A T H 



the towns of Eion and Amphipoljs, both fitiiatc on tl)e river 

 Stiymon ; the former near its jundtion with the Strymonic 



taken, and planted by a numerous colony of Athenians 

 But Eion ftill oppofed a vigorous refiftance ; Boges, the 

 Pcrfian governor, having determined rather to perifh. than 

 f'lrrender. After long baffling the efforts of the befiegers, 

 hv fiich perfevering courage and activity as none of his 

 countrymen had difplaycd in the courfe of , the war, this 

 fierce barbaiian was at length not tamed but cxafpcrated by 

 hunger. His companions and attendhnts, equally defpcrate 

 with their leader, followed his intrepid example ; and mount- 

 ing the ramparts with one accord, threw into the. middle 

 ftream of the Strymon their gold, filver, and other precious 

 effcds. After thus attelling their implacable hatred to the 

 afTailants, they calmly dtfcended, lighted a funeral pile, 

 butchered their wives and children, and again mounting the 

 walls, precipitated themfclves with fury into the thickcit 

 of the flames. After this, Cimon fubdued the other ftates 

 in that country, drove from Syrops the pirates that iafelled 

 the ^£gean fea, ellabhfhed an Athenian colony in their 

 place, and made himfelf mailer of Naxos. Cruifnig along 

 the coails of Afia, he reduced all the maritime cities of 

 Caria and Lycia, and left not the Perfians m poiR-fTiun of a 

 finglc inch of ground between Ionia and PamphyTa. Hear- 

 ing that the Perlian fleet lay at anchor at the mouth of the 

 river Eurymedon, v.-alting for a reinforcement of Plieniciun 

 (hips, that they might attack him with their united forces ; 

 he immediately failed againil the former to prevent their 

 junclicn; charged them with fnch vigour, that they were 

 obhged, in fpite of their great- fiiperiority, to run their 

 fhips a-ground ; and took more than a hundred of them. 

 Without giving his men time to breathe after their vittory, 

 he initantly landed them, and attacked the army of the 

 enemy, which was drawn up on the banks of the Euryme- 

 don. The Perfians fultained the firft charge of the Greeks 

 with great firmnefs. But the troops of Cimon, animated 

 by their late fuccefs, broke them at laft, put them fairly to 

 flight, made a great number of them prifoners, and got a 

 vail booty. Cimon crowned his victories with the capture 

 of the Phenician fleet which was coming to the affiflance of 

 the Perlmns, and by that means gave a fatal blow to the 

 Perfian naval power. The rich fpoil of the Barbarian camp 

 rewarded the enterprize and celerity of the Greeks, who, 

 loaded with wealth and glory, returned home during winter, 

 and pionfly dedicated to Apollo a tenth of the plunder 

 acquired by thefe ever memorable atchievements. A con- 

 iiderable portion of the remainder was employed in 

 ftrengthening the fortifications of Athens. Agreeably 

 to the Grecian cuftom, the general was entitled to a 

 valuable fliare. Cimon received it as a teflimony of the 

 public cileem, and expended it for the public ufe, embellidi- 

 ing his beloved native city with fhady walks, gardens, porti- 

 coes, fchools of exercife, and other works of general plea- 

 fure and utility. (See Gillies, vol. ii. p. 74.) 



While Cimon was extending the power, glory, and influence 

 of the Athenians abroad, a manofveiy great talents acquired 

 the diredlion of affairs at home. This was Pericles, one of the 

 moil extraordinary men that even Athens herfelf produced. 

 His mind naturally of the firft capacity and vigour, was 

 enriched by extenfive and ufefvil knowledge, adorned by 

 elegant literature, and fortified by the foundefl philofophy. 

 Damon, profefTedly a teacher of rhetoric, but really mafter 

 of hiftory, politics, and all the learning of the times, was his 

 tutor. Anaxagoras inftrufted him in philofophy. That 

 Vol. III. 



