A T H 



A T H 



jticlanclioly fate nf tlie Plata^aiis, who, during tlie PeiTian 

 war, liad rtiuloicd the inull fignal i'ervicos to Greece, 

 (li. C. 4^8.) In the tonith year of the war, the Pelo- 

 ponnelians, ajjrerably to their general plan, invaded Attica 

 isy land, whilll the Athenians as befoie fent a naval force 

 to devallate the coalls of their enemies. Between two 

 parties, of which the one was evidently fuperior by land, 

 and tiie other by fea, if both /l<ilfnlly eniploved their 

 refources, there nuift be an alternation of vicloiy and de- 

 feat, which by reciprocal dimiu\ition of relourccs tiirongh 

 the evils of war, dcmonlhated peace to be nnituiilly bene- 

 ficial. This year, however, threatened a blow to the naval 

 power of Athens that might materially etleit the cqni- 

 ponderancy. The maritime llrength of Athens depended 

 in a confiderahle degree \ipon her foreign fcttlements and 

 dominions. As her treatment of thefe was iicqvienlly im- 

 perious, and even oppreffive, her dependencies did not bear 

 her fupremacy withont repining. Availing themlelves of 

 the prefent diiliculties, all the inhabitants of I.,efbos, except 

 thofe of Methvmne, rcfolvcd to feparate from Athens. 

 The Athenians, fenfible how great a lofs the defetlion of 

 this ifland mnll be, fent out a fleet of forty galhes to 

 attack that of the Mitylcnians, who finding themfelves re- 

 piilfed, propofcd terms of accommodation ; which were 

 liftened to by the Athenians. A fiilpenfion of hollilities 

 being agreed on, the Mitylenians dilpatched ambi-ffadors 

 both to Athens and to Laced-.emoii at the iame time. The 

 ambalfadors were told by the Lacedaemonians, that they 

 fliould be fnlly heard at the approaching Olympic games, 

 where the other allies wonld have an opportunity of affill- 

 ing at the conference. Thucydides has tranfmitted to us 

 the import of what was urged by thefe ambaffadors ; 

 from which we fee, that they admitted the treaty anciently 

 concluded between the Lefbians and Athenians, and affigned 

 the ambition of the latter, not their prefent misfortunes, 

 afi the reafon that induced them now to relinquifh that 

 treaty. The allies were fatislied with their reafons, and 

 adm.itted them into their confederacy. Informed of thefe 

 preparations, the Athenians fitted out a fleet of a hun- 

 dred fail, appeared unexpcftedly off the promontory of 

 the illhmus of Cornith, and made a dcfcent upon the 

 Pcloponncfe, while another fleet protected the coafts of 

 Attica. Never had they raifed fo formidable an arma- 

 ment before ; and it fo overawed the Laced;cmornans, 

 that they hurried back to the defence of their own country. 

 The Athenians, in the mean time, pndied on the fiege of 

 Mitvlene, whither they fent a detachment of a thoufand 

 foldiers, and the town was blocked up both by fea and land. 

 The inhabitants receiving no alTittance from the Lacedxmo- 

 nians, and being prelTed by famine, were obliged to fnrrender 

 at difcretion. The authors of the revolt, to the number of 

 more than a thoufand, were conveyed to Athens, and there 

 put to death. Orders were at the fame time ifrucd to niaffacre 

 the reft of the inhabitants, by way of example. But the 

 people fliocked at fuch horrible cruelty, cauLd the decree 

 to be revoked, and difpatched counter orders ; which luckdy 

 arrived at the inllant they were proceedmg to put the firll 

 in execution. (Thucydides.) Then the town was dif- 

 mantled, and the whole territory of the illand, except 

 Mcthymne alone, was divided by lot among the inhabitants 

 of Athens. The fifth (B.C. 427) year of the war was 

 principally diftinguilhcd by the fedition of Corcyra. In 

 the courfe of hollilities, the Corinthians had captured a con- 

 fiderable number of thofe iflanders, and wifely treated them 

 with a gentlenefsand kindnefs which gained their affeftions. 

