This Athenian empire is the leading fact in the period we are dealing with. Though it made Athens great and fruitful, it was the first serious blow dealt at the life of the true πὀλις. And it had other results, more dangerous because more lasting. It had the natural effect of drawing the members of the other great union closer together, and of putting Sparta, after the downfall of Athens, into the position of their mistress instead of their leader. We saw that this Peloponnesian league was formerly a mere alliance, and that the cities were really autonomous; even in foreign policy they could successfully press their views against Sparta. But the same change occurred here as in the case of the Delian League; one State of overwhelming military strength made a fair and equal alliance impracticable, when once that State had been roused into full activity. Sparta began the Peloponnesian war by demanding autonomy for all Greek cities, and she ended it by reducing most of them to subjection; she forced oligarchies upon them under the superintendence of Spartan "harmosts," and by the aid of Persian satraps compelled them to follow her foreign policy. She was too rough-handed, too ignorant of organisation, to elaborate such an empire as the Athenian; but in most respects the cities were worse off under this champion of liberty than under the intellectual supremacy of Athens.[1]
The remainder of this period is occupied with
- ↑ Our knowledge of the Spartan Empire is, however, far less complete than of the Athenian; see a discussion of the evidence in Holm, Gesch. Griech. iii. 15 foll.
