‘The life of him that dependeth on another man’s table is not to
be counted for a life.’—ECCLESIASTICUS.
CHIOS, the richest of all the rich, luxuriant islands of the Grecian
Archipelago, celebrated for the beauty of its women and its wine, rose
like a nymph from the waters of the Aigaian, bathed in the sunlight of a
bright spring morning, as Alkibiades came in sight of it. Peaceful and
serene, these Grecian islands off the Asiatic coast overflowed with
happiness and plenty; some of them, Chios in particular, soon to be the
scene of plunder and of terrible bloodshed.
The two leaders thought it prudent to put into Kasystes, a small town
belonging to Teos, on the continent hard by. There they met some members
of the oligarchic party of Chios; for Chios, like other Grecian States,
was divided in opinion as to the respective merits of the two forms of
government. The oligarchic Teians advised an immediate descent upon the
island, before the people, who were democratic, and disliked the
newly-proposed alliance with Sparta, could hear of their approach. This
advice was taken, and the Lakedaimonian squadron of five triremes
appeared at Chios, to the surprise of all except the oligarchs, who had
been warned of their approach. A meeting of the insular assembly was
held. Alkibiades addressed them, and declared that these five ships were
only the advance guard of a large fleet that was coming. His eloquence
gained the people to his side; no one seemed able to withstand his
persuasion. The Chians of both parties declared for the Lakedaimonian
alliance, and lightly threw off the gentle yoke of Athens.
Erythrai, the neighbouring town upon the coast, followed the example of
the Chians. Alkibiades set off for Klazomenai, and persuaded the people
there to join the new confederation against Athens. He was making up,
indeed, for his late enforced inaction, everywhere at once, and was
everywhere successful, serving his new friends well and faithfully, and
bringing all beneath the spell of his potent personality.
But neither were his countrymen at Athens quiet. They, as he knew,
possessed a treasure of ten thousand talents, laid up by his cousin
Perikles, never to be used save at the last peril of the state. By law
it was death to anyone who should even propose to touch this fund,
unless a hostile fleet was actually approaching Athens. That law was now
for the first time abrogated, and part of the money was used to equip a
number of triremes. The seven ships of the Chians which had been taking
part unwillingly in the blockade of the Spartan fleet were brought to
the Peiræus. They were manned by Athenian sailors, and with some twelve
or thirteen other ships under Strombichides were sent straightway to
Ionia. Strombichides brought his ships to Teos on the mainland, hoping
by this show of strength to keep the Teians faithful. Chalkideus and
Alkibiades came after him with their fleet, now increased to
twenty-five, by an addition of Chian ships and some more from the
Peloponnesos. They were supported, too, on land by a body of soldiers
from Klazomenai and by some Persian barbarians under the command of
Stagès, the lieutenant of Tissaphernes. It was some time since Persian
barbarians had been seen fighting in support of a Grecian state.
Strombichides, finding himself in this way attacked by sea and land,
sailed off, followed by Chalkideus, who chased the Athenian ships as far
as Samos. Alkibiades, with some other of the Spartan ships, sailed for
Miletos, another town of Ionian origin, on the Asiatic continent, where
he had many friends. He easily persuaded the inhabitants to join the
league against his country.
Many reinforcements to each side arrived, during this time, upon the
scene. Slight advantages were gained by both parties. At Samos the
people, staunch democrats, rose in rebellion, and treated their
oligarchic landlords roughly. They slew two hundred of these political
opponents, banished four hundred more of them from Samos, and shared
their lands amongst themselves. A democratic government was established,
with the exiled Hyperbolos at its head. He had gone there on his
unsuccessful attempt to ostracize Alkibiades, and was now leader of the
popular party at Samos. The new government would have naught to do with
Sparta. On the other hand, the Spartan fleet, which was blockaded by the
Athenians near the Peiræus, broke out, inflicting some damage as it
went, and augmented by fresh ships under Astyochos, who was made Admiral
of all the Peloponnesian fleet in Ionia, joined the rest of the Spartan
force on the Ionian coast. Thus the two great fleets, each with its full
force of hoplites, were drawing towards each other in the eastern
Aigaian Sea.
Miletos, the most important town upon the coast, and Chios were both
invested by Athenian ships. Throughout the summer many small
engagements, both by sea and land, were fought between the contending
powers. In one of them Chalkideus, the friend and companion of
Alkibiades, was slain. As autumn approached, the war concentrated round
Miletos. A further supply of ships and men under one Phrynichos, and two
other leaders, arrived from Athens, and with them came fifteen hundred
Argives, still true to their allegiance. The ships joined the blockade
of the port, after landing some troops, including the Argives, and laid
siege to Miletos.
