A L C 



fubvert his popularity, and to make him odious to the people. 

 When ambaftadors arrived from l^acedicmoiiia, with full 

 powers to terminate all difTcrcnces, he contrived, by an ar- 

 tifice, to prepodefs them in his favour ; and to induce them 

 to declare, that though they were deputed to propofc lui 

 accommodation they were not. empowered to bring matters 

 to a conclufion. He then charged them with prevarication, 

 and defeated tlie objed of their embalFy. Having fo far 

 lucceeded, lie immediately recommended the caufc of the 

 Argives, Mantineans and Eleans, who fought the friendfliip 

 oi Athens ; but before any refolution could be adopted, an 

 earthquake happened, which of courfe dilfolved the alfembly. 

 When Nicias returne'd from Sparta, without having fuc- 

 ceedcd in his negociations, the Athenians concluded a 

 league with the Argives and the other Hates above men- 

 tioned, for 100 years. Aleibiades was now become fo po- 

 pular, that he was appointed to the command of a Heet 

 ■which was deltincd to aflill; the Argives, and to put an end 

 to the difpntes which prevailed in their capital. The dif- 

 pofition of the people with regard to Aleibiades is juitly re- 

 prefented by Arillophanes, in his comedy of " The Frogs," 

 (Acl. V. fc. 4.) " They hate Aleibiades, fays he, and 

 yet cannot do without him." The Mifanthropc Timon 

 furmed a much better judgment of this condud: of Alei- 

 biades. When he met him as he was coming from the af- 

 fenibly, and obfeived the refpeft with which he was treated, 

 he took him by the hand and addrefled him ; " Go on and 

 profpcr, my fon ; thou doft right in puihing thy fortune, 

 tor thy advancement will be the ruin of all thefe people." 

 The war of Sicily, which foon followed, proved that Tinxin 

 was not miftaken. The Atlienians had long been defirous 

 of eftabliihing themfeives in this ifland. Tlieir ardour was 

 inflamed by Aleibiades, who encouraged the delulive hope, 

 that Sicily would be only their place of arms and arfenal ; 

 and that they (liould proceed from hence to the conquefl: of 

 Carthage, and make themfeives mailers of all Africa and 

 the fea, as far as the pillars of Hercides. Nicias and Alei- 

 biades liad harangued the people on this fnbjcft ; but the 

 latter prevailed. A powerful armament was prepared for 

 the expedition ; and Aleibiades, Nicias and Lamachus were 

 appointed joint commanders. When every thing was pre- 

 pared, and the fleet was ready for failing, feveral unfavour- 

 able omens occurred, which excited in the minds of the 

 people very diftreffing apprehenfions. One of thefe omens 

 was peculiarly momentous to the fortune of Aleibiades. 

