Ambassadorial appointments

At Sparta, as we have just seen, personal connections were one of the factors which could influence magisterial appointments. If we turn now to Athens, we can also see that there were clearly instances (although by no means all) where selection seems to have been influenced by an individual's connections, and I have set out below some of the best examples.

Nicias son of Niceratus

Nicias was one of the three generals who swore to the armistice with Sparta in 423. The Spartans also conducted their negotiations for peace in 421 through Nicias and Laches, to the disgust of Alcibiades, and Nicias is known to have had a xenia with the family of the Spartan king Pausanias son of Pleistoanax. In addition, when the Spartan envoys tried to prevent the Argive–Athenian alliance supported by Alcibiades in 420, Thucydides' narrative makes it clear that the Spartans again were working primarily through Nicias. What is more, after the earthquake prevented the Athenians making the alliance with the Argives, Nicias persuaded the Athenians to send ambassadors to Sparta with Nicias himself as one of them. Given his recent relations with Sparta, it was a suitable choice.

Aristophanes son of Nicophemus

Aristophanes had connections with Cyprus through his father Nicophemus (who lived there with his Cypriot wife and their children), and eagerly supported the interests of Cyprus and Euagoras king of Salamis in Athens.