find out
why the Lacedaemonians were so unyielding about the walls; whether it
was they really intended to enslave the city, or merely that they wanted
a guarantee of good faith. Despatched accordingly, he lingered on with
Lysander for three whole months and more, watching for the time when the
Athenians, at the last pinch of starvation, would be willing to accede
to any terms that might be offered. At last, in the fourth month, he
returned and reported to the public assembly that Lysander had detained
him all this while, and had ended by bidding him betake himself to
Lacedaemon, since he had no authority himself to answer his questions,
which must be addressed directly to the ephors. After this Theramenes
was chosen with nine others to go to Lacedaemon as ambassadors with
full powers. Meanwhile Lysander had sent an Athenian exile, named
Aristoteles, in company of certain Lacedaemonians, to Sparta to report
to the board of ephors how he had answered Theramenes, that they, and
they alone, had supreme authority in matters of peace and war.

(5) Or, "they refused to treat for peace."

(6) Sellasia, the bulwark of Sparta in the valley of the Oenus.

(7) The MSS. have "in the neighbourhood of," which words are
inappropriate at this date, though they may well have been added
by some annotator after the Cleomenic war and the battle of
Sellasia, B.C. 222, when Antigonus of Macedon destroyed the place
in the interests of the Achaean League.

Theramenes and his companions presently reached Sellasia, and being
there questioned as to the reason of their visit, replied that they had
full powers to treat of peace. After which the ephors ordered them to
be summoned to their presence. On their arrival a general assembly was
convened, in which the Corinthians and Thebans more particularly, though
their views were shared by many other Hellenes also, urged the meeting
not to come to terms with the Athenians, but to destroy them. The
Lacedaemonians replied that they would never reduce to slavery a city
which was itself an integral portion of Hellas, and had performed a
great and noble service to Hellas in the most perilous of emergencies.
On the contrary, they were willing to offer peace on the terms now
specified--namely, "That the long walls and the fortifications of
Piraeus should be destroyed; that the Athenian fleet, with the exception
of twelve vessels, should be surrendered; that the exiles should be
restored