Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/479

 S-U1PA1HV WITH DIONYSIUS. 457 It was in Uie summer of 405 B. c., that this treaty was con- cluded, which consigned all the Hellenic ground on the south of Sicily to the Carthaginian dominion, and Syracuse with its popu- lation to that of Dionysius. It was in September or October of the same year that Lysander effected his capture of the entire Athenian fleet at yEgospota,mi, destroyed the maritime ascendency and power of Athens, and gave commencement to the Lacedae- monian empire, completed by the actual surrender of Athena during the ensuing year. The dekarchies and harmosts, planted by Lysander in so many cities of the central Hellenic world, com- menced their disastrous working nearly at the same time as the despotism of Dionysius in Syracuse. This is a point to be borne in mind, in reference to the coming period. The new position and policy wherein Sparta now became involved, imparted to her a sympathy with Dionysius such as in earlier times she probably would not have felt ; and which contributed materially, in a sec- ondary way, to the durability of his dominion, as well by positive intrigues of Lacedaemonian agents, as by depriving the oppressed Syracusans of effective aid or countenance from Corinth or other parts of Greece. 1 The period immediately succeeding this peace was one of dis- tress, depression, and alarm, throughout all the south of Sicily. According to the terms of the treaty, Gela and Kamarina might be reoccupied by their fugitive population ; yet with demolished walls, with all traces of previous opulence and comfort effaced by the plunderers, and under the necessity of paying tribute to Carthage. The condition of Agrigentum, Selinus, and Himera, now actually portions of Carthaginian territory, was worse ; espe- cially Agrigentum, hurled at one blow from the loftiest pinnacle of prosperous independence. No free Hellenic territory was any longer to be found between Cape Pachynus and Cape Lilybaeum, beyond the Syracusan frontier. Amidst the profound discouragement of the Syracusan mind, the withdrawal from Sicily of the terror-striking Carthaginian army 1 Diodnr. xiv, 10. The valuable support lent to Dionysius by the Spartans is emphatically denounced by Isokratcs, Orat, iv, (Panegyric.) s. 145; Orat. via, (Do Pace) i. 122. vot x 20