &$?Mueva xpfiftara uiroSovvai' 'Adrivaiove tie ft)) noXfftilv XaXiti) dovioif, luf uv oi Trapti paatAea irpiafletf IMuaiv. This passage strengthens the doubts which I threw out in a former chap- ter, whether the Athenians ever did or could realize their project of commut- ing the tribute, imposed upon the dependent allies, for an ad valorem duty of five per cent, on imports and exports, which project is mentioned by Thu- cydides (vii, 28) as having been resolved upon at least, if not carried out, in the summer of 413 B.C. In the bargain here made with the Chalkcdonians, it seems implied that the payment of tribute was the last arrangement sub- sisting between Athens and Chalkedon, at the time of the revolt of the latter. Next, I agree with the remark made by Schneider, in his note upon the p;i-s;ige. 'Atftfvatouf Se pi Ttoh.fiJ.eiv XaTinrjdovioif. He notices the tenor of the covenant as it stands in Plutarch, r//v *upva/3cibu c5e x&pav pi) u6iKflv (Alkib. c. 31), which is certainly far more suitable to the cirrum- stances. Instead of Xafaridoviotf, ho proposes to rca.l bapvaBdfy. A< *nj rate, this is the m aning.