match for Sparta on land, and could
safely leave to that city of warriors the temporary dominion of Attic
soil.

This advice was taken. When the Spartan army came near Attica all its
people left their fields and homes and sought refuge, as once before,
within the walls of their capacious capital city. Over the Attic plain
marched the invaders, destroying the summer crops, burning the farmers'
homesteads, yet recoiling in helpless rage before those strong walls
behind which lay the whole population of the state. From the city, as we
know, long and high walls stretched away to the sea and invested the
seaport town of Piraeus, within whose harbor lay the powerful Athenian
fleet. And in the treasury of the city rested an abundant supply of
money,--the sinews of war,--with whose aid food and supplies could be
brought from over the seas. In vain, then, did Sparta ravage the fields
of Attica. The people of that desolated realm defied them from behind
their city walls.

When winter came the invaders retired and the farmers went back to their
fields. In the spring they ploughed and sowed as of yore, and watched in
hope the growing crops. But with the summer the Spartans came again, to
destroy their hopes of a harvest, and the country people once more fled
for safety to their great city's defiant walls.

It was a strange spectacle, that of a powerful invading army wreaking
their wrath year after year on deserted fields, and gnashing their teeth
in impotent rage before lofty and well-defended walls and ramparts,
behind which lay their foes, little the worse for all that their malice
could perform.

Athens felt secure, and laughed her enemy to scorn. Unhappily for her, a
new enemy was at hand, against whom the mightiest walls were of no
avail. Sparta gained an unthought-of ally, and death stalked at large in
the Athenian streets, silent and implacable, without clash of weapon or
shout of war, yet more fatal and merciless than would have been the
strongest army in the field.

Athens was crowded. The country people filled all available space. There
was little attention to drainage or sanitary regulations. An open
invitation was given to pestilence, and the invited enemy came. For some
years before the plague had been at its deadly work in Egypt and Libya,
and in parts of Persian Asia. Then it made its appearance in some of the
Grecian islands. Finally its wings of destruction were folded over
Athens, and it settled down in terr