was to hand Miletus over to a Persian
general. Ionia now became the seat of war, and a victory was gained near
Miletus by the Athenians, but this was balanced by the capture of Iasus by
the Lacedaemonians. The Athenians rallied at Samos, which remained
faithful, and still controlled one hundred and twenty-eight triremes at
this island. Alternate successes and defeats happened to the contending
parties, with no decided result.

(M553) The want of success on the coast of Asia led the Lacedaemonians to
suspect Alcibiades of treachery. Moreover, his intrigue with the wife of
Agis made the king of Sparta his relentless enemy. Agis accordingly
procured a decision of the ephors to send out instructions for his death.
He was warned in time, and made his escape to the satrap Tissaphernes, who
commanded the forces of Persia. He persuaded the Persian not to give a
decisive superiority to either of the contending parties, who followed his
advice, and kept the Peloponnesian fleet inactive, and bribed the Spartan
general. Having now gratified his revenge against Athens and lost the
support of Sparta, Alcibiades now looked to his native country as the best
field for his unprincipled ambition. "He opened negotiations with the
Athenian commanders at Samos, and offered the alliance of Persia as the
price of his restoration, but proposed as a further condition the
overthrow of the democratic government at Athens."

(M554) Then followed the political revolution which Alcibiades had
planned, in conjunction with oligarchal conspirators. The rally of the
city, threatened with complete ruin, had been energetic and astonishing,
and she was now, a year after the disaster at Syracuse, able to carry on a
purely defensive system, though with crippled resources. But for this
revolution Athens might have secured her independence.

(M555) The proposal of Alcibiades to change the constitution was listened
to by the rich men, on whom the chief burden of the war had fallen. With
the treasures of Persia to help them, they hoped to carry on the war
against Sparta without cost to themselves. It was hence resolved at Samos,
among the Athenians congregated there, to send a deputation to Athens,
under Pisander, to carry out their designs. But they had no other security
than the word of Alcibiades, that restless and unpatriotic schemer, that
they would secure the assistance of Persia. And it is astonishing that
such a man--so faithless--could be believed.

(