and respectable, but he had
no military genius.

(M550) The Lacedaemonians, at the suggestion of Alcibiades, had permanently
occupied Decelea--a fortified post within fifteen miles of Athens, and
instead of spending a few weeks in ravaging Attica, now intrenched
themselves, and issued out in excursions until they had destroyed all that
was valuable in the neighborhood of Athens. The great calamities which the
Athenians had suffered prevented them from expelling the invaders, and the
city itself was now in the condition of a post besieged. All the
accumulations in her treasury were exhausted, and she was compelled to
dismiss even her Thracian mercenaries. They were sent back to their own
country under Dotrephes; but after inflicting great atrocities in Boeotia,
were driven back by the Thebans.

(M551) The Athenian navy was now so crippled that it could no longer
maintain the supremacy of the sea. The Corinthians were formidable rivals
and enemies. A naval battle at Naupactus, at the mouth of the Corinthian
Gulf, between the Athenians and Corinthians, though indecisive, yet really
was to the advantage of the latter.

(M552) The full effects of the terrible catastrophe at Syracuse were not
at first made known to the Athenians, but gradually a settled despair
overspread the public mind. The supremacy of Athens in Greece was at an
end, and the city itself was endangered. The inhabitants now put forth all
the energies that a forlorn hope allowed. The distant garrisons were
recalled; all expenses were curtailed; timber was collected for new ships,
and Capo Sunium was fortified. But the enemies of Athens were also
stimulated to renewed exertions, and subject-allies were induced to
revolt. Persia sent envoys to Sparta. The Euboeans and Chians applied to
the same power for aid in shaking off the yoke of Athens now broken and
defenseless. Although a Peloponnesian fleet was defeated by the Athenians
on its way to assist Chios in revolt, yet new dangers multiplied. The
infamous Alcibiades crossed with a squadron to Chios, and the Athenians
were obliged to make use of their reserved fund of one thousand talents,
which Pericles had set aside for the last extremity, in order to equip a
fleet, under the command of Strombichides. Alcibiades passed over to
Miletus, and induced this city also to revolt. A shameful treaty was made
between Sparta and Persia to carry on war against Athens; and the first
step in the execution of the treaty