SPARTA. THE HELLENIC WORLD. 19S ty of Sparta against them and her great superiority of force even reduced as she was, to all that they could muster lived i; perpetual dread of her attack. Their neighbors the Argeians, standing enemies of Sparta, were well-disposed to protect them ; but such aid was insufficient for their defence, without extra-Pelo- ponuesian alliance. Accordingly we shall find them leaning upon the support either of Thebes or of Athens, whichever could be had ; and ultimately even welcoming the arms of Philip of Mace- don, as protector against the inexpiable hostility of Sparta. Elig placed in the same situation with reference to Triphylia, as Sparta with reference to Messene complained that the Triphy- lians, whom she looked upon as subjects, had been admitted as freemen into the Arcadian federation. We shall find Sparta en deavoring to engage Elis in political combinations, intended to en- sure, to both, the recovery of lost dominion. 1 Of these combina- tions more will be said hereafter ; at present I merely notice the general fact that the degradation of Sparta, combined with her perpetually menaced aggression against Messene and Arcadia, disorganized Peloponnesus, and destroyed its powers of Pan-hel- lenic defence against the new foreign enemy now slowly arising. The once powerful Peloponnesian system was in fact complete- ly broken up. Corinth, Sikyon, Phlius, Troezen, and Epidaurus, valuable as secondary states and as allies of Sparta, were now detached from all political combination, aiming only to keep clear, each for itself, of all share in collision between Sparta and Thebes. 9 It would appear also that Corinth had recently been oppressed and disturbed by the temporary despotism of Timophanes, des- cribed in my last chapter ; though the date of that event cannot be precisely made out. But the grand and preponderating forces of Hellas now resided, for the first time in our history, without, and not within, Pelopon- nesus ; at Athens and Thebes. Both these cities were in full vigor and efficiency. Athens had a numerous fleet, a flourishing commerce, a considerable body of maritime and insular allies, 1 Demosthenes, Orat. pro Megalopolit. p. 203, 204, s. 6-10; p. 206. s. 18 -and indeed the whole Oration, which is an instructive exposition of jwlicy. 8 Xen Hellen vii. 4, 6, 10.
