The Fall of the Athenian Empire-(A New History of the Peloponnesian War) Donald Kagan - (1987)

THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT I 29
chus had in mind, that is, a trap. No doubt this was a major reason
for not accepting the invitation, and the easiest way to deal with it
would have been simply to ignore the second letter. The likely result
would have been the arrest and execution of Phrynichus, but the
conspiracy to bring back Alcibiades and to use him to win over Tissaphernes
would go forward and continue to threaten the Spartan
cause. Astyochus, instead, revealed the contents of the second letter
to Alcibiades and Tissaphernes. 89 This will have had the effect of
making it clear that the plot to restore Alcibiades to Athens was still
under way. That information could only have the effect of further
undermining Alcibiades' influence with the sa trap and making it harder
to carry out his promises at Sparta's expense!"
A further result was that Phrynichus was able to warn the Athenians
of the alleged attack and entirely to undermine Alcibiades' letter. Instead
of doing Phrynichus harm, it confirmed his warning and strengthened
his position for the time being. On the other hand, it increased
distrust of Alcibiades in the Athenian camp!' The incident clearly
had caused a rift between Tissaphernes and Alcibiades, creating an
impossible situation for the latter when the conspirators finally sent
an embassy to Magnesia to negotiate with the satrap. The collapse of
those conversations put an end to the oligarchic conspirators' interest
in restoring Alcibiades and led to the achievement of a new treaty
between Sparta and Persia." The Spartans could hardly have asked
more of their navarch than to achieve such results in dealing with such
experienced and wily maneuverers as Alcibiades, Phrynichns, and
Tissaphernes. Perhaps he was not so simple after all. The movement
against democracy in Athens no longer involved the prospect of having
Alcibiades work against Sparta and bring Persian aid to Athens. Either
89
8.so.s. Thucydides says that Astyochus gave the letter to Alcibiades, but there is
no reason to bdieve that he did not reveal it to Tissaphemes as well.
90
Westlake (}HS LXXVI [1956], 103) believes that Astyochus showed the second
letter because he trusted Alcibiades more than Phrynichus and bocause he "was convinced
that Alkibiades still favoured the Pcloponnesian cause and was not intriguing
to win the support of Tissaphernes for Athens." Astyochus, however, not only knew
of Alcibiadcs' double betrayal but had himself been ordered by the Spartan government
to put the traitor to death. [-lad he believed in Alcibiades' continued commitment to
the Spartan cause after all that, he would have been simpler than even a Spartan has
a right to be.
918.5J.J.
92
For the rift, see 8. 56.2; for the embassy and its outcome, 8. 56; for the treaty, 8. 57-
58.