Whatever motive the Athenians had for engaging in this war, Who are they fent Pericles against the Samians with a fleet of 40 fail. He reduced having presently brought them into fubjection, began to change by Pericles. all things according to his will, establishing a democracy, and requiring 50 hostages of principal perfons, with as many children, to be delivered to him. On this occafion all imaginable methods were tried to foften him; the hoftages offered him each a talent, by way of ranfom; those who difliked the democracy, proferred him a large fum of money, if he would leave the government as he found it; and the Perfian governor of Sardis, rather than that a democracy fhould have been established, would have given 10,000 pieces of gold. Pericles, however, having no refpect to money, refused to alter what he had establifhed, and carried away the hoftages to Lemnos. After his departure, the Samians fell into mighty diffenfions, The Saand fome of them who had fled to Sardis, having procured from mians the governor 700 men, furprized the Athenian garrifon in Samos, drive out and expelled them from thence. Having alfo procured their the Athehoftages to be privately fent away from Lemnos, and drawn the nian garByzantines to their party, they declared themselves open enemies rifon. to Athens. The Samians and their allies fitted out a fleet of 70 fail, but were defeated in a naval engagement by Pericles, who had only 44 fhips. He then invefted Samos by fea and land, Their city his fleet being reinforced by 65 veffels. After a nine months taken a fiege, in which the Athenians, for the first time, are faid to have fecond ufed military engines; the Samians were obliged to furrender, time by upon which Pericles demolished their walls, feized their fhips, Pericles. and mulcted them in the whole expence of the war, part of which he obliged them to pay down, and took hoftages for the remainder. Pericles, upon his return to Athens, procured himself to be appointed to pronounce the public oration, in commemoration of fuch as fell in the war. He celebrated the praises of the deceased with fuch eloquence, that when he had finished, the women gathered about him, took him by the hand, and crowned him with garlands. Elpinice, the fifter of Cimon, however, loaded him with reproaches, for having deftroyed fo many citizens merely from his private ambition and refentment. The Athenians, as may be concluded from Thucydides, conceived highly of Pericles for this expedition, as the Samians were then fo flourishing, as to be looked upon by them as formidable rivals. The oration, which procured Pericles fo great applause, was fuppofed by the moft intelligent Athenians to have been compofed by Afpafia, who attended him in the expedition *. The Athenians foon after entering into an alliance with the Corcyrans, were drawn thereby into thofe engagements, which at laft proved the ruin of their state. This alliance was formed Plut. in vit. Pericl. Athen. 1. xiii. Cicero in Bruto. Diod. Sic. 1. xii. Thucyd. 1. i. rans a ans. on the following occafion: An inteftine war breaking out in the little territory of Epidamnum, now Durazzo, founded by the Corcyrans, one party called in the Illyrians to their affiftance, and the other applied to the people of Corcyra, but being neglected by them, they had recourfe to Corinth, owning her for their foundrefs, as the Corcyrans were a Corinthian colony. The Corinthians, by a powerful fleet, thoroughly established the party that applied to them, which the Corcyrans refenting, fent a fleet to Epidamnum to support the exiles. Nothing of confequence was done that year, but the year after the Corcyrans beat the Corinthians and their allies at fea, and took Epidamnum by ftorm. The Corinthians making great preparations for retrieving their honour, the Corcyrans inftantly dispatched ambassadors to carry their complaints to Athens, and the Corinthians, on receiving this news, difpatched theirs likewife, both on the fame errand and with equal hopes. Nothing could be more glorious for the Athenians than fuch an application as this, which feemed to acknowledge the legality of that dominion, which they had for many years affected. The The Athe- Athenian people in their general affembly, at firft approved the nians de- caufe of the Corinthians, but afterwards changing their opinion, clare for probably on the remonftrances of Pericles, they made an althe Corry liance with the Corcyrans. They did not, however, conclude an offenfive and defenfive league with them, because, by such a gainst the step, Athens would immediately have broken with Corinth and Corinth all her allies. Both parties only agreed to fuccour each other mutually, in case they should be attacked. From Thucydides it appears, that the real defign of the Athenians was to keep up the difference betwixt the Corcyrans and Corinthians, who were both very powerful, and after each fhould have exhaufted the other, to triumph over the weakeft. They had alfo defigns upon Italy and Sicily, which the poffeffion of the ifland of Corcyra would very much promote. They accordingly