s 
^86 G U E 
tion was of the utmoft importance. A variety of pri- 
vate views diverted them from the general aim of the 
confederacy ; and the feafon was far advanced before 
the Corinthians, who had been diftinguifhed by excefs 
of antipathy to Athens, were prepared to fail. They 
determined, from pride perhaps, as well as fuperflition, 
to celebrate, before leaving their harbours, the Ifthmian 
games confccrated to Neptune, the third of the Gre¬ 
cian feftivals in point of dignity and fplendour. From 
this ceremony the Athenians, though enemies, were 
not excluded by the Corinthian magiftrates; nor did 
they exclude therafelves, though opprefTed by the 
weight of pad misfortunes, and totally occupied by the 
thoughts of providing againft future evils. While 
tlteir reprefentatives lluired the arnuferaents of this fa- 
cred fpeiftacle, they neglefted not the commidion re¬ 
commended by their country. They fecretly informed 
themfelves of the plan and particular circumftances of 
the intended revolt, and learned the precife time fixed 
for the departure of the Corinthian fleet. In confe- 
quence of this important intelligence, the Athenians 
anticipated the defigns of the' rebels of Chios, and car¬ 
ried ofi' feven fiiips as pledges of their fidelity. The 
fquadron which ■returned from this ufeful enterprife, 
intercepted the Corinthians us they failed through the 
Saronic gulph ; and having attacked and conquered 
them, pun'ued and blocked them up in their harbours. 
Meanwhile the Spartans and their allies fent to the 
Ionian coafl fuch fquadrons as were fuccefiively ready 
lor fea, under the conduct of Alcibiades, Chalcideus, 
and Afiyoclius. The firfi: of tliefe comtnanders failed 
to the ifle ot ChiO'S, which was diftracted by coittending 
tattions. The Athenian partifans were furprifed, and 
compelled to fubinit ; and the city, which polfelfed 
forty gallies, and yielded in wealth and popiilouihefs 
to none of the neighbouring colonies, became an accef- 
fiion to the Peloponnefian confederacy. 1 he ftrong and 
rich town of Miletus follow'ed- the example : Erythrae 
and Clazomene furrendered to Cltalcideus; leveral 
places of lefs note were conquered by Afiyochus. 
When the Athenians received the unwelcome intelli¬ 
gence of thefe events, they voted the expenditure of a 
thouland talents, which, in more profperous times, they 
liad depofited in the citadel, under the fandlion of a 
decree of the lenate and people, to referve it for an oc- 
cafion of the utmoft danger. This feafonable fupply 
enabled them to increafe the fleet, which failed, under 
Phrynichus and otlier leaders, to tlie ific of Lclbos. 
Having fecured the fidelity of the Lelbians, who were 
ripe for rebellion, they endeavoured to recover their 
authority in Miletus, anciently regarded ;is the capital 
ot the Ionic coafl:. A bloody battle was fought before 
the walls of that place, between the Athenians and Ar- 
gives on one fide; and the Peloponnefians, aflifted by 
the troops of I iff'aphernes.and the revolted Milefians, 
on the other. The Athenian bravery defeated, on this 
ocCafion, the fuperi'or num.bers of Greeks and barba. 
rians to whom they tvere oppofed; but their Argive 
auxiliaries were repulfed.by th.e gallant citizens of Mi¬ 
letus : lo tluit, in both piarts of the engagement, the 
Ionic race, commonly called the lefs warlike, prevailed 
over their Dorian rivals and enemies. Elevated with 
tile joy of vitrtpry, the Athenians prepared to alfault 
the town, when they w-ere alarmed by the approach of 
a fleet of fifty-five fail, wliich advanced in two divi- 
lions, the one commanded by the celebrated Flermo- 
crates trom Syracufe, the other by Theramenes the 
Spartan. Phrynichus prudently confidered, that his 
own ftiength only amounted to forty eight galiies, and 
rctul’ed to commit the laft hope of the republic to the 
danger of an unequal combat ; and he calmly retired 
witli his whole fbree to the ille of Samos. 