But Alkibiades was in the town working day and night to get the Milesian
militia, about eight hundred strong, in fit order to make a desperate
sortie. Besides these Milesians there was a body of over a thousand
Spartan hoplites and a good force from Klazomenai within the walls of
Miletos. There was also another person there who was to play no
unimportant part in the remainder of the life of Alkibiades—Tissaphernes
had come with some Persian cavalry. It was the first time these two men
had met—the first time the finest gentleman in Greece had come into
actual contact with the Persian nobleman and high official. The Persian
was captivated by the pleasant manners, the wit, the varied powers, the
commanding presence and personal beauty of the descendant of the ancient
heroes of a race which the Persians had such good cause to hold in high
respect.
The day at length arrived—it had seemed long in coming to the impatient
exile—when the final effort must be made to drive the Athenians from the
walls of Miletos. Much depended on that day’s work. If the Spartans and
their allies could succeed in driving the Athenians to their ships, the
whole fleet might be attacked at sea, while they were encumbered by the
number of their troops on board, together with the wounded and the
dying, after the engagement on the land. It was known, too, that another
formidable Spartan squadron which had sailed some time since had been
seen making for Iasos, not far off, and might soon be at Miletos. If the
Athenian fleet and army were both beaten, the other islands and
dependencies of Athens, which had feared up to this time to declare
themselves, would rise against her domination. Thus, as far as anyone
could see, this great effort might decide her fate.
At daybreak the city gates were opened. The Milesians, instructed and
inspirited by Alkibiades, who led them, rushed on the Argive fifteen
hundred who confronted them on the left of the Athenian siege-works. At
the same time the Spartans and Klazomenians, issuing from the eastern
gate, reached the Athenian right and centre works. Tissaphernes was so
astonished at the way in which Alkibiades took his Milesians into action
that he forgot to charge at the head of his Persian cavalry, and
reserved them to pursue the enemy when the others should have put them
to flight.
Thus Alkibiades, by a strange vicissitude of fortune, found himself face
to face in deadly combat with his old friends the Argives, with whom he
had no quarrel, whose alliance he had gained for Athens, and whom, by
his influence, he had kept constant to her. These thoughts, which could
not but come upon him as he led his Milesians against them, did not
prevent him from doing desperate work among them. They broke and fled
before him, leaving three hundred dead upon the field.
On the other side of the city other events were taking place. The
Spartans and men of Klazomenai were utterly discomforted by the Athenian
hoplites. On seeing this rout of their allies, the Milesians feared to
pursue the Argives farther, lest the victorious Athenians might come
round and outflank them, and, in spite of all their leader could do,
they retired into the town by the gate from which they had rushed out.
They found, when they returned, a host of Spartans and Klazomenians
entering the town in terror and confusion, beaten back by those
Athenians they had boasted the day before they could drive into the sea.
The gates were closed, but the Athenians sat down again before the town,
cutting it off almost entirely from supplies by land, while the fleet
blockaded its port.
Miletos must soon have fallen but for Alkibiades. He got out of the town
as soon as it was dark, and eluding the besiegers, rode as hard as he
could go all night, and in the morning reached Teichioussa, a small
fortified place on the north coast of the Gulf of Iasos. There he found
the long-expected fleet from Sparta under Theramenes. He put before him
the critical position of Miletos, and induced him to dare to sail at
once, in spite of the Athenian fleet, to its relief. They arrived at
Miletos that same day, and the Athenians, acting on the unvalorous
advice of Phrynichos, when they heard of their approach, although they
had a larger fleet, and that fleet manned by Athenian sailors, drew off
their ships and their besieging forces and retired to Samos. Thus
Miletos was saved by the energy and persuasion of Alkibiades.
Athens, although her generals were showing the unaccustomed sight of an
Athenian fleet retiring before Spartans—Athens at home was still working
with the utmost vigour, sending forth armament after armament, as fast
as she could get them ready. She now had, partly at Samos, partly
investing Chios, a fleet of no less than one hundred and twenty ships of
war—a large array for a people supposed by their enemies and those who
did not know them to be at their last gasp.
The Lakedaimonians were also working, doing something for themselves and
expecting more from others. They sent forward some ships they had
received from Thurii and Syrakuse and twenty-seven of their own. But
what they counted on more than anything was the promised naval aid from
Persia. Tissaphernes had undertaken to bring an enormous fleet of three
hundred sail, now lying off the Phœnikian coast, and only waiting orders
from the Great King. With these the Spartans hoped to sweep the
Athenians from the sea, and take from her her islands and dependencies.
Those which had been formerly under the tyranny of the Persian kings
were, by the treaty, to return to that dominion. With the others, if
there were any, Sparta might do as she listed.
With the last squadron of thirty-seven ships from Lakedaimôn were sent
eleven commissioners as a council of war, with full powers over the
admirals, and instructions to get fresh concessions from the Persian
ally, and to press Tissaphernes to bring his great fleet into Ionian
waters without delay. The commissioners brought with them another secret
order for Astyochos, the admiral-in-chief.
