(z) Plutarch makes the fame reflection, and wifely obferves, that the honour which is paid to great men ought not to be looked upon as the reward of their illuftrious actions, but only as a mark of the esteem of them, whereof füch monuments are intended to perpetuate the remembrance. It is not then the ftateliness or magnificence of publick monuments, which gives them their value, or makes them durable, but the fincere gratitude of thofe that erect them. The three hundred statues of Demetrius Phalereus were all thrown down even in his own life-ume, but the picture in which Miltiades's courage was reprefented was preferved many ages after him. (a) This picture was kept at Athens in a gallery, adorned and enriched with different paintings, all excellent in their kind, and done by the greatest mafters; which for that reafon was called in, fignifying varied and diverfined. The cele brated Polygnotus, a native of the ifle of Thafos, and one of the finest painters of his time, painted this picture, or at least the greatest part of it; and, as he valued himself upon his honour, and was more attached to glory than intereft, he did it gratis, and would not receive any recompence for it. The city of Athens therefore rewarded him with a fort of coin, that was more acceptable to his tafte, by procuring an order from the Amphictyons to appoint him a publick lodging in the city, where he might live during his own pleasure. (p) The gratitude of the Athenians towards Miltiades was of no very long duration. After the battle of Marathon, he defired and obtained the command of a fleet of feventy fhips, in order to punih and fubdue the islands that had favoured the Barbarians. Accordingly he reduced feveral of them: But having had ill fuccefs in the ifle of Paros, and upon a falfe report of the arrival of the enemy's fleet, having raifed the fiege which he had laid to the capital city, wherein he had received a very dangerous wound, he returned to Athens with his fleet; and was there impeached by a citizen, called Xanthippus, who accufed him of having raifed the fiege through treachery, and in confideration of a great fum of money given him by the king of Perfia. As little probability as there was in this ac cufation, it nevertheless took place against the merit and inno cence of Miltiades. (g) He was condemned to lose his life, and to be thrown into the Barathrum; a sentence paffed only upon the greatest criminals and malefactors. The magiftrate (n) In præc. de rep. ger, p. 820. (0) Plin. 1. xxxv. c. 9. 1..v. c. 132, 136. Cor. Nep. in Milt. c. vii, vii. Georg P. 519. opposed (p) Herod. (9) Plut. in Οὐ γὰρ μισθὸν εἶναι δεν τῆς πράξεως, ἀλλὰ σύμβολον, τὴν τιμὴν, ἵνα διαμένη πολύν χρόνου. 1 oppofed the execution of fo unjust a condemnation. All the favour fhewn to this preferver of his country, was to have the fentence of death commuted into a penalty of fifty talents, or fifty thoufand crowns French money, heing the fum to which the expences of the fleet, that had been equipped upon his folicitation and advice, amounted. Not being rich enough to pay this fum, he was put into prifon, where he died of the wound he had received at Paros. Cimon, his fon, who was at this time very young, fignalized his piety on this occafion, as we fhall find in the fequel he did his courage afterwards. He purchafed the permiffion of burying his father's body, by paying the fine of fifty thoufand crowns, in which he had been condemned; which fum the young man raifed, as well as he could, by the affiftance of his friends and relations. Cornelius Nepos obferves, that what chiefly induced the Athenians to act in this manner, with regard to Miltiades, was only his merit and great reputation, which made the people, who were but lately delivered from the yoke of flavery under Pififtratus, apprehend, that Miltiades, who had been tyrant before in the Cherfonefus, might affect the fame at Athens. They therefore chofe rather to punish an innocent perfon, than to be under perpetual apprehenfions of him. To this fame principle was the inftitution of the oftracifm at Athens owing (r) I have elsewhere given an account of the mo plaufible reafons, upon which the oftracifm could be founded: But I do not fee how we can fully juftify fo frange a policy, to which all merit becomes fufpected, and virtue itfelf appears criminal. 6) This appears plainly in the banishment of Ariflides. His inviolable attachment to juftice obliged him on many occafions to oppofe Themistocles, who did not pique himself upon his delicacy in that refpect, and who fpared no intrigues and cabals to engage the fuffrages of the people, for removing a rival who always oppofed his ambitious defigns. + This is a frange inftance, that a perfon may be fuperior in merit and virtue, without being fo in credit. The impetuous eloquence of Themiftocles bore down the juftice of Ariftides, and occafioned his banishment. In this kind of trial the citizens gave their fuffrages by writing the name of the accufed perfon upon a (r) Man, d'Etud. Tom. iii. p. 407. * Hæc populus refpiciens maluit eum innocentem pleci, quàm fe diutius efle in timore. In his cognitum eft, quanto an. tifaret eloquentia innocentiæ. Quanquam enim adeo excellebat Aristides fhell, (1) Plut. in Arift. p. 322, 323. abftinentia, ut unus poft hominum memoriam, quod quidem nos audieri. mus, cognomine Juflus fit appellatus; tamen à Themiftocle collabefa&tus tefulâ illâ exilio decem annorum multatus eft. Cor. Nep. in Arif, 66 fhell, called in Greek spanov, from whence came the term of tracifm. On this occafion, a peafant, who could not write, and did not know Ariftides, applied to himself, and defired him to put the name of Ariftides upon his hell. "Has be "done you any wrong," faid Ariftides, "that you are for condemning him in this manner ?” "No," replied the other, "I do not fo much as know him; but I am quite tired and angry with hearing every body call him the Juft." Ariftides, without faying a word more, calmly took the fhell, wrote his own name in it, and returned it. He fet out for his banishment, imploring the gods that no accident might befall his country to make it regret him. The great Camillus, in a like cafe, did not imitate his generofity, and prayed to a quite different effect, defiring the gods to force his ungrateful country by fome misfortune to have occafion for his aid, and recall him as