HISTORY OF GREECE.
BY
GEORGE GROTE, Esq.
VOL. VII.
REPRINTED FROM THE LONDON EDITION
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS
329 AND 331 PEARL STREET.
[p. iii]
CONTENTS.
VOL. VII.
PART II.
CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL GREECE.
CHAPTER LV.
FROM THE PEACE OF NIKIAS TO THE OLYMPICFESTIVAL OF OLYMPIAD 90.
Negotiations for peace during the winter after thebattle of Amphipolis. — Peace called the Peace of Nikias — concludedin March 421 B.C. Conditions of peace. — Peaceaccepted at Sparta by the majority of members of the Peloponnesianalliance. — The most powerful members of the alliance refuse toaccept the truce — Bœotians, Megarians, Corinthians, and Eleians.— Position and feelings of the Lacedæmonians — their great anxietyfor peace — their uncertain relations with Argos. — Steps takenby the Lacedæmonians to execute the peace — Amphipolis is notrestored to Athens — the great allies of Sparta do not accept thepeace. — Separate alliance for mutual defence concluded betweenSparta and Athens. — Terms of the alliance. — Athens restores theSpartan captives. — Mismanagement of the political interests ofAthens by Nikias and the peace party. — By the terms of the allianceAthens renounced all the advantages of her position in referenceto the Lacedæmonians — she gained none of those concessions uponwhich she calculated, while they gained materially. — Discontentand remonstrances of the Athenians against Sparta in consequenceof the non-performance of the conditions — they repent of havinggiven up the captives — excuses of Sparta. — New combinations inPeloponnesus — suspicion entertained of concert between Spartaand Athens — Argos stands prominently forward — state of Argos —aristocratical regiment of one thousand formed in that city. —The Corinthians prevail upon Argos to stand forward as head of anew Peloponnesian alliance. — Congress of recusant Peloponnesianallies at Corinth — the Mantineians join Argos — state of Arcadia —rivalship of Tegea and Mantineia. — Remonstrances of Lacedæmonianenvoys at the congress at Corinth — redefence of the Corinthians— pretence of religious[p.iv] scruple. — The Bœotians and Megarians refuse to breakwith Sparta, or to ally themselves with Argos — the Corinthianshesitate in actually joining Argos. — The Eleians become allies ofArgos — their reasons for doing so — relations with Lepreum — theCorinthians now join Argos also. — Refusal of Tegea to separatefrom Sparta. — The Corinthians are disheartened — their applicationthrough the Bœotians to Athens. — The Lacedæmonians emancipate theArcadian subjects of Mantineia — they plant the Brasidean Helots atLepreum. — Treatment of the Spartan captives after their liberationfrom Athens and return to Sparta — they are disfranchised for a timeand in a qualified manner. — The Athenians recapture Skiônê — put todeath all the adult males. — Political relations in Peloponnesus —