Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/55

PLATVEA A DEPENDENCY 01 SPARTA 33 Thebes. 1 They were a part of the great revolution which tht Spartans now brought about in Bo3otia ; whereby Thebes was de graded from the president of a federation into an isolated autono- mous city, while the other Boeotian cities, who had been before members of the federation, were elevated each for itself into the like autonomy ; or rather (to substitute the real truth 2 in place of Spartan professions) they became enrolled and sworn in as de- pendent allies of Sparta, under oligarchical factions devoted to her purposes and resting upon her for support. That the Thebans should submit to such a revolution, and, above all, to the sight of Platsea as an independent neighbor with a territory abstracted from themselves, proves how much they felt their own weak- ness, and how irresistible at this moment was the ascendency of their great enemy, in perverting to her own ambition the popular lure of universal autonomy held out by the peace of Antalkidas. Though compelled to acquiesce, the Thebans waited in hopes of some turn of fortune which would enable them to reorganize the Bosotian federation ; while their hostile sentiment towards Sparta was not the less bitter for being suppressed. Sparta on her part kept constant watch to prevent the reunion of Bceotia ; 3 an object in which she was for a time completely successful, and was even 1 See the Orat. xiv, (called Plataicus) of Isokrates ; which is a pleading probably delivered in the Athenian assembly by the Plataeans (after the second destruction of their city), and, doubtless, founded upon their own statements. The painful dependence and compulsion under which they were held by Sparta, is proclaimed in the most unequivocal terms (s. 31, 33, 48) ; together with the presence of a Spartan harmost and garrison in their town (s. 14). 2 Xenophon says, truly enough, that Sparta made the Boeotian cities OVTOVO/J.OVC UTTO T(~JV &7if3atuv (v. 1, 36), which she had long desired to do. Autonomy, in the sense of disconnection from Thebes, was insured to them, but in no other sense. 3 To illustrate the relations of Thebes, the other Boeotian cities, and Sparta, between the peace of Antalkidas and the seizure of the Kadmeia by Sparta (387-382 B. c.) compare the speech of the Akanthian envoys, and th?.t of the Theban Leontiades, at Sparta (Xenoph. Hellen. v, 2, 16-34). "I'fiuf (the Spartans) rrjc fj,sv RoiuTia? emftety&ijvai, onug /J.TJ Ka& ev sir}, etc. Kal vfielf ye TOTE /J.EV uel 7rpoaei%eTe TQV vovv, TTOTE uKovaea&s (3iaou.E' vovf avTovf (the Thebans) rrjv ~BoiuTiav i><p avrolt; elvai- vvv de, enel ruSt Tai, ovdev v/iuf del Qqflaiovf Qopslcr&ai; et2. CcmpareDiodor. xv, 20, VOL. x. 2* 3o.