^{page 66 note 1} ‘It has been generally recognized that this is one of those passages in which the influence of Alcmaeonid tradition can be detected. It is an obvious inference from the phrasing that the embassy was sent soon after the recall of Cleisthenes: that is, it was sent at a moment when his influence was at its height. … It follows that the policy of sending the embassy to Sardes must have been the policy of Cleisthenes himself. That Cleisthenes … should have imagined that Persian aid could be obtained on any other condition than that of giving earth and water … is incredible. … It is not less incredible that he should have sent the envoys without instructions on the question of earth and water. What is most incredible of all is that the envoys should have ventured to give earth and water without these instructions’

^{page 67 note 1} Mr. Walker says: ‘It would be too much to say that our knowledge of these reforms [of Cleisthenes] as compared with what was surmised on the subject before the recovery of Aristotle's Constitution of Athens is as light to darkness, but it is no exaggeration to say it is as noon-day compared with twilight.’ It would be more exact to say it is as twilight to almost utter darkness.