h of the enemy's
fleet, and began to fear a repetition of their former discomfiture.
To be trampled under foot by the hostile power seemed indeed no remote
possibility, now that the Lacedaemonians had procured an ally in the
person of the Persian monarch, and they were in little less than a state
of siege themselves, pestered as they were by privateers from Aegina. On
all these grounds the Athenians became passionately desirous of peace.
(16) The Lacedaemonians were equally out of humour with the war for
various reasons--what with their garrison duties, one mora at Lechaeum
and another at Orchomenus, and the necessity of keeping watch and ward
on the states, if loyal not to lose them, if disaffected to prevent
their revolt; not to mention that reciprocity of annoyance (17) of which
Corinth was the centre. So again the Argives had a strong appetite for
peace; they knew that the ban had been called out against them, and,
it was plain, that no fictitious alteration of the calendar would any
longer stand them in good stead. Hence, when Tiribazus issued a summons
calling on all who were willing to listen to the terms of peace sent
down by the king (18) to present themselves, the invitation was promptly
accepted. At the opening of the conclave (19) Tiribazus pointed to
the king's seal attached to the document, and proceeded to read the
contents, which ran as follows:

(16) See, at this point, Grote on the financial condition of Athens
and the "Theorikon," "H. G." ix. 525.

(17) Or, "that give-and-take of hard knocks."

(18) See Hicks, 76.

(19) At Sardis, doubtless.

"The king, Artaxerxes, deems it just that the cities in Asia, with the
islands of Clazomenae and Cyprus, should belong to himself; the rest of
the Hellenic cities he thinks it just to leave independent, both small
and great, with the exception of Lemnos, Imbros, and Scyros, which three
are to belong to Athens as of yore. Should any of the parties concerned
not accept this peace, I, Artaxerxes, will war against him or them with
those who share my views. This will I do by land and by sea, with ships
and with money."

After listening to the above declaration the ambassadors from the
several states proceeded to report the same to their respective
governments. One and all of these took the oaths (20) to ratify and
confirm the terms unreservedly, with the exception of the Thebans,
who claimed to take the oaths in behalf of all Boeotians. This claim
Ages