The retreat ot the Athenian fleet acknowledged the 
naval luperiority of the enemy ; a tuperiorily which 
Was alone fufiicient either to acquire or to maintain the 
E C E. 
fubmifiion of the neighbouring coafts and iflands. In 
other refpefts too, the Peloponnefians enjoyed the moft 
decifive advantages. Their gallies were vidtualled, 
their loldiers were paid, by TitTaphernesj'and they daily 
expefted a reinforcement of a hundred and fifty Phoe¬ 
nician thips, which, it was faid, had already reached 
Afpendus, a fea-port of Pamphylia. But in this dan- 
gerous crifis, fortune feemed to refpeff the declining 
age of Athens, and, by a train of accidents, Angular 
and almofi: incredible, enabled Alcibiades, fo long the 
misfortune and the Icourge, to become, for a time, the 
preferver, of his country. During his refidence in Spar¬ 
ta, he aflfumed the outward gravity of deportment, and 
conformed himfelf to the fpare diet, and laborious ex- 
ercifes, which prevailed in that auftere republic ; but 
his character and his principles remained as licentious 
as ever. His intrigue with Timea, the confort of king 
Agis; was difeovered by an excefs of female levity. 
The queen, vain of the attachment of lb celebrated a 
character, familiarly gave the name of Alcibiades to 
her fon Leotychidcs ; a name which, firfi confined to 
the privacy of her female companions, was foon fpread 
abroad in the w'orld. Alcibiades pnniflied her folly by 
a molt mortifying but well-merited declaration, boafting 
that he had folicited her favoitrs from no other motive 
but that he might indulge the ambitious defire of giving a 
king to Sparta. The offence itfelf, and the fhamelefs 
avowal, more provoking, if poffible, than the offence, 
excited the keeneft refentment in the breaft of the in. 
jtired hufband ; and orders were lent to Aftjachus, 
w ho commanded the Peloponnefian forces in Afia, fe¬ 
cretly to deffroy Alcibiades, who defied thofe laws 
v/hich in every Grecian republic condemned adulterers 
to deatii. But the fubtle Athenian had gained intelli¬ 
gence of tills execrable defign. 
Banifiicd from Athens, perfecuted by Sparta, and in 
danger of afialfination, be had rccourfe to the friend'fliip 
of Tiliapbernes, who admired his accomplifiiments, and 
refpeCted his abilities. Alcibiades, therefore, began to 
flatter his avarice, that he might enfure his protection ; 
and by flowing the feeds of difeord between Tiffaphernes 
and the Peloponnefians, hehopedto pavethe way to return 
to his country : with this view he applied fecretly to Pi- 
fander, Theramenes, and other perfons of difiinCtion in 
the Athenian camp. To them he deplored the defpe- 
rate ftate of public affairs, expatiated on his own credit 
with TifTaphernes, and infinuated that it might be yet 
poffible to prevent the Phoenician fleet at Afpendus 
from failing to -affifi the enemy. Affuming gradually 
more bcldnefs as he perceived the fucceis of his in¬ 
trigues, he finally declared that the Athenians might 
obtain not merely the neutrality, but peihaps the aflift- 
ance, of Artaxerxes, Ihould they confent to abolifli 
their turbulent democracy, fo odious to the Perfians, 
and entrufi the adminiflration of government to men 
worthy to negociate with fo mighty a monarch. 
Wiien the illuftrious exile propofed this meafure, it 
is uncertirin whether he was acquainted with the fecret 
cabals which had been already formed, both in the city 
and in the camp, for executing the defigrt which he fng- 
gefted. Many prompted by ambition, feveral moved 
by inconftancy, a few directed by a juft fenfe of the in¬ 
curable defedts of democracy, were prepared to encoun¬ 
ter every danger, that they might overturn the efta- 
hliflied conftitution. In the third and moft honourable 
clals was Antiphon, a man of an exalted charadler, and 
endowed with extraordinary talents. The irreliltible 
energy of his eloquence was fufpecled by the people. 
He appeared not in the courts of juftice, or in the afl'em- 
bly ; but his artful and elaborate compofitions often 
faved the lives of his friends. He was the invifible 
agent who governed all the motions of the confpiracy ; 
and when compelled, after the ruin of his party, to ftand 
trial for his life, he difeovered an activity and force of 
mind that altonilhed the moft difeerning of his contem¬ 
poraries. 
