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 GREECE 193 36, communicating at the same time intelli- gence of the actual state of the siege. Cleon vehemently attacked the conductors of the war, and boastfully declared that if he were general the island would be captured without delay. Unexpectedly to him, the people took him at his word. Unable to decline the honor thrust upon him, Cleon departed to the scene of his command ; and, by availing himself of the prep- arations Demosthenes had already made, he was able to keep his promise, and arrived at Athens with the Spartan prisoners in 20 days after his departure. The Athenian fleet, after .the victory, proceeded to Corcyra, and wit- nessed another series of political massacres, without attempting to prevent them. In 424 the Athenians were defeated at Delium, and met with severe losses in Thrace, while Ni- cias was reducing Cythera and garrisoning its principal towns. The Lacedaemonians add- ed to the customary atrocities of war the murder of 2,000 helots whom they pretended to emancipate. The Athenians sent expedi- tions against Megara and Boeotia, the former of which was only partially successful, and the latter a disastrous failure the defeat of Delium, already mentioned. These reverses, especially the defeats in Thrace, disheartened the Athenians. In 423 a truce was concluded for a year, with a view to a permanent peace. But the negotiations were interrupted by the revolt of Scione to Brasidas, and hostilities in that quarter were renewed. In 422 Cleon was despatched to the north, with a fleet and army ; but he showed his incompetency to encounter Brasidas, and fell in a disgraceful retreat before that general from Amphipolis, where Brasidas himself also fell. In 421 the peace of Nicias was concluded, followed by an alliance offensive and defensive between Athens and Sparta. An at- tempt was soon made to form a new confeder- acy under the leadership of Argos, excluding Athens and Sparta. Difficulties sprang up be- tween these two states, which were fomented by Alcibiades, who had now risen to influence in Athens, and bore a private grudge against Sparta ; he advocated a league with Argos, and resorted to tricks and intrigues to carry his point. Accordingly in 420 a treaty for 100 years was made with Argos, Elis, and Hantinea. In 418, in consequence of these events, and the insolence of Alcibiades, the Lacedaemonians sent an army into the territory of Argos, and the battle of Mantinea crowned the Spartan arms with victory over the Athenian and Ar- give forces. Civil discords and revolutions and counter revolutions followed at Argos. In this same year the Athenians conquered the island of Melos, and, on the proposal of Alci- biades, put the men to death, sold the women and children into slavery, and established an Athenian colony on the island. The feuds that distracted Greece broke out with baneful effect in the Sicilian and Italian colonies. This led to the intervention of Athens. In 427 Gorgias of Leontini was sent to Athens to ask succor for his countrymen. A squadron of 20 ships was immediately sent, and in 425 another of 40 ; but the Sicilians were alarmed, and the expeditions were without effect. Another ap- plication was made in 422, but unsuccessfully. In 416 Segesta, having a quarrel with Selinus, sent an embassy for aid, the Syracusans hav- ing taken sides with the Selinuntines. Alci- biades supported the demands of the Seges- tans, in opposition to the policy of Nicias and his party. It was decided to send a fleet of 60 triremes, under the command of Nicias, Alci- b.iades, and Lamachus, in the expectation not only of assisting Segesta and Leontini, but of extending the power of Athens over all Sicily. Three months were spent in making prepara- tions on a grand scale, and the greatest enthu- siasm prevailed. Just as the armament was on the point of sailing, the superstitious terrors of the Athenians were roused by the mutila- tion of the Hermse, or square pillars surmount- ed with the head of Hermes, standing in the streets and public squares, and the public sus- picion fell upon Alcibiades as the author of the sacrilege. This crime, together with the prof- anation of the Eleusinian mysteries by a pri- vate representation, was charged upon him by Pythonicus, in the public assembly. But in- stead of an immediate investigation, his politi- cal enemies caused it to be postponed till his return ; and the fleet departed from the Pirasus (415). The rendezvous was appointed to be held at Corcyra, whence the combined fleet of the Athenians and their allies sailed for the Ja- pygian promontory, and thence to Ehegium, where they awaited the return of the fast-sail- ing triremes which had preceded the main body to Segesta. The reports brought back were not very encouraging, and there was a difference of opinion among the generals. Al- cibiades was met at Catana by a summons to return to Athens, and take his trial on the charge of profaning the Eleusinian mysteries. The state ship Salaminia brought the order; but on the way home Alcibiades escaped. The trial went on according to Athenian usage, and though absent, he was condemned to death. After some months' delay Nicias commenced operations against Syracuse, and having gained a victory retired to Catana, and afterward to Naxos, into winter quarters. The Syracusans occupied the winter in preparations for defence. In the following spring (414) the siege of Syra- cuse was commenced. Just as the Syracusans were on the point of surrendering, Gylippus the Spartan arrived in Sicily with a small force, and landing at Himera, on the N. coast, levied an army, and marched upon the city. This changed the face of affairs, and put to flight all thoughts of surrender. Two naval battles were fought in the great harbor. In the first the Athenians gained the advantage, but they were defeated in the second. Meantime, the Lacedaemonians at home had ravaged the Ar- give territory, and the Athenians had sent a fleet against Epidaurus. In 413 the Laced-