406 HISTORY OF GREECE. party which introduced the Theban assailants into Platzea at tha commencement of the Peloponnesian war. There are of course differences of sentiment between one town and another ; but the conduct of the towns generally demonstrates that the Athenian empire was not felt by them to be a scheme of plunder and oppression, as Mr. Mitford and others would have us believe. It is indeed true that Athens managed her empire with reference '.o her own feelings and interests, and that her hold was rather upon the prudence than upon the affection of her allies, except in so far as those among them who were democratically governed sym- pathized with her democracy : it is also true that restrictions in any form on the autonomy of each separate city were offensive to the political instincts of the Greeks : moreover, Athens took less and less pains to disguise or soften the real character of her empire, as one resting simply on established fact and superior force. But this is a'different thing from the endurance of prac- tical hardship and oppression, which, had it been real, would have inspired strong positive hatred among the subject allies, such as Brasidas expected to find universal in Thrace, but did not really find, in spite of the easy opening which his presence afforded. The acquisition of Akanthus and Stageirus enabled Brasidas in no very long time to extend his conquests ; to enter Argil us, and from thence to make the capital acquisition of Amphipolis. Argilus was situated between Stageirus and the river Stry- mon, along the western bank of which river its territory extended. Along the eastern bank of the same river, south of the lake which it forms under the name of Kerkinitis, and north of the town of Eion at its mouth, was situated the town and territory of Amphipolis, communicating with the lands of Argilus by the important bridge there situated. The Argilians were colonists from Andros, like Akanthus and Stageirus, and the adhesion of those two cities to Brasidas gave him opportunity to cultivate intelligences in Argilus, wherein there had existed a standing discontent against Athens, ever since the foundation of the neigh- boring city of Amphipolis. 1 The latter city had been established
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