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

400 THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE
their way. They tried to regain internal harmony by restoring civil
and political rights to those who had been deprived of them in previous
political conflicts, especially during the time of the Four Hundred."
They also resolved not to surrender.
When the Spartans saw that the Athenians were determined to resist,
they withdrew the large Peloponnesian army under Pausanias, leaving
Agis' force to conduct the siege by land. 86 At the same time, Lysander
sailed off to carry on the siege of Samos, leaving enough ships to
maintain the blockade he had decreed. 87 For some weeks the Athenians
held firm and did not communicate with the enemy, but by November
food had begun to run low." Perhaps the Athenians were also encouraged
by the withdrawal of the main Spartan army and fleet to
believe that the Spartans would be ready to grant an acceptable peace,
since their hopes of a quick capitulation had faded. 89 Probably about
this time, shortly before the withdrawal of the great Peloponnesian
army under Pausanias and the departure of Lysander to Samos, the
Spartans called a congress of its allies to discuss the fate of Athens,
whenever it should fall. 90 This must have been the first time when
Thebes, Corinth, and other vengeful states proposed the total destruction
of Athens. 91 On this occasion, if Pausanias is right, they were
supported by both Agis and Lysander, who, "on their own initiative
and without the approval of the Spartan assembly, brought a proposal
before the allies to destroy Athens root and branch.,., Whether or not
they knew of the mood of the congress, the Athenians sent an embassy
to Agis at Decelea offering to make peace and to join the Spartan
alliance on condition that they keep their walls and the Piraeus. 93 By
implication they abandoned their empire, which was already lost, but
85 Xen. l.l.IIi And. 1.73-79i Lys. 25.17.
86
Diod. IJ.I07·3·
87
Hamilton, Sparta's Bitter Victories, 45·
86 Xenophon (1.1. 11) says that the food had given out entirely and that people were
starving to death, but he must be mistaken, for the Athenians did not surrender for
another three months. For the chronology, see Lotze, Lysander, 41.
89
[ take this to be the import of Hamilton's suggestion (Sparta's Bitter Victories, 45),
endorsed by Krentz (Thirty, 30).
90
This time for the discussion is proposed by Hamilton (Sparta's Bitter Victories, p),
and it seems entirely likely that the allies will have wanted to discuss this question
with the Spartans before disbanding.
91
See above, n. 14.
n3. 8 .6. For a defense of the historicity of Pausanias' report and also of the apparently
contradictory one in Polyaenus I ·45. 5, see Hamilton, Sparta's Bitter Victories, so-p.
91
Xen. z.z. I 1.