es besieged by land and sea, were in
sore perplexity what to do. Without ships, without allies, without
provisions, the belief gained hold upon them that there was no way of
escape. They must now, in their turn, suffer what they had themselves
inflincted upon others; not in retaliation, indeed, for ills received,
but out of sheer insolence, overriding the citizens of petty states, and
for no better reason than that these were allies of the very men now at
their gates. In this frame of mind they enfranchised those who at any
time had lost their civil rights, and schooled themselves to endurance;
and, albeit many succumbed to starvation, no thought of truce or
reconciliation with their foes was breathed. (5) But when the stock
of corn was absolutely insufficient, they sent an embassage to Agis,
proposing to become allies of the Lacedaemonians on the sole condition
of keeping their fortification walls and Piraeus; and to draw up
articles of treaty on these terms. Agis bade them betake themselves to
Lacedaemon, seeing that he had no authority to act himself. With this
answer the ambassadors returned to Athens, and were forthwith sent on to
Lacedaemon. On reaching Sellasia, (6) a town in (7) Laconian territory,
they waited till they got their answer from the ephors, who, having
learnt their terms (which were identical to those already proposed
to Agis), bade them instantly to be gone, and, if they really desired
peace, to come with other proposals, the fruit of happier reflection.
Thus the ambassadors returned home, and reported the result of their
embassage, whereupon despondency fell upon all. It was a painful
reflection that in the end they would be sold into slavery; and
meanwhile, pending the return of a second embassy, many must needs fall
victims to starvation. The razing of their fortifications was not a
solution which any one cared to recommend. A senator, Archestratus, had
indeed put the question in the senate, whether it were not best to make
peace with the Lacedaemonians on such terms as they were willing to
propose; but he was thrown into prison. The Laconian proposals referred
to involved the destruction of both long walls for a space of more than
a mile. And a decree had been passed, making it illegal to submit any
such proposition about the walls. Things having reached this pass,
Theramenes made a proposal in the public assembly as follows: If they
chose to send him as an ambassador to Lysander, he would go and