fent the Corcyrans only ten gallies, under the command of Lacedæmonius, the fon of Cimon, with orders, however, not to act offenfively against the Corinthians. Soon after the Corinthians and their allies failed to Corcyra with a fleet of 150 fail, and the Corcyrans appearing at fea with a fleet of 120 fail, the Athenian fquadron included, a battle enfued, which was fought with great obftinacy. The advantages and the loffes on both fides being nearly equal, each party claimed the victory. The Corcyrans next day being reinforced with 20 Athenian fhips, went to the port of Cibotis, oppofite to Corcyra, and braved the Corinthians, who thought it prudent not to hazard a fecond engagement. revolts The Corinthians making loud complaints against the Athenians, thefe laft, fearing that the Potideans, who were a Corinthian colony, but fubject to them, fhould revolt, ordered them to demolish a part of their wall, to fend back the magiftrates they from the had received from Corinth, and give hoftages for their own behaAthenians. viour. Demands of fo unjuft a nature only fomented the revolt. The Potidæans declared against the Athenians, and feveral neigh heighbouring cities followed their example. Both Athens and Corinth fending forces thither, a battle was fought near Potidea, in which the Athenians had the advantage, but with the loss of their general Callias. Alcibiades, who was then very young, and Socrates, his mafter, fignalized themselves in this action, and the prize of valour was decreed to Alcibiades. The Potideans ftill refufing to fubmit, their city was invefted by the Athenians, under the command of Phormio. The city of Athens in the mean time was far from enjoying The Athe tranquillity. Pericles, by his intereft with the people, having nians difprevailed on them to banish Thucydides, a nobleman of great contented merit, who had vigorously oppofed his innovations, from that with the time forward began to change his behaviour, and acted more adminilike a prince than a private man. He procured all things to be fration of at his difpofal, and took the whole management of the Athenian Pericles. affairs, at home and abroad, upon himself. The Athenians, now seeing themselves threatened with a dangerous war, began to be out of humour with Pericles, and made no fcruple of pro- They acfecuting his friends. His enemies accufed the famous ftatuary cufe his Phidias, of having embezzled part of the gold delivered to him friends. for the statue of Minerva. Phidias, however, cleared himself; for having laid on the gold fo that it could be removed without injuring the figure, it was taken off, and its weight found to be juft. The Athenians having accufed him befides of having introduced in the fhield of the goddefs a picture of Pericles fighting with an Amazon, he was, according to fome, dragged to prifon, where he died, or according to others was banifhed. Afpafia was next accused of impiety, and alfo for being a pro- Afpafia curels to Pericles, and feducing the wives and daughters of Athe- accuted. nian citizens. Pericles, who then lived with Afpafia as his wife, faved her with the utmost difficulty. He appeared for her in per- Being defon, and in the midft of his pleadings let fall a fhower of tears fended by like a child, which was the more remarkable, because he had Pericles, never been known to weep before; and thus, either the force fhe is acof his eloquence, or the fight of his grief, engaged the judges quitted: to acquit her. accu A decree of the people being likewife paft, by which infor- Anaxago mations were ordered to be taken out against all fuch perfons as ras denied what was afcribed to the miniftry of the gods, Anaxagoras, fed of imthe famous philofopher and preceptor of Pericles, was accufed piety, and of impiety. Pericles, fenfible that the philofophical notions of obliged to Anaxagoras could by no art be juftified, before the fuperfti- leave As tious people, wifely fent him out of Attica, with this mark of tica. refpect, however, that he attended him in perfon (L). (1) Authors differ greatly in their accounts of this accufation of Anaxagoras. According to Laertius, he was accused of af VOL. II. The ferting, that the fun was a burning plate, was fined five talents, and was banished. Satyrus lays, he was accufed by Thucydides of Z impiety, Pericles The difcontented party seeing that the people received thefe accufation with pleasure, at length impeached Pericles himself, himfelf of embezzling the public money during his adminiftration. accused. The final decifion of his caufe was committed to 1500 judges, who were to write their fuffrages upon billets taken from the aitars. Pericles was not greatly concerned at this perfonal accufation, as he was known to be above corruption, and had acted during his adminiftration with great economy, and the stricteft juftice in pecuniary affairs. During the fiege of Potidea, the Corinthians and their allies fent a deputation to Lacedæmon, to complain of the Athenians, The Spar- as having infringed the articles of peace. The Spartans, from tans re- a jealoufy of the Athenian