 The Herms, or half ftatues of Mercuiy, which flood at 

 the entrances of private houfes and temples at Athens, were 

 in one night mutilated and deftroyed. Aleibiades was fvif- 

 pefted of being concerned in this aft of impiety, and he was 

 atlually charged with having defaced other ftatues and with 

 having ridiculed fome of the facred mylleries. The fleet, 

 however, failed ; but foon after their arrival in Sicily, Alei- 

 biades was recalled : but having accompanied the melfengers 

 as far as Thurium, he abfconded and withdrew to Pelopon- 

 nefus. Being aflced, on this occafion, whether he would not 

 rely on his country, with regard to the judgment it might 

 pafs on him, he replied, " I would not rely on my mother, 

 left flie ftiould miilake a black bean for a white one," re- 

 ferring to the ufe of beans in giving fuffrages, in which a 

 black bean denoted condemnation. On his non-appearance 

 he was condemned, his property confifcated, and the pricils 

 and prieftefles were commanded to cvu'fe him. Among the 

 latter was Theano, who oppofed this decree, alledging, 

 «' that flie had been appointed pricftefs, not to curfe but to 

 blefs." When news was fome time after brought to Alei- 

 biades, that the Athenians had condemned him to die, he 

 is faid to have declared ; " I will make them fcnfiblc, that 



A L C 



I am ft ill alive." Aleibiades, in confequence of this event, 

 .ibandoned the intcreft of his tounti^, and induced the 

 Spartans to fnccour the Syracufans, and to declare war 

 againft Athens. At Sparta he aflumcd the Laced:i'moni.ui 

 difcipline, and by his verfalility of difpofition and manners, 

 gained univerfal eileem. He cut his hair fliort, bathed in 

 cold water, fui upon coarfe bread and black broth, and 

 affciited fimplicity arid gravity of demeanour. He was at 

 the fame time active in his exertions, induced leveral of (lie 

 cities of Ionia to revolt from the Athenians, and engaged 

 Tidapherues, the king of Perfia's lieutenant, to concur in 

 a league witli the Spaitans. Whilll he was thus employed 

 he engaged in an intrigue with the wife of the Spartan king, 

 Agis, with the vain ambition, as he pretended, of giving a 

 line of kings to the I.,aced.vmonians ; and Agis became his 

 implacable enemy. He faved his life by taking refuge with 

 TiflTapherncs, and in this new fitnation, he conformed to the 

 luxurious manners of the Perfians, and praclifed adulation 

 to fuch a degree, as completely to ingratiate himfelf with 

 the Satrap. By his counfel, Tiflaphernes maintained an 

 even balance between the Athenians and Laeed^m<niians ; 

 and Aleibiades at length contrived to make the friendthi]) of 

 the Perfians the means of his own return to Athens. The 

 conflitution of the government having been changed, partly 

 by his counfel and agency, from a democracy to an oligarcliy, 

 he was recalled by unanimous confent. But before his return, 

 he determined to merit the honour to whith he was afpiring 

 by fome illuftrious exploit. Accordingly, in conjunflion with 

 the other Athenian commanders, Theramenes and Thra- 

 fybulus, he took feveral places and gained feveral viftories 

 over the Spartans and their allies, and then fet fail tor 

 Athens, with a fleet of 200 fliips laden with rich fpoils, 

 together with the fliips and flags captured from the enemy. 

 A. M. 3597, B. C. 407. His reception was in a very high 

 degree flattering and honourable ; and in an aflTembly of the 

 people, he deplored his misfortunes, which he afcribed to 

 his own evil genius more than to the fll-will of his countrv'- 

 men ; and by his eloquent and pathetic ipecch fo pleafed his 

 audience, that crowns of gold were decreed him ; he was 

 appointed general by fea and land, with unlimited power ; 

 his fortunes were reftored to him ; and he was abfolved 

 by the Eumolpides and Ceryces from ail the execrations 

 that had been denounced againil him. " As for me," fays 

 Theodorus, one of the perfons employed in revoking the 

 imprecations, " I have not curfed him, if he has done no 

 evil to his country." 



When this pageantry was concluded, he fet fail with 

 ICO fliips for the ifland of Andros, which had revolted ; 

 and having gained a viftory, he departed for Caria in order 

 to raife money, and left the fleet in the charge of An- 

 tiochus. Before his return, Lyfander, the Spartan com- 

 mander, brought on a battle, defeated the Athenian fleet, 

 and flew Antiochus. The confequence of this dilafter 

 was difcontcnt at Athens, and the lols of his command. 

 Inftead of returning home, he coUedted a band of foldiers 

 of fortune, and enriched himfelf by the booty which he 

 took among the Thracian tribes ; avoided the fate of the 

 10 new commanders appointed by the Atlienians, nioft of 

 whom loll their lives, on account of their ill fuccefs ; 

 and warned the Athenian commanders of the danger to 

 which their fleet was expofed at ^gos-potamos. When 

 Athens was taken by Lyfander, Aleibiades retired to 

 Eithynia, where he was plundered of part of his property, 

 and from hence he went to Phrygia, and obtained the pro- 

 tection of Pharnabazus the Perfiau governor. The Athe- 

 nians, fufi"ering under the oppreflion of the 30 tyrant", 

 dircdied their views to Aleibiades ; and as foon as the 



tvrants 



