Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/132

 124 MANTiyEA JOINS THE NEW ALLIANCE [v couraged by the hope of becoming the leaders of Pelo- ponnesus. For at this time the reputation of Lacedaemon had fallen very low; her misfortunes had brought her into contempt, while the resources of Argos were unim- paired. For the Argives had not taken part in the war with Athens, and, being at peace with both parties, had reaped a harvest from them. 29 The first to enter the alliance offered by the Argives The Mantimans join to any Hellenes who were willing to the Argives. Great un- acccpt it wcrc the Maiitioeans and easiness is caused by ^y^^^^ ^jUgg^ ^^j^^ joined through fear of the poivers which the, t ■, • t^ 1 • 1 treaty gave to the Athen- the Lacedaemonians. For, durmg the ians and Lacedae- war with Athens, they had subjected "'°"""'^- a part of Arcadia, which they thought that the Lacedaemonians, now that their hands were free, would no longer allow them to retain. So they gladly joined Argos, reflecting that it was a great city, the con- stant enemy of Sparta, and, like their own, governed by a democracy. When Mantinea seceded, a murmur ran through the other states of Peloponnesus that they must secede too ; they imagined that the Mantineans had gone over to the Argives because they had better information than themselves, and also they were angry with the Lace- daemonians, chiefly on account of that clause in the treaty with Athens which provided that the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, if agreed, might add to or take away from it whatever they pleased". This clause aroused great un- easiness among the Peloponnesians, and made them suspect that the Lacedaemonians meant to unite with the Athenians in order to enslave them^; they argued that the power of altering the treaty ought to have been given only to the whole confederacy. Entertaining these fears they generally inclined towards Argos, and every state was eager to follow the example of Mantinea and form an alliance with her. " Cp. V. 18. § 12. ^ Cp. iv. 20 fin,