Once restored to his native city, however, he played a crucial role in a string of Athenian victories that eventually brought Sparta to seek a peace with Athens. He favored unconventional tactics, frequently winning cities over by treachery or negotiation rather than by siege. Alcibiades' military and political talents frequently proved valuable to whichever state he worked for. His talent for making powerful enemies ensured that he never remained in one place for long. By the end of the war (which he had helped rekindle in the early 410s) his days of political power were a bygone memory.