voys, one of whom
happened to be his personal friend; and he advised them not to tell the
Assembly that they were furnished with full powers, as in that case the
people would bully them into extravagant concessions, but rather to say
that they were merely come to discuss and report. He promised, if they
did so, to speak in their favour, and induce the Assembly to grant the
restitution of Pylus, to which he himself had hitherto been the chief
obstacle. Accordingly on the next day, when the ambassadors were
introduced into the Assembly, Alcibiades, assuming his blandest tone
and most winning smile, asked them on what footing they came and what
were their powers. In reply to these questions, the ambassadors, who
only a day or two before had told Nicias and the Senate that they were
come as plenipotentiaries, now publicly declared, in the face of the
Assembly, that they were not authorized to conclude, but only to
negotiate and discuss. At this announcement, those who had heard their
previous declaration could scarcely believe their ears. A universal
burst of indignation broke forth at this exhibition of Spartan
duplicity; whilst, to wind up the scene, Alcibiades, affecting to be
more surprised than any, distinguished himself by being the loudest and
bitterest in his invectives against the perfidy of the Lacedaemonians.

Shortly afterwards Alcibiades procured the completion of a treaty of
alliance for 100 years with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea (B.C. 420). Thus
were the Grecian states involved in a complicity of separate and often
apparently opposite alliances. It was evident that allies so
heterogeneous could not long hold together; nevertheless, nominally at
least, peace was at first observed.

In the July which followed the treaty with Argos, the Olympic games,
which recurred every fourth year, were to be celebrated. The Athenians
had been shut out by the war from the two previous celebrations; and
curiosity was excited throughout Greece to see what figure Athens would
make at this great Pan-Hellenic festival. War, it was surmised, must
have exhausted her resources, and would thus prevent her from appearing
with becoming splendour. But from this reproach she was rescued by the
wealth and vanity, if not by the patriotism, of Alcibiades. By his
care, the Athenian deputies exhibited the richest display of golden
ewers, censers, and other plate to be used in the public sacrifice and
procession; whilst for the games he