Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/393

 KASSANDER MASTER OF ATHENS. 361 lie was repulsed in all of tliem,i and obliged to relinquish the siege with considerable loss of reputation. His admiral Kleitus was soon afterwards defeated in the Propontis, with the loss of his whole fleet, by Nikanor (whom Kassander had sent from Peiraeus) and Antigonus.2 After these two defeats, Polysperchon seems to have evac- uated Peloponnesus, and to have carried his forces across the Corinthian Gulf into Epirus, to join Olympias. His party was greatly weakened all over Greece, and that of Kassander pi-o- portionally strengthened. The first effect of this was, the sur render of Athens. The Athenians in the city, including all or many of the restored exiles, could no longer endure that com- plete severance from the sea, to which the occupation of Peirgeus and Munychia by Kassander had reduced them. Athens with- out a port was hardly tenable ; in fact, Peirgeus was considered by its great constructor, Themistokles, as more indispensable to the Athenians than Athens itself.^ The subsistence of the people was derived in large proportion from imported corn, received tlu-ough Peiraeus ; where also the trade and industrial operations were carried on, most of the revenue collected, and the arsenals, docks, ships, etc. of the state kept up. It became evident that Nikanor, by seizing on the Peirseus, had rendered Athens dis- armed and helpless ; so that the irreparable mischief done by Pho- kion, in conniving at that seizure, was felt more and more every day. Hence the Athenians, unable to capture the port themselves, and hopeless of obtaining it through Polysperchon, felt con- strained to listen to the partisans of Kassander, who proposed that terms should be made with him. It was agreed that they should become friends and allies of Kassander ; that they should have full enjoyment of their city, with the port PeirsEus, their ships and revenues ; that the exiles and deported citizens should be readmitted ; that the political franchise should for the future be enjoyed by all citizens who possessed 1000 drachmae of property and upwards ; that Kassander should hold Munycliia with a governor and garrison, until the war against Polysperchon was brought to a close ; and that he should also name some one ' Diodor. xviii. 70, 71. ^ Diodor. xviii. 72. 3 Thucyd. i. 93. VOL. XII. 31