http://www.idbsu.edu/courses/hy101/peloponn/08.htm

The Peace of Nicias

 The treaty did not end the war, but it was to be a thirty year truce. It lasted only seven years, and even then there were skirmishes. But this stretch of years was essentially a breathing space for both sides, and Nicias was the political beneficiary of it. The aristocrats went back to the farms and were content.

 As you might expect, the war party did not simply vanish. The common citizens of Athens had prospered in the war, for the navy employed many of them, directly or indirectly. The quarrel with Sparta was by no means settled, and there were plenty of incidents during the years of "peace" to provide fuel for agitators.

 What the pro-war faction lacked was a leader, someone of Nicias' stature. When one finally emerged, he turned out to be more than a match for the old aristocrat.

History of Western Civilization