The Spartans were dumb-foundered by
his perfidy, and looked helplessly at Nicias, the staunch friend and
supporter of Sparta, whom they had forsaken for this shameless young
reprobate. Nicias, who of course knew nothing of the trick, was
utterly confounded by the double-dealing of the envoys, and could do
nothing to relieve their embarrassment. The result was that the envoys
were abruptly dismissed, and after a fruitless mission of Nicias to
Sparta, which only served to lower his own reputation, the Athenians
entered heart and soul into the Argive alliance.
III
We have seen how much the credit of Sparta had been injured in the
eyes of Greece by the capture of her chosen warriors at Pylos, and by
her subsequent behaviour during the negotiations which led to the
peace of Nicias. Spartan valour was seen to be not above reproach, and
the Peloponnesian allies had still better reason to complain of the
hollowness of Spartan faith. The high reverence which had long been
attached to the name of Sparta had given place to something like
contempt, and the Eleans, who had an old grudge against her, took
advantage of this feeling to exclude her citizens from taking public
part in the Olympic festival, which was celebrated with great pomp and
splendour in the second year of the peace.
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