THEFT THEMISTOCLES. 



579 



Bceotarchs, and decided in a general council com- 

 posed of delegates from each town. The latter 

 assembly convened at Thebes. The city had its 

 own senate : the command, in war, and the admin- 

 istration of justice, were intrusted to the Bceo- 

 tarchs and polemarchs, who were chosen annually. 

 Merchants and mechanics could become citizens, 

 but could not hold office. Children who could 

 not be supported by their parents were not, as in 

 other Grecian cities, exposed, but sold to some 

 wealthy citizen as slaves. The Boeotian cities 

 often attempted to dissolve their connexion with 

 Thebes, and render themselves independent, but 

 rarely with success. 



THEFT. See Larceny. 



THEISM. See Deism. 



THELLUSON, PETER ; a native of Geneva, 

 descended from an ancient family of French Pro- 

 testants, who settled as a merchant in London, and 

 acquired an immense fortune. He died at his seat 

 at Plastow, in Kent, July 21, 1797- The testa- 

 mentary disposition which he made of his property 

 was not a little extraordinary. To his widow and 

 children, three sons and three daughters, he be- 

 queathed about 100,000, and the remainder, 

 amounting to more than 600,000, he left to 

 trustees, to accumulate during the lives of his 

 three sons, and the lives of their sons ; then the 

 estates directed to be purchased with the produce 

 of the accumulating fund, to be conveyed to the 

 eldest male descendant of his three sons, with 

 benefit of survivorship. This singular will, being 

 contested by the heirs at law, was finally estab- 

 lished by a decision of the house of lords, June 25, 

 1805. It, however, occasioned the passing of the 

 act of parliament of the 39th and 40th of George 

 III., cap. 98, restraining the power of devising 

 property, for the purpose of accumulation, to 

 twenty-one years after the death of the testator. 

 In case there should be no such heir as the devisee 

 described in the will, the accumulated property is 

 to be added to the sinking fund. 



THEME, in music, is a series of notes which is 

 taken as the text of a new composition. 



THEMIS, goddess of order among the Greeks, 

 was the daughter of Ccelus and Terra (Heaven 

 and Earth) ; according to some, of Helios, or the 

 Sun. Jupiter was inflamed by her charms; and, 

 although she for a long time avoided his embraces, 

 her footsteps finally betrayed her near Ichnae, in 

 Macedonia, and she became the wife of the god of 

 gods. She bore him the Hours and the Fates 

 (Pares); and her daughter Dike (see Hours), the 

 goddess of justice, is often confounded with her. 

 According to Homer, she dwelt in Olympus, and 

 attended to the just distribution of food at meals, 

 and to every thing relating to the preservation of 

 order. Orpheus (Hymn Ixxviii.) sings of her: the 

 black-eyed goddess first presided over the Delphic 

 oracle, and delivered oracles to the gods : she 

 taught Apollo right and justice : she instructed 

 mortals in the holy rites of Bacchus : from her 

 come all the mysteries and divine worship. It 

 was Themis who warned Jupiter and Neptune not 

 to marry Thetis. According to Homer, she sits 

 by the side of Jupiter, and converses with him. 



THEMISTO. See Athamas. 



THEMISTOCLES, a Grecian commander, was 

 born at Athens (B. C. 514), and early displayed a 

 remarkable energy of mind. He paid little regard 

 to morals and to the fine arts, which formed the 

 chief objects of attention in the education of the 



Athenians, but eagerly studied the political scien- 

 ces. Love of glory was his ruling passion. After 

 the victory at Marathon, he was observed to be 

 peculiarly thoughtful ; and, on being asked the 

 reason, he replied, " The trophies of Miltiades will 

 not let me sleep." His conduct was marked by 

 many extravagances and excesses ; and, in order to 

 acquire notoriety, he exhibited public spectacles, 

 and exceeded his means in his expenditures. The 

 Athenians were at that time divided into two 

 parties, the aristocratical and the democratical. 

 Themistocles courted the favour of the latter, 

 while Aristides (q. v.) was connected with the 

 former. His suppleness, and his ability in the ad- 

 ministration of public affairs, soon gained him great 

 reputation ; but his fame was less pure than that 

 of Aristides, and his patriotism was weaker than 

 his ambition. Although the Persians had been 

 repulsed by their defeat at Marathon, Themistocles 

 foresaw that they would, nevertheless, renew the 

 war ; and he prevailed upon the Athenians to 

 apply the product of their silver mines, which had 

 previously been distributed among the citizens, to 

 the augmentation of their navy. During the exile 

 of Aristides, Themistocles enjoyed the greatest 

 influence in Athens. Three years afterwards, 

 Xerxes renewed the preparations for the subjuga- 

 tion of Greece, and summoned the Greeks to sub- 

 mit to him. According to Plutarch, Themistocles 

 instigated the Athenians to put to death the Gre- 

 cian interpreter who bore this message; but, ac- 

 cording to Herodotus, it was at the time of the 

 first Persian invasion, that an act of this kind was 

 committed. Themistocles exhorted the Greeks to 

 forget their domestic divisions, and to unite in 

 opposition to the common enemy. He prevailed 

 upon Epicydes, whose nomination to the post of 

 commander-in-chief had been procured by intrigue, 

 to resign that place for a sum of money, and ob- 

 tained his own appointment to the command. His 

 advice to occupy the pass of Thermopylae (see 

 TTiermopylcBf&ndieonidas') was, however, neglected, 

 and Boeotia was soon entirely overrun by the ene- 

 my, who immediately began to advance upon Athens. 

 In this emergency, Themistocles, supported by the 

 reply of the Delphic oracle, which had been con- 

 sulted at his suggestion, proposed that the Athe- 

 nians should convey their women and children to 

 places of security, abandon their city to the Per- 

 sians, and that all who were capable of bearing 

 arms should take to their ships. This proposition 

 was acceded to, and all the exiles, among whom 

 was Aristides, were recalled. The latter now 

 gave his support to his former rival. The com- 

 mand of the allied fleet, though consisting chiefly 

 of Athenian ships, was intrusted to Eurybiades, a 

 Spartan. The latter, rendered insolent by his ele- 

 vation, threatened to strike Themistocles, in con- 

 sequence of some expression which fell from him, 

 while consulting concerning the plan of operations: 

 " Strike, but hear," replied Themistocles, calmly ; 

 and Eurybiades listened to his arguments, and 

 adopted his proposition. The consequence of this 

 measure was the battle of Salamis (B. C. 480), in 

 which the Persian fleet was almost totally de- 

 stroyed, and Greece was saved. The chief glory 

 of this victory is due to Themistocles, who, before 

 and during the battle, displayed not less valour 

 than prudence" and genius for command. He now 

 advised the allies to sail to the Hellespont, and 

 destroy the bridge of boats which Xerxes had con- 

 structed there, i.i i rder to intercept the retreat of 

 2o2 



