Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/249

 The Destruction of the Athe7tian Empire 199 succeeded in having an income tax introduced, and later on the tribute of the ^gean cities was raised. The only great battle during the first decade of the war was fought at Delium in the north, and this the Athenians lost ; but there was really no mili- tary disaster of sufficient importance to cripple seriously either Sparta or Athens. It was the devastation wrought by the plague which had seriously affected Athens. When after ten years of Peace of warfare peace was arranged for fifty years, each contestant (^^^'^b.c.) agreed to give up all new conquests and to retain only old possessions or subject cities. The attack of the allies on Athens had not realized their hope Failure of of breaking up her empire and overthrowing her leadership of of^Nick? the ^gean cities. Nevertheless Athens and the whole Greek world had been demoralized and weakened. The contest had in it no longer the inspiration of a noble struggle such as the Greeks had maintained against Persia. Unprecedented brutality, like that at first adopted toward Mitylene, had given the struggle a savagery and a lack of respect for the enemy which com- pletely obscured all finer issues, if there were any such involved in the war. Meantime serious difficulties arose in carrying out the conditions of the peace. One of the northern subject cities of Athens which had gone over to Sparta refused to return to Athenian allegiance. Athens took the unreasonable ground that Sparta should force the recalcitrant city to obey the terms of peace. It was at this juncture that Athens especially needed such guidance as a statesman like Pericles could have furnished. She was obliged to depend for leadership upon Nicias, one of her old commanders, and the unprincipled Alcibiades. Nicias had adjusted the peace compact and he continued to Alcibiades urge a conciliatory attitude toward Sparta ; but the gifted and Jar again reckless Alcibiades, seeing a great opportunity for a brilliant career, did all that he could to excite the war party in Athens. In spite of the fact that troubles at home had forced Sparta into a treaty of alliance with Athens, Alcibiades was able to carry the Assembly with him. After complicated negotiations