 Having brought them to this difpofition, they earneilly 

 f crfuaded them, when they (hould return to their country, 



fo employ their efforts for reconciling the children with the 

 parent country, and detaching then- fellow citizens from 

 Athens, the tyrant over her allies^ The Corcyreans were 

 difmiffed, and arriving at home, endeavoured to r:^concile 

 their countrvmen to the I'eloponnefians. The ariftocrati- 

 cal partv veiv readily agreed, and form.ed a confpiracy for 

 mafl'acring the leaders of the democratic party. 'I'he com- 

 mons applied to the Athenians, who fent a fleet to aflift 

 their partifans. The I'eloponnefians alfo fent a fqnacron 

 to fiipport the nobles : but the Athenians prcferving their 

 maritime fnperioiitv, their enemies retired, and the demo- 

 crats « ere paramount. Their cruelty was fo fignal, as from 

 that time to give the name of Corcyrean to every ledition 

 of unco:!imon atrocity. The following account, in tiie ele- 

 gant language of Dr. Gillies, contains an awiul monument 

 of the dread.Sil cfletts of inteftine diflenfion. 



" The jnhapuv prifoners were firll confined in a dimgeon. 

 Dragged fucc.ffively from thence, in parties of twenty at a 

 tiir.e, tht'v were compelled to pals in pairs, their hands tied 

 behind their backs, between two ranks of their enemies, 

 armed with whips, prongs, and every inilrument ol licentious 

 and dilgraceful torture. The wretches leh in prifon were 

 long ignorant of the ignominious cruelty inflidted on their 

 companions : but, as loon as they learned the abominable 

 fcenes tranfafted, they refnfed to quit their confinement, 

 guarded the entrance, and invited, with one confent, the 

 Athenians to murder them. But the Athenians wanted 

 cither humanity or firmnets to commit this kind cruelty. 

 The Corcyrean populace ventured not to force a 'paflage 

 from defpair. They mounted the prilon walls, uncovered 

 the roof, and overwhelmed thofe below with Hones, darts, and 

 arrows. Thefe weapons were dellrutlive to many, and fur- 

 nifliid others with the means of deftroying themfelves, or 

 each other. They laid down their heads, opened their 

 breads, expofed their necks, mutually foliciting, in plaintive 

 or frantic accents, the fatal ifroke. The whole night (for 

 night intervened) was fpcnt in this horrid fcene ; and the 

 morning prefentcd a fpecftacle too fliocking for defcription. 

 The obdurate hearts of the Corcyreans were incapable of 

 pity or remorfe ; but their relenting eyes could not bear 

 the fight ; and they commanded the bodies of their fellow 

 citizens, now breathlefs or expiring, to be thrown on carts, 

 and conveyed without the wads." Thus ended the fedition 

 of Corcyra ; but its confequenccs were not foon to end. 

 The contagion of that imhappy ifland, engendered a politi- 

 cal malady, which fpread its baneful influence over Greece. 

 The arilfocratical, and Hill more, the popular governments 

 of that country, had ever been liable to faction, which occa- 

 fionally blazed into fedition. But this morbid tendency, 

 congenial to the conllitution of republics, thenceforth afTumed 

 a more dangerous appearance, and betrayed more alarming 

 fymptoms. In every republic, and almoll in every city, 

 the intriguing and ambitious found the ready protection of 

 Athens, or of Sparta, according as their ielfifli and guilty 

 defigns were fcretned under the pretence of maintaining 

 the prerogatives of the nobles, or afTerting the privileges 

 of the people. A virtuous and moderate ariltocracy, an 

 equal impartial freedom, thefe are the colourings which 

 ferved to jnftify violence, and varuifli guilt. Sheltered by 

 the fpecions coverings of fair names, the prodigal aflaflin 

 delivered himielf fiom the importunity of his creditor. 

 The father, with unnatural cruelty, punifhed the licentious 

 extravagance of his fon ; the fon avenged, by parricide, the 

 ilern feverity of his father. The debates of the public 

 aflembly were decided by the fword. Not fatisHed with 

 viftory, men thirfted for blood. This general diforder 

 overwhelmed laws human and divine. The ordinary courfe 



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