Chians were besieged even more straitly than before
by land and sea, and the famine in the place was great. Meanwhile the
Athenian envoys with Pisander arrived at the court of Tissaphernes, and
conferred with him about the proposed agreement. However, Alcibiades,
not being altogether sure of Tissaphernes (who feared the Peloponnesians
more than the Athenians, and besides wished to wear out both parties,
as Alcibiades himself had recommended), had recourse to the following
stratagem to make the treaty between the Athenians and Tissaphernes
miscarry by reason of the magnitude of his demands. In my opinion
Tissaphernes desired this result, fear being his motive; while
Alcibiades, who now saw that Tissaphernes was determined not to treat
on any terms, wished the Athenians to think, not that he was unable to
persuade Tissaphernes, but that after the latter had been persuaded and
was willing to join them, they had not conceded enough to him. For the
demands of Alcibiades, speaking for Tissaphernes, who was present, were
so extravagant that the Athenians, although for a long while they agreed
to whatever he asked, yet had to bear the blame of failure: he required
the cession of the whole of Ionia, next of the islands adjacent, besides
other concessions, and these passed without opposition; at last, in the
third interview, Alcibiades, who now feared a complete discovery of his
inability, required them to allow the King to build ships and sail along
his own coast wherever and with as many as he pleased. Upon this the
Athenians would yield no further, and concluding that there was nothing
to be done, but that they had been deceived by Alcibiades, went away in
a passion and proceeded to Samos.

Tissaphernes immediately after this, in the same winter, proceeded
along shore to Caunus, desiring to bring the Peloponnesian fleet back
to Miletus, and to supply them with pay, making a fresh convention upon
such terms as he could get, in order not to bring matters to an absolute
breach between them. He was afraid that if many of their ships were left
without pay they would be compelled to engage and be defeated, or that
their vessels being left without hands the Athenians would attain
their objects without his assistance. Still more he feared that the
Peloponnesians might ravage the continent in search of supplies. Having
calculated and considered all this, agreeably to his plan of keeping the
two sides equal, he now sent for the Peloponn