greatness, hearkened to the complaints quire re- of the Corinthians, and refolved upon a war, and fent ambassaparation dors to Athens to demand reparation for the public injuries. Acof wrongs cording to Thucydides, they demanded, in the first place, the exfrom the pulfion of the defcendants of Cylon and his affociates, who had Athenians. violated the fanctuary of Minerva; they next infifted that the fiege of Potidea fhould be raifed; that the inhabitants of Egina fhould be left free; that the decree made against the Megarians, whereby they were forbid the ports and markets of Athens on pain of death, fhould be revoked; and that the Grecian states, which were under the dominion of Athens, fhould be fet at liberty. Their Pericles perfuaded the Athenians to reject these terms; fome terms re- think from perfonal motives, but moft probably from his conje&ted. cern for what he thought the public good. According to Thucydides, he fhewed the Athenians that they were better able to engage in a long and expenfive war than the Peloponnefians, and advifed them to propofe the following terms to the Lacedæmsnians, namely, that they would reverfe their decree against Megara, if the Lacedæmonians would allow free egrefs and regrefs In their territories to the Athenians and their allies; that they impiety, and of holding intelli- verfe in the beautiful order in which we now fee it. The fun, according to his notion, was a burning mafs, many times bigger than the Peloponnef. He held the moon to be a dark body, enlightened by the fun; and he afferted alfo, that the stars were earthy. He lived, after his banishment, at Lampfacus, and was fo little affected therewith, that when a perfon told him one day, You are deprived of the Athenians, he anfwered, You are mistaken, friend, they are deprived of me. Laert. in vit. Anax. Plut. in vit. Pericl. Id. de fuperftit. would would leave all thofe ftates free, who were free at the making of the laft peace with Sparta, provided the Spartans would alfo leave all ftates free that were under their dominion; that they would fubmit the decifion of their differences to arbitration, and would not commit the first hoftilities. The Spartan ambassadors returning with this anfwer, the negociation was broke off, and the famous Peloponnefian war foon after broke out, the minuteft circumstances of which have been preferved to us by Thucydides and Xenophon, hiftorians cotemporary with the tranfactions they relate, and by Diodorus Siculus. The first act of hoftility was committed by the Thebans, who Plater furprised Platea, a city of Boeotia, in alliance with Athens. furprifed They were introduced into the city by treachery; but the ci- by the tizens falling upon them in the night, killed them all, except Thebanse about 180, whom they made prifoners. Thefe, however, a little while after they put to death, contrary to their promife.. The Athenians, as foon as they had notice of this attempt of the Thebans, caufed all the Baotians in their territory to be arrefted, and fent fuccours and provifions to Platea. The league being now broken on both fides, each party prepar- Both par ed for war, and fought to strengthen themfelves by the alliance of ties prethe Greeks and Perfians, to whom they fent embaffies. Moft of pare for the Grecian ftates were inclined to the Lacedæmonians, because war. they profeffed themselves on this occafion the deliverers of Greece, of which they looked upon the Athenians as the oppreffors. With the Spartans joined all the Peloponnefians, except the Argives and part of the Achæans, who remained neuter. Their allies, without the Peloponnefe, were the Megarians, The allies Phocians, Locrians, Baotians, Ambracotes, Leucadians, and of both. Anatorians. The confederates of the Athenians were the Chians, Lefbians, Plataans, Mefenians of Naupactus, the Acarnanians, Corcyrans, Zacynthians, Carians, Dorians, Thracians, the iflands for the most part, and all the Cyclades, excepting Melus and Thera, with Eubea and Samos. The Lacedæmonians affembled their army at the Ifthmus, but The beArchidamas, the Spartan king and commander in chief, before ginning of he would enter Attica, difpatched a herald to Athens; but the the PeloAthenians would not even admit him to enter their city, having, ponnefian by the advice of Pericles, made a decree, that no ambaffadors war. fhould be received from the Lacedaemonians till they had laid down their arms. Pericles, fufpecting that Archidamas, who was his friend, would forbid the plundering of his eftates, acquainted the people with his fufpicions, and declared that in fuch a cafe, he made a prefent of his lands to the public. He advifed them not to think of defending their country feats, but to turn all their care to the city; to bufy themselves, especially in equipping their fhips, and to be firmly refolved, not to be intimidated with the firft evils of war. The Athenians readily affented to all his propofals, and appointed him, with nine more, generals of all their forces. They not only removed their effects from the country, but pulled down their houses, and even car Z 2 ried |