€rcece. 
=—\yo 
General 
abolition of 
monarchy. 
Power of 
Persia. 
_ Origin of 
the war 
with Greece: 
464. GRE 
that Eleia in Peloponnesus had frequently been. the 
chosen scene of these contests, and the resort of princes 
from various parts of Greece... Iphitus, therefore, ha- 
ving procured a favourable response from the. oracle at 
Delphi, established a regular festival for that purpose, 
to be held every four years at Olympia, in the territory 
of Elis. Solemm sacrifices were to be offered to Jupiter 
and Hercules, and games celebrated in honour of these 
divinities. In these games, all Greeks were free to par- 
take ; and, for a certain period, before their commence- 
ment, as well as after their conclusion, a general armis- 
tice was ordained to take place.. The territory of Eleia 
particularly, was to be at all times counted sacred, and 
secured from every hostile encroachment. This Olym- 
pian meeting, instituted about half a century after the 
return of the Heraclides, served as a common capital to 
theGrecian people, andcontributed more effectually than 
could possibly have been anticipated, to the advance- 
ment of arts, science, and civilization, in all the different 
states. A general revolution in the government of 
every state, began about the same period to take place, 
from causes very imperfectly known. The republican 
spirit, which seems to have existed in all of them, even 
under their early monarchical constitutions, acquired so 
much strength, that, ina few ages, monarchy was ever. 
where abolished, and the name of tyrant applied to 
who attempted its support, even under the mildest 
form. For a sketch of the peculiar political institutions, 
and separate history of the several states of Greece, we 
must refer to their respective names, which form dis- 
tinct articles in this work, especially to Aruens and 
Lacepemon ; and shall, at present, restrict our atten- 
tion to those more extensive events which affected the 
Grecian people in, general... The first important occur- 
rence of this description which communicated a new 
and powerful spring to the genius of the Greeks, and 
greatly influenced their future progress in every 
of art and science, was the unparalleled struggle which 
they so long and successfully maintained with the 
whole power of the Persian empire. See Oxymric 
Games. 
In the reign of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the 
power of the Persian arms was extended on every side 
of that vast empire. All was subdued to the west, as 
far as Macedonia.. Amyntas, the king of that country, 
acknowledged subjection to the Persian monach; and 
the Grecian islands soon began to feel his ambitious 
and overwhelming influence.’ Cyprus, Samos, Lesbios, 
Chios, and most other islands on the Asiatic coast, were 
either persuaded or compelled to admit his supremacy. 
Most of them, according to the uniform policy of the 
Persians, were nevertheless allowed to retain their own 
magistrates and laws. One of their own nation was 
appointed to preside as goyernor ; and this person, what- 
ever was his personal pc eg was always, from his 
official situation, denominated Tyrant by the Greeks. 
Athens itself, hard pressed by the powerful alliance, 
which the Lacedemonians had formed against them, 
had begun to solicit the protecting aid of Persia; but 
Artaphernes, satrap at Sardis, having patronised the 
pretensions of the tyrant Hippias, whom they had dri- 
ven from his power, they were filled with detestation 
of the Persian name, and the more readily consented to 
assist the Ionians in Asia, who had revolted against the 
authority of Darius. These, however, were speedil 
reduced ; and the Persian monarch, in order to punis 
Athens and Eretria, who had given aid to the insurgent 
states of Asia, or rather in prosecution of his ambitious 
views for the enlargement of his dominions, sent a 
ECE. 
powerful army into Greece under the command of his 
son-in-law Mardonius. Darius had previously dis- 
patched heralds to each of the Grecian states, demand- 
ing earth and water as an acknowledgment of his su-: 
premacy ; and, if wholly independent of each other, 
the greater part would probably have soon submitted 
to the Asiatic yoke. But, happily for Greece, its little Unite 
commonwealths were at that period so united 
by reciprocal treaties and obligations, and especially by 
a formal confederacy under the Lacedemonians, a 
kind of general tribunal existed for the punishment of — 
treachery or cowardice, which enabled them, in a great 
measure, to act as one nation. Macedonia, which had 
formerly paid homage, was more effectually subdued, 
and compelled to pay tribute to the Persian king. 
Thebes, by the influence of a faction, and a few other 
cities, particularly /Egina, made submission to his de« 
mands ; but the emonians and Athenians were so 
indignant at the requisition of Persia, that, forgettin 
the law of nations and of humanity, they put he- 
ralds to death with the utmost ignominy and barbarity. 
The Athenians, who had been at war with the Aigi- 
nete, and were thus the more excited to adopt o ite 
measures to their hostile neighbours, accused at 
Sparta of desertion from the common cause of Greece; ° 
and the chief persons of that state were instantly or- 
dered to be seized as traitors to their country. Little 
progress was made by the invading army. 
sian fleet lost nearly three hun vessels by a 
in doubling the aaa wy Athos ; and 
forces suffered so severely the 
of Thrace, that the season for military operations was. 
lost, and the whole armament was led back to winter 
in Asia. A second army, under the command of Arta- 
piers son of the late Satrap of that name, and of 
atis, a Median nobleman, avoiding the circuitous march 
by Thrace and Macedonia, sailed from Cilicia in a nu- 
merous fleet, reduced every island and appurtenance of 
Greece in their way, and approached the frontiers of 
Attica, with the exiled tyrant Hippias as their guide, 
before any measures had been concerted by the Greeks 
for the general security. A messenger was now dis. 
patched from the Athenians to Sparta with the intelli- 
gence of the capture of Eretria, and, at the same time, 
with a request for assistance to themselves. The La- p 
the land 
cedemonians readily promised their utmost aid ; but, in condu 
conformity to a superstitious law, unworthy of their 
boasted political wisdom, declared, that they could not 
take the field before the full moon, of which it then 
wanted five days. Immediate assistance from Sparta 
being thus denied, it became a question with the ten 
generals, whom the Athenians had chosen to command 
their army, whether they should venture to meet the 
enemy in the field, or apply their whole exertions to 
prepare for a seige.. Opinions were equally divided, 
ard the decision was, by ancient custom, referred to 
the polemarch Archon, who was persuaded by Miltiades 
to recommend an immediate engagement; a measure ob- 
viously contrary to all principles of defensive war, but 
rendered necessary by the dread of internal factions in 
the city. The Persian army, amounting, 
according to 
the lowest calculation, (though even that is mobail A 
overrated) to 100,000 infantry, and 10,000 cavalry, ac- 
customed to conquer, and having frequently engaged 
the Greeks of Asia and Cyprus, advanced with confi- 
dence as to certain victory. The amount of the Athe- 
nian force has been stated as low as 9,000 heavy-armed 
infantry, and 1,000 Plateans, who had bravely 
to share the desperate struggle for the freedom of their 
Brygians, a people _ 
Pet a 
storm "0 
a 
