A T H 



thh famous oration, of which the beautiful exprtfTlons and 

 lofty feutimeiits are equally aehiiircd. The army of tlic 

 Laccda:monians and their allies returned into Attica, and 

 laid every thing vvafle with fire and fword. But the pla'^iie, 

 which then raged among ihe Athenians, was itill more 

 pernicious to them, depriving them of their bcft citizens and 

 braveft foldiers; and Athens exhibited nothing- but a me- 

 lancholy fcene of ficknefs and death. Of this dreadful 

 fcourge, an awfully linking account is exhibited in the 

 energetic defcription of Thucydidcs. Without dwelling 

 on the corporeal fymptoms which the hiftorian prefcnts 

 in his affeiiing narrative of this fcourge, we fliall merely 

 give the fubftauce of its moral elfeils. At the beginning of 

 this dreadful calamity, fublime examples of filial piety and 

 generous friendflijp were difphyed ; but as the confequences 

 were almoft always fatal to ■ the children and fiends, they 

 were but rarely repeated afterwards. Then the moft re- 

 fpettable ties were broken; the eyes about to elofe for 

 ever, beheld on all fides only the moft profound folitude, 

 and death no longer produced a tear. This callous infen- 

 fibility gav; birth to an unbridled licentiouf lefs. The 

 death of fo many worthy men, mingled without dillinftion 

 in the fame tomb with villains ; the dellruftion of fo many 

 fortunes, become fuddenly die inheritance or prey of the 

 loweft citizens, made a lively imprcffioa on thofe who have 

 no other principle but fear. Perfuaded that the gods no 

 longi^r protected or regarded virtue, and that the vengeance 

 of the laws would not be fo prompt as the death impending 

 over them, they imagined that the iuftability of human 

 poiTeflions pointed out the ufe that they (hov.ld make of 

 them, and that having but a few moments to live, they were 

 jullified at leaft in palling them in the mi'lil of pleafures. 



Notwithllanding the diftrefles in which Athens was in- 

 volved, the elevated foul of Pericles, with unbroken for- 

 titude, planned the extrication of his country, as far as it 

 was praftieable by human means. A. numerous family fell 

 fucccflive vitlims to the rapacious peftilence. Though a 

 tenderly affeflionate father, he bore the difaflerwith mag- 

 \ianimous ierenity. At the funeral of the lail of his fons, 

 he dropped, indeed, a few reluttant tears uf paternal ten- 

 derncfs ; but adiamed of this momentary weaknefs, he bent 

 his undejeiSted mind to the defence of the republic. Having 

 collefted an hundred Athenian, together with fifty Chian 

 and Lefhian veflcls, he failed throu5;h the Saronic gulph, 

 and ravaged the unprotefted coafts of Ehs, Argos, and 

 Laconia. The plague breaking out in the fleet, defeated 

 the fuccefs of the expedition, and revifiting Athens with 

 redoubled iury, -almoft defolated the city. Maddened by 

 their accumulated fufferings, the Athenians imputed their 

 . miferable fituation to Pericles : they deprived him of his 

 authority, and condemned him to a fine : but they foon 

 acknowledged their folly and injuftice. He was again pre- 

 vailed on to refume the reins of adminiftration, and his 

 laft efforts were employed to ftimulate his country to that 

 vigour of counfels and of conduft which only could prefervc 

 her power, honour, and independence : temporary difaftcr 

 might affail, but in the nature of things its duration could 

 not be long ; Athens would ultimately triumph, if file was 

 true to herlelf. " Of the two elements," he faid, "deflined 

 for the ufe of men, the fea and the land, we abfolutely 

 command the one, nor is there any kingdom, or republic, 

 or confederacy, that pretends to djfpute our dominion. 

 Let this confiderat'on elevate our hopes, and perfonal 

 afHiclions will difappear at tlie view of public profperity. 

 Let us bear, with refignation, the ftrokes of Providence, 

 and we Ihall repel witii vigour the afiaults of our enemies. 