Agis was now back in Sparta for a time. He was, perhaps, the ablest man
they had, and had done good work for his country at Dekeleia, whither he
had been sent at the advice of Alkibiades. On his return home he heard
of nothing but the greatness, the powers, the courage, the wisdom and
ability, of their new councillor. Who was this effeminate Athenian who
seemed to be ruling everyone in Sparta? A traitor to his country, and
one who, as like as not, would soon prove a traitor to them! Agis was
consumed with jealousy. It is said he had another cause for being
jealous, of a more private nature, nearer home. Be that as it may, he
hated Alkibiades, his rival. The rival was away. Had he been there it
might have been different, but he was away fighting and directing the
battles of Lakedaimôn. He had added fresh claims to their gratitude. He
had gained over many of the Athenian allies by his presence and
persuasion. By his skill and courage he had defeated the Argives at
Miletos, and it was now known that the whole remnant of that contingent,
twelve hundred men, had gone back again to Argos disgusted when they
found they had to fight against him. Then by his promptitude and zeal he
had saved Miletos, and the Spartan army, which, but for him, might now
have been in the hands of a victorious enemy.
But he was away. Others besides Agis hated him with the hatred of
smaller minds towards a greater, a cause of hatred of which he had felt
the dire effects before at home. There were others who, not hating him,
thought Sparta had got all she was likely to get out of him, and wished
to get rid of him, and knew of only one safe way of doing so. He had few
amongst the governing Spartans to take his part. His friend and
companion, the brave Chalkideus, was slain. His friend and relative
Endios was no longer Ephor. By secret suspicions artfully spread amongst
those of the new Ephors who were not hostile to him, they were at length
persuaded that it was necessary for the state that he should be
destroyed. He had done too much for Sparta.
The Ephors had almost despotic powers. They could even imprison their
kings. But their power lasted only for a year. So what they meant to do
against Alkibiades they must do speedily and secretly. They resolved on
his assassination. They had a simple but sure method of communicating
with their commanders at the seat of war. The Ephors had a staff of
office of precisely the same shape and size as the commander’s baton.
Round this they rolled a sheet of parchment and wrote their deadly
message on it, which doomed Alkibiades to a sudden death. This scroll
was then unrolled. When it was off the staff it was illegible, and not
till it was rolled round the commander’s staff could it be deciphered.
It was then entrusted to one of the commissioners to carry to Astyochos
at Miletos.
But there were five Ephors, and one of them was bound by strong ties to
Endios. He, moreover, was doubtful of the wisdom of the murderous deed
upon which his colleagues had decided. He told the secret to Endios
shortly before the eleven commissioners were to set out from Sparta.
Endios was dismayed at the disgrace which this base act would bring on
his country He was horrified at the fate awaiting his kinsman, to whom
he was sincerely attached, and from whom, while he was great and
powerful at Athens, he had received nothing but kindness and
hospitality. But what could Endios do? He saw the villainy of the plot;
he knew that Agis was the chief mover in it, and that Agis hated
Alkibiades. He had not much love himself for Agis, and would do anything
he could to intercept his malice. Whatever was to be done to warn the
object of this secret machination must be done at once. If it was
discovered that Endios had betrayed the secret, it would be certain
destruction to him and to the Ephor, his informant. He dared not trust
it to any Lakedaimonian. All the town would hear of it at once, for the
commons loved their Athenian guest; he had won their hearts, as he had
won the hearts of the poor wherever he had gone. Endios dared not
confide it to a Spartan.
We have seen that Agrestides was left behind by Alkibiades to attend to
his private affairs when his master went with Chalkideus. Endios found
him out and imparted to him the secret which he dare not put in writing.
The rage of the faithful follower against king Agis and the Ephors could
at first hardly be restrained. But he saw the necessity of departing at
once to warn his master. He easily got employed on board one of the
triremes which was just about to start, for the Spartan government found
it was not easy to supply men enough for all the ships they had lately
sent to sea. So when, at the solstice, the new squadron left the shore
of Malea, with the eleven commissioners on board, carrying with them the
murderous missive, there went with them one who knew its purport, and
who could be as speedy as they and as silent as the grave to which the
Ephors were seeking to consign his friend and master.
The fleet first made for Melos, some seventy miles from Malea. On the
way they fell in with ten Athenian ships, and took three of them; the
rest escaped. Fearing that their voyage to Miletos would thus be heard
of by the Athenian fleet at Samos, they steered for Krete, and thence
round by Kaunos, on the Karian coast. The navigation from Kaunos to
Miletos was dangerous for a fleet of their small strength, with the
Athenians on the watch for them. So they determined to send a message by
some sailors in a small boat to Astyochos, begging him to come to convoy
them.
Agrestides volunteered to go on this perilous adventure—perilous by
reason of the storms to which that coast is liable, and from Athenian
ships being on the look-out to prevent communication between the admiral
at Miletos and his countrymen. And so, tossed about in a frail boat, and
still more agitated in his mind, we must leave Agrestides for a little
while.
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