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#36 ANCIENT GREECE. [CHAP, xvi.still more so.Though geographically united, they cannotbe said to have formed one political system. A lasting unionwas never established between the Grecian states ; and atransitory and very imperfect one was effected only in timesof danger, as in the Persian wars.But even this imperfect union was productive of importantresults. The league which was then established, producedthe idea of the supremacy of an individual state. It has already been shown, in what manner Athens managed to acquire this rank, and in what manner that city turned it toadvantage but we have also shown, that a partial supremacy;alone existed, embracing only the seaports and the islands,and therefore necessarily restingfor its support on the dominion of the seas on each side of Greece, and consequentlyon a navy.This was a result of the political relations and the natureof the league. But the consciousness of superiority excitedthose who were possessedof it to abuse it ;and the alliesbegan to be oppressed. Athens, having once established itsgreatness on this supremacy, would not renounce it whenthe ancient motives had ceased to operate after the peacewith the Persians. Individual states attempted to reclaimby force the independence, which was not voluntarily conceded to them. This led to wars with them ;and hencethe dominion of the sea was followed by all the other evils,of which even Isocrates complains.1The chief reason of this internal division did not liemerely in vacillating political relations, but more deeply intlie difference of tribes. There was a gulf between the Dorian and Ionian, which never could be filledup a ; voluntaryunion of the two for any length of time was impossible.Several causes may be mentioned, as having contributed torender this division incurable. The tribes were dividedgeographically. In the mother country, the Dorian had theascendency in the Peloponnesus, the Ionian in Attica,Euboea, and many of the islands. Their dialects were different ;a few words were sufficient to show to which tribea man belonged. The difference in manners was hardly lessconsiderable, especially with relation to the female sex, whichamong the Dorians participated in public life while ; amongst1Isocrat. de Pace, Op. p. 176.