 It is the hereditary and glorious diilindtion of our republic, 



A T H 



never to yield to adverfity. We have defied danger, ex- 

 pended treafure and blood, and amidft obftinate and for- 

 midable wars, augmented the power, and extended the fame 

 of a city, unrivalled in wealth, populoufncfs, and fplendor, 

 and governed by laws and inftitutions worthy of its magni- 

 ficence and renown. If Athens muft perifti, (as what 

 human grandeur is not fubjcft to decay >) let her never fall 

 at leaft through our pufillanimity ; a fall that would can- 

 eel t!ie merit of our former virtut, and deftroy at once that 

 edifice of glory wiiich it has been the work of ages to 

 rear. Wlien our walls and harbours are no more, when 

 the _t«rror of our navy (hall have ceafed, and our external 

 magnifx-ence have fallen to decay, the glory of Athens (liall 

 leinani. This is the prize which I have bitheito exhorted, 

 and ftill exhort you to defend, regardlefs of the clamours 

 of floth, the fufpicions of cowardice, or the pcrfccution 

 of envy." Thefe were the lall cfi'orts of this illullrious 

 man ; he was foon after fcized with the plague whicii proved 

 fatal. On his death bed, retaining h'n underllanding, his 

 chief comfort was, not the fjjleiidor of his genius and 

 atchicvements, but the recollection of his well-fpent life. 

 When he was about to yield Ifis laft breath, the leading 

 men of Athens aflemblcd around his bed, were foothing 

 their afHiftion by recounting his viAories, and the number 

 of his tropliies. " Thefe actions," faid he to them, raifing 

 himfelf up with difficulty, " are the works of fortune, and 

 common to myfelf with other generals; the only eulogium L 

 merit is, that I have never been the caufe that any citizeu 

 fhould wear mourning." (Gillies.) 



After the death of Pericles, two perfons contendcdforthcdi- 

 rection of affairs; Cleon, a turbulent and impndcatdema^ogue, 

 devoid of talents, or of aiiy moral qualities which entitled 

 him to pre-eminence, but a great favourite witii the lower 

 populace ; and Nicias, a man of folid ability, prudence, and 

 integrity : and for feveral years the war was fuccefsful or un- 

 fuccefsful accordingly as the one or the other predominated. 



About this time the Peloponmfians inverted Platxa, a city 

 in alliance with Athens. This fiege is not only remarkable 

 for the obftinate refiftance of the befitged, but for being 

 the firft recorded in hiftoi^ which was conducted with any 

 fort of regularity. Both parties here made ufe of mounds 

 of earth, the one to attack, the other to defend. The 

 Peloponnefians burnt a part of the town by mc-jns of 

 bundles of fticks, to which they fet fire. On the other 

 hand, the befieged neglefted no expedient to fruftrate the 

 various attempts of the enemy. But the moll furprifing 

 circumftance of all is, that fo fmall a place as Platia, which 

 contained no more than four hundred inhabitants, and 

 eighty Athenians, was capable of making fo vigorous a 

 refiftance againft a powerful army. The enemy at laft 

 changed the fiege into a blockade, and furrounded tiie town 

 with two ditches. The Boeotians were lett to guard theft 

 intrenchments, and the bulk of the army marched av.'ay. 

 The befieged having loft all hope of fnccour, refolved to 

 attempt to make their efcape out of tiie town; which 

 about one half of them efiedled by a very daring ftrata- 

 gem, fuggefted and executed by defpair. The remaining 

 half difmayed at the dangers attending the attempt, con- 

 tinued in the town. But finding thenitelves unable to 

 defend it any longer, thty were -at laft obhgcd to furrender 

 at difcretion : eight Spartans went to decide their fate ; 

 the miferable Platxans pleaded in \-ain that th^-y had been 

 forced, through iRceflity, to fide with the Athenians, in 

 order to obtain their protection againft the Theb.ins, by 

 whom they were grievoufiy opprcficd. They were all mur- 

 dered in cold blood ; their wivei were carried into (lavery ; 

 and their town was razed to the ground. Such was the 



mdaiicboly 



