a small part was left standing. Most of the houses were in ruins, a few only remaining in which the chief men of the Persians had lodged.
90
The Lacedaemonians knew what would happen and sent
an embassy to Athens. They would
The Laccdaciitonians at the instigation of their allies try to prevent the Athenians from rebuilding their walls.
rather themselves have seen neither the
Athenians nor any one else protected by
a wall : but their main motive was the
importunity of their allies, who dreaded
not only the Athenian navy, which had until lately been
quite small, but also the spirit which had animated them in
the Persian War. So the Lacedaemonians requested them
not to restore their walls*, but on the contrary to join with
them in razing the fortifications of other towns outside the
Peloponnesus which had them standing. They did not
reveal their real wishes or the suspicion which they enter-
tained of the Athenians, but argued that the Barbarian, if
he again attacked them, would then have no strong place
B.C. 479-478.
Ol. 75, 2,3.
which he could make his head-quarters as he had lately
made Thebes. Peloponnesus would be a sufficient retreat
for all Hellas and a good base of operations. To this the
Athenians, by the advice of Themistocles, replied, that they
would send an embassy of their own to discuss the matter,
and so got rid of the Spartan envoys.[1] He then proposed
that he should himself start at once for Sparta, and that
they should give him colleagues who were not to go
immediately, but were to wait until the wall reached the
lowest height which could possibly be defended. The
whole people, who were in the city, men, women, and
children, should join in the work, and they must spare no
building, private or public, which could be of use, but
demolish them all. Having given these instructions and
- ↑ Cp. i. 69 init.
