AMBIGUOUS CONDUCT OF THE ARGIVES. 65 better than insolent encroachmeni, and incensed them so much that they desired the envoys to quit their territory before sunset, — preferring even a tributary existence under Persia to a formal degradation as compared with Sparta.1 Such was the story told by the Argeians themselves, but seem- ingly not credited either by any other Greeks or by Herodotus himself. The prevalent opinion Avas, that the Argeians had a secret understanding with Xerxes, and some even affirmed that they had been the parties who invited him into Greece, as a means both of protection and of vengeance to themselves against bparta after their defeat by Kleomenes. And Herodotus himself evidently believed that they medized, though he is half afraid to say so, and disguises his opinion in a cloud of words which be- tray the angry polemics going on about the matter, even fifty years afterwards.2 It is certain that in act the Argeians were ' Herodot. vii, 147-150. ' The opinion of Herodotus is delivered in a remarkable way, without mentioning the name of the Argeians, and with evident reluctance. After enumerating all the Grecian contingents assembled for the defence of the Isthmus, and the different inhabitants of Peloponnesus, ethnically classified, he proceeds to say: Tovruv uv tuv etctu. kdveuv ai Xoiiial 7r62.ic, Tvupe^ rwv KaTcXe^a, iK tov fieaov eKariaTO ■ ei de k^.Evdepug e^ectl eItteIv, EK rov fiiaov kbt^/ievoi kfir/dii^ov (viii, 73). This asseition in- cludes the Argeians without naming them. Where he speaks respecting the Argeians by name, he is by no means so free and categorical ; compare vii, 1 52, — he will give no opinion of hia own, differing from the allegation of the Argeians themselves, — he men« tions other stories, incompatible with that allegation, but without guaran- teeing their accuracy, — he delivers a general admonition that those who think they have great reason to complain of the conduct of others would generally find, on an impartial scrutiny, that others have as much reason to complain of them, — " and thus the conduct of Argos has not been so much worse than that of others," — ovtu Stj ovk 'Apysloca i aiox'-'y' a irETroiTjTai. At the beginning of the Peloponnesian war, when the history of Herod- otus was probably composed, the Argeians were in a peculiarly favorable position. They took part neither with Athens nor Lacedsemon, each of whom was afraid of offending them. An historian who openly counte- nanced a grave charge of treason against them in the memorable foregone combat against Xerxes, was thus Ukely to incur odium from both parties in Greece. The comments of Plutarch on Herodotus in respect to this matter are VOL. V. 5oc-