A T H 



wife man had made it hij chief ftudy to confinr the mod 

 important and pleafing doctrine, that a Being of fupreme 

 intelligence and benevolence governs the world, rewards the 

 vn-tuous, and puniihes the vicious. " From him (fays Dr.Gil- 

 lies) Pericles early learned to control the tempt lb of youth- 

 ful pallions, which fo «ften blaft the promifing hopes of 

 you thf id manhood^ to preferve an unfhaken conltancy in all 

 the vicifTitudcs of fortune, fince aU are the varied difpenfa- 

 tions of tlie fame wife Providence." Fertile in means for 

 the attainment of his objects ; fliilful in the vaned applica 

 tion of tnem, according to the variation of circumllances j 

 having the ready and complete command of his own great 

 intclka and extcnilve information, both in forming and 

 executing plans; courageous, temperate, verfatilc, yet fteady ; 

 decifive, yet cautious; bold, vet prudent; enterprizing, yet 

 circumfpefl ; he excelled in poUtics, in war, and in every 

 purUut which required combined genius and condud. Hi's 

 eloquence united plenitude of information, force of genius, 

 and nervoufncfs of flyle : it was either convincing or per- 

 fuafive, according to the objeas he had in view ; at one 

 time, Its majcfly commanded die hearers ; at another, its 

 foftncfs and delicacy infinuated themfeKes into their hearts. 

 The fuperior talents of this celebrated llatcfman greatly 

 increafed tlie profperity of the country, and his policy was 

 pecuharly beneficial in improving the advantages that had been 

 acquired in war by his predecefFors, or his cotemporary Ci- 

 mon. He promoted agriculture and manufadtures, and 

 greatly extended the commerce and maritime power of his 

 country. Riclics flowed in from all quarters to Athens, 

 and were in a confideiable degree employed in ftrengthening 

 and adorning the city. He encouraged the fine arts, hte- 

 rature, and philofophy. Under him" flouridied Polvgnotus, 

 Parrhafuis, and Phidias, thofe ingenious aitifts, who fo happily 

 made painting, fcnlpture, and llatuaiy, the vehicles of fen- 

 timent and character, as well as of external feature and 

 figure. Refpected by him, lived Anaxagoras, the father of 

 moral philofophy ; and Euripides, who, in the garb of 

 fidion, exhibits the juft and elevated reasoning, the pious 

 and virtuous fentimcnts of both. Tafte, genius, and phi- 

 lofophy, were never more prevalent than at Athens in the 

 age of Pericles. But with the many advantages which 

 were conferred upon the Athenians by'Pericles, there were 

 mixed feveral difadvantagts, but rather in ultimate cfTecl 

 than in immediate appearance. There were two parties at 

 Athens, the ariftocratical and democratical. Cimon, by 

 blood and affinity was connefted with the former, and by 

 his difpofitions and charader was fitter for gaining an afcen- 

 dancy over the chief people in the ftate, than for courting 

 the multitude. With all the powers and accomplifhments 

 which could form a patriotic and beneficial ftatef'fnan and 

 foldier, he wanted the dexterous verfatility which conciliates 

 the favour of the multitude. Pericles, with genius and 

 ftrength of mind that mull have rendered him a leader in any 

 clafs of men, in any age or countr)-, chofe popularity as the 

 road to the gratification of ambition, and indidged the in- 

 clinations of the populace, as well as purfued the interell of 

 the ftate. With this view he promoted luxury, licentiouf- 

 ntfs, and profufion. The firm and rigid nrtue of Cimon 

 was adverfe to fuch a pernicious wafte of the treafurcs which 

 his exertions had acquired. Between two f.ich great men, 

 embi-acing oppofite principles and parties, rivalry naturally 

 arofe. Foreign politics, as well as domellic, enflamed their 

 diScrences. Cimon, ariftocratical in his own principles, 

 was attached to tiie Spartans, and wilhed amity to fubfift 

 between Sparta and Athens. The Athenian multitude, 

 elated with their fignal fucceffes, and wilhing to domineer 

 over all Giecce, was hoftilc to Sparta, which would be the 

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