Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/170

148 HISTORY OF GREECE. measures of Alkibiades. Even for these, the enthusiairn of the moment attempted some excuse: it was affirmed that he had never ceased to love his country, in spite of her wrongs towards him, and that he had been compelled by the necessities of exile to serve men whom he detested, at the daily risk of his life. 1 But such pretences could not really impose upon any one. The trea- son of Alkibiades during the period of his exile remained indefen- sible as well as undeniable, and would have been more than suffi- cient as a theme for his enemies, had their tongues been free. But his position was one altogether singular : having first inflict- ed on his country immense mischief, he had since rendered her valuable service, and promised to render still more. It is true, that the subsequent service was by no means adequate to the previous mischief : nor had it indeed been rendered exclusively by him, since the victories of Abydos and Kyzikus belong not less to Theramenes and Thrasybulus than to Alkibiades : 2 more- over, the peculiar present or capital which he had promised tc bring with him, Persian alliance and pay to Athens, had proved a complete delusion. Still, the Athenian arms had been eminently successful since his junction, and we may see that not merely common report, but even good judges, such as Thucy- dides, ascribed this result to his superior energy and manage- ment. Without touching upon these particulars, it is impossible fully to comprehend the very peculiar position of this returning exile before the Athenian people in the summer of 407 B.C. The more distant past exhibited him as among the worst of criminals ; the recent past, as a valuable servant and patriot : the future promised continuance in this last character, so far as there were any positive indications to judge by. Now this was a case in which discussion and recrimination could not possibly answer any useful purpose. There was every reason for reappointing Alkibiades to his command; but this could only be done under 1 Xcnopli. Hellen.i, 4, 15. 2 This point is justly touched upon, more than once, by Cornelius Ncpos. Vit. Alcibiad. c. 6 : " Quanquam Theramenes et Thrasybulus eisdein rebus praefuerant." And again, in the life of Thrasybulus (c. 1 ) . " Primum Peloponnesiaco bcllo multa hie (Thrasybulus) fine Alcibiade gessit; ill* oallam rein sine hoc."