they
had come with full powers to settle all others at issue between them,
Alcibiades became afraid that, if they were to repeat these statements
to the popular assembly, they might gain the multitude, and the
Argive alliance might be rejected, and accordingly had recourse to
the following stratagem. He persuaded the Lacedaemonians by a solemn
assurance that if they would say nothing of their full powers in
the assembly, he would give back Pylos to them (himself, the present
opponent of its restitution, engaging to obtain this from the
Athenians), and would settle the other points at issue. His plan was to
detach them from Nicias and to disgrace them before the people, as being
without sincerity in their intentions, or even common consistency in
their language, and so to get the Argives, Eleans, and Mantineans taken
into alliance. This plan proved successful. When the envoys appeared
before the people, and upon the question being put to them, did not say
as they had said in the senate, that they had come with full powers,
the Athenians lost all patience, and carried away by Alcibiades, who
thundered more loudly than ever against the Lacedaemonians, were ready
instantly to introduce the Argives and their companions and to take
them into alliance. An earthquake, however, occurring, before anything
definite had been done, this assembly was adjourned.

In the assembly held the next day, Nicias, in spite of the
Lacedaemonians having been deceived themselves, and having allowed
him to be deceived also in not admitting that they had come with
full powers, still maintained that it was best to be friends with the
Lacedaemonians, and, letting the Argive proposals stand over, to send
once more to Lacedaemon and learn her intentions. The adjournment of
the war could only increase their own prestige and injure that of their
rivals; the excellent state of their affairs making it their interest to
preserve this prosperity as long as possible, while those of Lacedaemon
were so desperate that the sooner she could try her fortune again the
better. He succeeded accordingly in persuading them to send ambassadors,
himself being among the number, to invite the Lacedaemonians, if they
were really sincere, to restore Panactum intact with Amphipolis, and
to abandon their alliance with the Boeotians (unless they consented to
accede to the treaty), agreeably to the stipulation which forbade either
to treat without the other. The ambassadors were