for the Lesbians had no real grievance--and the statement that they
were in danger of losing their independence was a pure invention. But
they spoke to a partial audience, and the Spartans had already
prejudged the case in their favour. It was therefore decided to
receive them into the Peloponnesian alliance, and orders were issued
to the allies to assemble at the Isthmus with two-thirds of their
forces for an immediate invasion of Attica. The Spartans, acting with
unusual vigour, were the first to appear at the Isthmus, where they
made preparations for hauling ships overland from the northern harbour
of Corinth, intending to attack Athens by sea and land. But the rest
of the confederates came in but slowly, as they were engaged in
getting in their harvest, and had little inclination for a second
campaign.

The Spartans soon found out that they were mistaken in supposing the
energies of Athens to be exhausted. Without moving their fleet from
Lesbos, the Athenians manned a hundred triremes, raising the crews
from the whole body of the citizens, with the exception of the knights
and the wealthiest class of the Solonian census, and pressing even
resident foreigners into the service; and with this imposing force
they made an armed demonstration before the eyes of their enemies at
the Isthmus, and then, coasting along Peloponnesus, made descents
wherever they pleased. This spirited conduct produced the desired
effect. For the Spartans, who were still waiting for their allies at
the Isthmus, saw themselves baffled in all their calculations, and
concluded that they had been misinformed by the Lesbians as to the
state of affairs at Athens; and hearing that their own coast-lands
were being ravaged by the Athenian fleet, they hastily decamped, and
the plan of a second invasion came to nothing.