Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/34

 12 HISTORY OF GREECE. promise made by the convention, except in so far as it enabled them to increase their own power by dismemberment or party in- tervention, proved altogether false and hollow. For if we look back to the beginning of the Peloponnesian war, when they sent to Athens to require general autonomy throughout Greece, we shall find that the word had then a distinct and serious import ; demanding that the cities held in dependence by Athens should be left free, which freedom Sparta might have ensured for them herself at the close of the war, had she not preferred to convert it into a far harsher empire. But in 387 (the date of the peace of Antalkidas) there were no large body of subjects to be eman- cipated, except the allies of Sparta herself, to whom it was by no means intended to apply. So that in fact, what was promised, as well as what was realized, even by the most specious item of this disgraceful convention, was " that cities should enjoy autonomy, not for their own comfort and in their own way, but for Lacedae- monian convenience ; " a significant phrase (employed by Peri- kles, 1 in the debates preceding the Peloponnesian war) which forms a sort of running text for Grecian history during the sixteen years between the peace of Antalkidas and the battle of Leuktra. I have already mentioned that the first two applications of the newly-proclaimed autonomy, made by the Lacedaemonians, were to extort from the Corinthian government the dismissal of its Ar- geian auxiliaries, and to compel Thebes to renounce her ancient presidency of the Boeotian federation. The latter especially was an object which they had long had at heart ; 2 and by both, their ascendency in Greece was much increased. Athens, too, terrified by the new development of Persian force as well as partially bribed by the restoration of her three islands, into an acceptance of the peace, was thus robbed of her Theban and Corinthian allies, and disabled from opposing the Spartan projects. But before we enter upon these projects, it will be convenient to turn for a short time to the proceedings of the Persians. 1 Thacyd. i, 144. Nvv 6e rovroif (to the Lacedaemonian envoys) cnroKpt- vdpevot uiroTreppupev ruf de iro'h.Eig on aiiTovofiovf utyf/aoptv, el Kal avrovojiovf e%3VTf iaTreiodfieda, nal orav KUKUVOI raZf avruv inroSiJat irofaai ftr) atyiffi TO If A a K e 
 * Xcn. Hellen. v, 1, 36. oiiTrep iraXai