24 



ATHENS. 



Athens. f a na val war, Aristides, in whom entire confidence 



- r was placed, was chosen both to fix the quotas of the 



different states, and to perform the office of treasurer. 



The allies did not ultimately find much reason to 



congratulate themselves on this new arrangement. 



The period, of nearly fifty years, which elapsed? 

 from the end of the Persian to the commencement of 

 the Peloponnesian war, is the most splendid in the 

 history of Athens. During this period, she held an 

 undisputed pre-eminence among the s'tates of Greece ; 

 yet there occur not, in the events by which it was 

 distinguished, any which were peculiarly remarkable 

 by their magnitude or importance. To prevent the 

 confusion of relating I number of detached incid 

 we shall divide them into three parts : Her internal 

 affairs ; her maritime operations ; and her operations 

 by land. 



The rivalship of Themistocles and Aristides con- 

 tinued ; but though the latter held now a prominent 

 character in the eyes of Greece, Themistocles was 

 still the most powerful at home. The power of the 

 people, which had long been preponderant in Athens, 

 was greatly strengthened by the issue of the Persian 

 war. All offices were now laid open to them. It 

 was only by gaining their favour, that any chief cculd 

 rise to the head of the republic. All therefore vied 

 with each other in flattering them, and in removing 

 every remaining obstacle to their uncontrouled sway. 

 Themistocles continued to administer public affairs 

 with vigour, attending particularly to the improve- 

 ment of the navy. In time, however, envy and jea- 

 lousy, with the rising influence of competitors, par- 

 ticularly of Cimon, sapped the foundations of his au- 



Themisto- thority r . This soon appeared, when the Lacedemo- 



des banish- n | an s, always his enemies, preferred an accusation 

 against him, as privy to the treason of Pausanias. 

 It appeared indeed that he had known of it, but he 

 strenuously denied having given his concurrence. 



A. C. 473. He was banished, however, by the ostracism ; was 

 driven, by the combined power of both states, from 

 , city to city ; and at length forced to take refuge in 



Persia, where he died. 



A. C. 471. Aristides died about the same time, universally la- 

 mented, (See Aristides.) The whole power then 

 came into the hands of Cimon the son of Miltiades, one 

 of the most illustrious and accomplished characters 

 whom Greece ever produced. He seems to have com- 

 * bined the justice of Aristides with the enterprise of 



Cimon. Themistocles. He rather inclined to favour the aris- 

 tocratical party, which always connected itself with 

 Lacedemon, insomuch that he acquired the surname of 

 Philolacones. Necessity, however, as well as generosi- 

 ty, prompted him to the most profuse distribution of 

 the wealth which he obtained by his conquests in 

 Thrace and Asia Minor. He kept an open table ; he 

 allowed indiscriminate admission to his farms and gar- 

 dens. In process of time, however, he shared the usual 

 lot of the chiefs of Athens. His aristocratical propen- 

 sities were not welcome to the people, who were now- 

 all powerful ; and his regard to national justice, often 

 clashed with that eagerness to grasp at every mode 

 of acquisition, which too much distinguished the fo- 

 reign policy of Athens. He was accordingly ac- 

 cused for not having, without the least ground, made 



war on Macedonia, and he was condemned by the Athens. 



' vr 



ostracism. 



His successor was Pericles. He had supplanted j> er ; c i c .. 

 his rival by the sedulous practices of all those arts, 

 by which popular favour may be attained. The 

 measures, however, which he proposed fonthis pur- 

 . were far from being either laudable or benefi- 

 cial to Athens. They consisted in removing every 

 remaining check on the power of the people, already 

 too exorbitant. He contracted greatly the- Jurisdic- 

 tion of the Areopagus, whicli had probably given 

 umbrage to the popular assembly. .Still, however, 

 they missed the splendid liberality of Cimon, which 

 Periciei was unable to rival. Out of this dilemma, 

 he extricated himself in a manner equally unjustifiable 

 and pernicious. He persuaded the people to employ, 

 in their private accommodation and amusement, not 

 only the public money, but the common treasury of 

 Greece. It must be owned, however, to have been 

 spent, under his direction, with equal taste and mag- 

 nificence. He adorned the city with splendid works 

 of art ; he encouraged learned men ; and the drama, 

 under his auspices, rose to a perfection before unat- 

 tained. His management of the foreign affairs of the 

 republic, was moderate, wise, and vigorous. Cimon, 

 after five years of banishment, was recalled, but died 

 soon after, leaving the field entirely open to his suc- 

 cessor. 



While these changes were going on at" home, War with 

 Athens carried on a continued and successful war Persia, 

 against Persia, and all those who adhered to her > 

 cause. The fine island of Cyprus was first rescued 

 from them ; after which Cimon was sent to expel 

 them completely from Thrace, an undertaking which 

 was facilitated by the capture of Byzantium. Eion 

 and Amphipolis, the only towns now remaining to 

 them, were reduced, though the latter made a dread- 

 ful resistance ; and when all hopes were over, the in- 

 habitants threw themselves, with their wives and chil- 

 dren, into the flames, rather than submit. 



Cimon, having thus cleared Europe of the com- A. C. 471. 

 mon enemy, sailed into Asia Minor, where, with the 

 aid of the Grecian inhabitants, he drove them com- 

 pletely out of Caria aud Lycia. He was then pro- 

 ceeding to attack Pamphylia, but Artaxerxes, soli- 

 citous to preserve his provinces, had fitted out a for- 

 midable army and fleet. The former encamped on 

 the banks of the Eurymedon ; the latter, of 400 sail, 

 was at the mouth of the river. Cimon immediately Cimon de- 

 sailed with 250 gallies, attacked the Persian fleet, feats the 

 sunk a great part of it, and captured the rest, which Peu' 

 had vainly sought shelter in the island of Cyprus. 

 About '20,000 troops were found on board, which 

 suggested to Cimon the following stratagem. He 

 dressed his men in the clothes of these Persians, and 

 hastening to the Eurymedon before the news of his 

 victory had reached the Persian camp, procured ad- 

 mittance into it, attacked the army unexpectedly, 

 totally defeated it, and made the greater part pri- 

 soners. These two victories, which were gained on 

 the same day, raised Cimon to the utmost height of 

 glory. An immense booty fell into the hands of the 

 conquerors. 



Soon after, an arrangement took place, which com- 



