The tameness with which Sparta had looked on during the siege of Melos, the feeble resistance which she offered to the incursions of the Athenian garrison at Pylus, the vacillation and timidity which she betrayed in her transactions with Argos, and with her allies in Macedonia and Thrace, encouraged Athens to resume the projects of aggrandizement which the events of the war had compelled her for a time to lay aside. We have seen how ill she brooked the disappointment which she had suffered through the sudden termination to which the quarrels of the Sicilian Greeks had been brought by Hermocrates; and she had since shown that she only waited for an opportunity of renewing her enterprises in their island. Such an opportunity had appeared to present itself not long after the departure of the armament commanded by Eurymedon. The Leontines, when they saw the Athenians withdrawn, thought it expedient to prepare themselves, as well as they could, against the attacks which, notwithstanding the counsels of Hermocrates, they had always reason to apprehend from Syracuse. It seems to have been chiefly with this view that they admitted a large body of new citizens. But it was necessary to provide for these new settlers; and this could not be done without in some way disturbing the previous state of property. A proposal was accordingly made, and obtained general approbation among the commonalty, for a repartition of land.