Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/44

 22 HISTORY OF GREECE. a war in Greece, it was impossible for him to concentrate his force against the prince of Salamis and the Egyptians. Hence, in part, the extraordinary effort made by the Persians to dictate, in con- junction with Sparta, the peace of Antalkidas, and to get together such a fleet in Ionia as should overawe Athens and Thebes into submission. It was one of the conditions of that peace that Eva- goras should be abandoned ; l the whole island of Cyprus being acknowledged as belonging to the Persian king. Though thus cut off from Athens, and reduced to no other Grecian aid than such mercenaries as he could pay, Evagoras was still assisted by Akoris of Egypt, and even by Hekatomnus prince of Karia with a secret present of money. 2 But the peace of Antalkidas being now exe- cuted in Asia, the Persian satraps were completely masters of the Grecian cities on the Asiatic seaboard, and were enabled to con- vey round to Kilikia and Cyprus not only their whole fleet from Ionia, but also additional contingents from these very Grecian cities. A large portion of the Persian force acting against Cyprus was thus Greek, yet seemingly acting by constraint, neither well paid nor well used, 3 and therefore not very efficient. The satraps Tiribazus and Orontes commanded the land force, a large portion of which was transported across to Cyprus ; the admiral Gaos was at the head of the fleet, which held its station at Kitium in the south of the island. It was here that Evagoraa having previously gained a battle on land, attacked them. By extraordinary efforts he had got together a fleet of two hundred triremes, nearly equal in number to theirs ; but after a hard-fought 1 Isokrat. Or. iv, (Panegyr.) s. 162. Evayopav of kv rate EKdoTuf , etc. We must observe, however, that Cyprus had been secured to the king of Persia, even under the former peace, so glorious to Athens, concluded by Perikles about 449 B. c., and called the peace of Kallias. It was, therefore, neither a new demand on the part of Artaxerxes, nor a new concession on the part of the Greeks, at the peace of Antalkidas. 2 Diodor. xv, 2. It appears that Artaxerxes had counted much upon the aid of Hek&tom- nus for conquering Evagoras (Diodor. xiv, 98). About 380 B. c., Isokrates reckons Hekatomnus as being merely depen- dent in name on Persia ; and ready to revolt openly on the first opportunity (Isokrates, Or. iv, (Paneg.) s. 189). 3 Isokrates, Or. iv, (Panegyr.) s. 153, 154, 179.