ass a decree
inviting any Hellenic state that chose, such state being independent and
accustomed to meet fellow powers upon the fair and equal ground of law
and justice, to make a defensive alliance with the Argives; appointing
a few individuals with plenipotentiary powers, instead of making the
people the medium of negotiation, in order that, in the case of an
applicant being rejected, the fact of his overtures might not be
made public. They said that many would come over from hatred of the
Lacedaemonians. After this explanation of their views, the Corinthians
returned home.

The persons with whom they had communicated reported the proposal to
their government and people, and the Argives passed the decree and chose
twelve men to negotiate an alliance for any Hellenic state that wished
it, except Athens and Lacedaemon, neither of which should be able to
join without reference to the Argive people. Argos came into the
plan the more readily because she saw that war with Lacedaemon was
inevitable, the truce being on the point of expiring; and also because
she hoped to gain the supremacy of Peloponnese. For at this time
Lacedaemon had sunk very low in public estimation because of her
disasters, while the Argives were in a most flourishing condition,
having taken no part in the Attic war, but having on the contrary
profited largely by their neutrality. The Argives accordingly prepared
to receive into alliance any of the Hellenes that desired it.

The Mantineans and their allies were the first to come over through fear
of the Lacedaemonians. Having taken advantage of the war against Athens
to reduce a large part of Arcadia into subjection, they thought that
Lacedaemon would not leave them undisturbed in their conquests, now
that she had leisure to interfere, and consequently gladly turned to a
powerful city like Argos, the historical enemy of the Lacedaemonians,
and a sister democracy. Upon the defection of Mantinea, the rest of
Peloponnese at once began to agitate the propriety of following her
example, conceiving that the Mantineans not have changed sides without
good reason; besides which they were angry with Lacedaemon among other
reasons for having inserted in the treaty with Athens that it should
be consistent with their oaths for both parties, Lacedaemonians and
Athenians, to add to or take away from it according to their discretion.
It was this clause that was the real origin of the panic in Peloponnese,
by exciting