Book II - Wilbourhall.org

Ixvi INTRODUCTION. [iv.fered with by the war.The strategi were eligible forre-election, and a man was often strategus in severalsuccessive years, especially in time of war when militaryexperience was of great importance. Pericles,whose case is of course exceptional, was electedstrategus in fifteen consecutive years from 444 B.C.All the ten were elected with equal authority.Theecclesia, however, could, if special circumstancesrequired it, give one strategus extraordinary powers.When troops were sent on active service it was notuncommon to appoint one of the strategi generalissimo,with authority superior to that of the colleagues whoaccompanied him. It also appears that under veryexceptional circumstances a strategus might be placedover all his nine colleagues. This exceptional positionPericles occupied at the outbreak of the war;and it is probable that it was conferred upon himdirectly after he entered on a new year of office inHecatombaeon 432. It was in that month that theassembly held at Sparta decided on going to war;and it was natural that, at a moment of such supremeimportance, the ecclesia should adopt an unusualcourse, which enabled it to entrust the conduct of thewar to the minister who had been its chief adviserthroughout the dispute with the Peloponnesians.From I. 44 we find that Athens had formed adefensive alliance (eViytiaxta) with Corcyra when theisland was at war with Corinth. The reason thatAthens supported Corcyra was that it was necessaryto prevent the Peloponnesians from getting possessionof the island, which, both on account of its position asthe point of departure from Greece to Italy and