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102 ANCIENT GREECE. [CHAP. vni.the subjects.1The latter wereobliged to pay in money anequivalent for the ships, which they were bound to furnish;for Athens found it more advantageous to have its shipsbuilt in this manner, by itself. But the matter did not resthere. The sum of the yearly tribute, fixed under Periclesat four hundred and sixty talents, was raised by Alcibiades 2to six hundred. When, during the Peloponnesian war,Athens suffered from the want of money, the tribute waschanged into duties of five per centum on the value of allimported articles, collected by the Athenians in the harbours of the allies. 3But the most oppressive of all was perhaps the judiciary power, which Athens usurped over theallies ;not merely in the differences, which arose betweenthe states, but also in private suits. 4Individuals were obligedto go to Athens to transact their business, and in consequence, to the great advantage of the Athenian householders,inn-keepers, and the like, a multitude of foreigners were constantly in that city, in order to bring their affairs to an issue.It is therefore obvious, that the nature of the Atheniansupremacy was changed. It had been at first a voluntaryassociation, and now it had become, for far the larger number of the states that shared in it, a forced one. That severalof the confederates were continually striving to break freefrom the alliance, has been shown by the examples citedabove; but^it is easy to perceive, how difficult, or ratherhow impossible it was, to effect a general union betweenthem against Athens. If they had been desirous of attemptingit, how great were the means possessed by Athens, of anticipating them. Yet there was one moment, when, but for theiralmost inconceivable want of forethought, an attempt mighthave justly been expected from them; and that period 5asthe close of the war with Persia, 5The Greeks framed theirarticles m the treaty of peace; and had nothing further tothe ^?01 'both of whom were stiu bound to pay theManso, m his acute illustration of the Xewnonia Smrta'Bin.Beylage 12, 13 distinguishes three classes; those"< r2 Plutarch. Op. ii. p. 535. *Thucyd vii 28