Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/313

THEBAN ENVOYS AT ATHENS. 2 ( J1 The antipathy between the two cities had been so long and viru- lent, that the Thebans, at the close of the war, had endeavored to induce Sparta to root out the Athenian population. Their conduct subsequently had been favorable and sympathizing towards Thra- sybulus in his struggle against the Thirty, and that leader had testified his gratitude by dedicating statues in the Theban Herak- leion. 1 But it was by no means clear that Athens would feel herself called upon, either by policy or by sentiment, to assist them in the present emergency ; at a moment when she had no Long Walls, no fortifications at Peiraeus, no ships, nor any protec- tion against the Spartan maritime power. It was not until Pausanias and Lysander were both actually engaged in mustering their forces, that the Thebans sent to address the Athenian assembly. The speech of the Theban envoy sets forth strikingly the case against Sparta as it then stood. Dis- claiming all concurrence with that former Theban deputy, who, without any instructions, had taken on himself to propose, in the Spartan assembly of allies, extreme severity towards the con- quered Athenians, he reminded the Athenians that Thebes had by unanimous voice declined obeying the summons of the Spartans, to aid in the march against Thrasybulus and the Peirasus ; and that this was the first cause of the anger of the Spartans against her. On that ground, then, he appealed to the gratitude of demo- cratical Athens against the Lacedasmonians. But he likewise in- voked against them, with yet greater confidence, the aid of oligarchical Athens, or of those who at that time had stood opposed to Thrasybulus and the Peiraeus ; for it was Sparta who, having first set up the oligarchy at Athens, had afterwards refused to sustain it, and left its partisans to the generosity of their demo- cratical opponents, by whom alone they were saved harmless. 3 Of course Athens was eager, if possible (so he presumed), to regain her lost empire ; and in this enterprise he tendered the cordial aid 1 Pausanias, ix, 11, 4. 2 Xen. Hellen. iii, 5, 9. IIoAi) 6" 1 ETi fj,u2,7.ov uioi<[iev, oaot, TUV iv HOTEL eyevcade, Trpo$v/j.uc ETTI T9t)f AaKefiaifioviovf Itvai. 'Eneivoi yup, KaraarricavTEf fyiuf tf o/Uyap^mn xal ef EX&pav TU cJi^uu, u(piKo/j.evo', TTO^TJ 6vvdfj,Et, (if i'tuv av/i/taxot, nape* rfocrar iifiu^ n> Trhj)dEf wore TO /J.EV kit' kKfivoi$ ehci, ai oAwAare, 6 f) f'-'/iof u tV/f fffuoe.