foon as poffible. (1) O happy republick, cries out Valerius Maximus, fpeaking of Ariftides's banishment, which after having fo bafely treated the moft virtuous man it ever produced, has still been able to find citizens zealously and faithfully attached to her fervice! Felices Athenas, quæ poft illius exilium invenire aliquem: aut virum bonum, aut amantem fui civem potuerunt; cum quo tune ipfa fanctitas migravit ! SECT. VIII, DARIUS refolves to make war in perfon against EGYPT and against GREECE: Is prevented by death. Difpute between two of his fons, concerning the fucceffion to the crown. XERXES is chofen king. (u) W WHEN Darius received the news of the defeat of his army at Marathon, he was violently enraged; and that bad fuccefs was fo far from difcouraging or diverting. him from carrying on the war against Greece, that it only ferved to animate him to purfue it with the greater vigour, in order to be revenged at the fame time for the burning of Sardis, and for the difhonour incurred at Marathon. Being thus determined to march in person with all his forces, he dispatched orders to all his fubjects in the feveral provinces of his empire to arm themselves for this expedition. After having spent three years in making the neceffary preparations, he had another war to carry on, occafioned by the (t) Val. Max. 1. v. c. 3. (u) Herod. 1. vii. c. 1. revolt • In exilium abiit, precatus ab diis rium fui civitati ingratiæ facerunte immortalibus, fi exilio fibi ea injuria | Liv. 1. v. n. 32. Beret, primo quoque tempore defide of jealoufy giving way to the love of the publick good: And by this day's behaviour we may learn, that it is almost as glorious to acknowledge merit in other perfons, as to have it in one's felf. Miltiades however thought fit to wait till his own day came. Then, like an able captain, he endeavoured by the advantage of the ground to gain what he wanted in ftrength and number. He drew up his army at the foot of a mountain, that the enemy fhould not be able either to furround him, or charge him in the rear. On the two fides of his army he cauled large trees to be thrown, which were cut down on purpofe, in order to cover his flanks, and render the Perfian cavalry ufelefs. Datis, their commander, was very fenfible, that the place was not advantageous for him: But, relying upon the number of his troops, which was infinitely fuperior to that of the Athenians; and, on the other hand, not being willing to ftay till the reinforcement of the Spartans arrived, he determined to engage. The Athenians did not wait for the enemy's charging them. As foon as the fignal of battle was given, they ran against the enemy with all the fury imaginable. The Perfians looked upon this firft ftep of the Athenians as a piece of madness, confidering their army was fo fmall, and utterly deftitute both of cavalry and archers: But they were quickly undeceived. Herodotus obferves, that this was the first time the Grecians began an engagement by running in this manner; which may feem fomewhat aftonishing. And, indeed, was there not reafon to apprehend, that their running would in fome measure weaken the troops, and blunt the edge of their first impetuofity; and that the foldiers having quitted their ranks, might be out of breath, fpent, and in diforder, when they came to the enemy, who, waiting to receive them in good order and without flirring, ought, one would think, to be in a condition to fuftain their charge advantageously? () This confideration engaged Pompey, at the battle of Pharfalia, to keep his troops in a fteady pofture, and to forbid them making any motion, till the enemy made the firft attack: (f) But Cæfar blames Pompey's conduct in this respect, and gives this reafon for it: That the impetuofity of an army's motion in running to engage, infpires the foldiers with a certain enthufiafm and martial fury, and gives an additional force to their blows, and that it increases and inflames their courage, which by the rapid movement of so many thousand men toge ther is blown up and animated, to use the expreffion, like flames by the wind. I leave it to the gentlemen who profefs arms, to decide the point between those two great captains, and return to my fubject. The battle was very frerce and obftinate. Miltiades had made the wings of his army exceeding ftrong, but had left the main body more weak, and not fo deep; the reafon of which seems manifeft enough. Having but ten thousand men to oppose to fuch a numerous and vaft army, it was impoffible for him either to make a large front, or to give an equal depth to his battalions. He was obliged therefore to take his choice; and he imagined, that he could gain the victory no otherwise, than by the efforts he should make with his two wings, in order to break and difperfe thofe of the Perfians; not doubting, but, when his wings were once victorious, they would be able to attack the enemy's main body in flank, and complete the victory without much difficulty. This was the fame plan as Hannibal followed afterwards at the battle of Cannæ, which fucceeded fo well with him, and which indeed can fcarce ever fail of fucceeding. The Perfans then attacked the main body of the Grecian army, and made their greatest effort particularly upon their front. This was led by Ariftides and Themistocles, who fupported it a long time with an intrepid courage and bravery, but were at length obliged to give ground. At that very inftant came up their two victorious wings, which had defeated those of the enemy, and put them to flight. Nothing could be more feasonable for the main body of the Grecian army, which began to be broken, being quite borne down by the number of the Perfians. The fcale was quickly turned, and the Barbarians were entirely routed. They all betook themselves to their heels and fled, not towards their camp, but to their fhips, that they might make their escape. The Athenians purfued them thither, and fet many of their veffels on fire. On this occafion it was that Cynægyrus, the brother of the poet fchylus, who laid hold of one of the hips, in order to get into it with thofe that filed, had his hand Juftin adds, that Cynagyrus, baving firft bad bis right and then bis left band cut off with an ax, laid bold of the veffel with bis teeth, and would | not let go, fo violent was his rage againft This account is utterly fabu not the leaft appearance of |