54 HISTORY OF GREECE. to depart at once, to insure future admission by depositing thfl sum of fifty Corinthian drachmas. Though it might seem that the prospects of these new settlers were full of doubt and dan- ger, such was the confidence entertained in the metropolitan protection of Corinth, that many were found as well to join the fleet, as to pay down the deposit for the liberty of future junction. All these proceedings on the part of Corinth, though under- taken with intentional hostility towards Korkyra, had not been preceded by any formal proposition, such as was customary among Grecian states, a harshness of dealing arising not merely from her hatred towards Korkyra, but also from the peculiar political position of that island, which stood alone and isolated, not enrolled either in the Athenian or in the Lacedaemo- nian allianca The Korkyraeans, well aware of the serious prep- aration now going on at Corinth, and of the union among so many cities against them, felt themselves hardly a match for it alone, in spite of their wealth and their formidable naval force of one hundred and twenty triremes, inferior only to that of Athens. They made an effort to avert the storm by peaceable means, prevailing upon some mediators from Sparta and Sikyon to accompany them to Corinth ; where, while they required that the forces and settlers recently despatched to Epidamnus should be withdrawn, denying all right on the part of Corinth to inter- fere in that colony, they at the same time offered, if the point were disputed, to refer it for arbitration either to some impartial Peloponnesian city, or to the Delphian oracle ; such arbiter to determine to which of the two cities Epidamnus as a colony really belonged, and the decision to be obeyed by both. They solemnly deprecated recourse to arms, which, if persisted in, would drive them as a matter of necessity to seek new allies such as they would not willingly apply to. To this the Corin- thians answered, that they could entertain no proposition until the Korkyrasan besieging force was withdrawn from Epidamnus : whereupon the Ivorkyraeans rejoined that they would withdraw it at once, provided the new settlers and the troops sent by Corinth were removed at the same time. Either there ought to be this
reciprocal retireme it, or the Korkyrseans would acquiesce in
