ATT 
ground. Then they entered Attica, and encamped at 
Marathon, a 1 'mal 1 town on the fearcoad; whence they 
lent to inform the Athenians of the chadilement inflicted 
on the obdinate and difobedient Eretrians. 
Upon this the Athenians applied foradidance to the La, 
cedemonians, who granted them 2000 men. But a fuper- 
ftitious maxim that prevailed at Sparta prevented tho-fe 
forces from beginning their march till after the full moon; 
by which means they did not arrive at Athens till four 
days after the enfuing battle. The terror of the Periian 
name redrained the other dates from furniflnng the ex¬ 
pected aflidance. Platea alone fent jooo foldiers to join 
the Athenians. In this extremity the Athenians armed 
even their (laves ; a meafure that had never been pratfli- 
fed before : but, after all, they could muder up no more 
than 10,000 men. This fmall army was commanded by 
ten generals; each of whom was toexercife the chief com¬ 
mand in his turn for no longer fpace than a day at a time. 
But, when it came to be Aridides’s turn to command, that 
magnanimous patriot, fenfible of the fuperior (kill and ex¬ 
perience of Miltiades as a general, intreated him to accept 
the command in his dead. This example was followed 
by all the red. When the public welfare is the foie ob¬ 
ject in view, great minds never fail to facrifice every 
meaner motive to that bighed confideration. 
They next deliberated whether they ought to wait for 
the enemy in the city, or to march out and give them bat¬ 
tle: and indeed how little probability was there, that fuch 
a handful of men diould in the open field be able to fuf- 
tain the (hock of the Periian multitude ? Miltiades, how¬ 
ever, was of opinion, that they ought to march out and 
fight the enemy ; and, being feconded by Aridides, the 
other generals a (Tented likewife. That (kilful commander 
defired to take advantage of the imprudent fituation of the 
Perfians ; who, being hemmed in by the fea, by a deep 
mountain, and by the morafs of Marathon, could bring 
but a fmall part of their forces into action, and could make 
no ufe at all of their cavalry. The Athenians, therefore, 
in the year 490 B. C. to the number of 10,000 men, 
marched forth againd an army of 100,000 foot, and 10,000 
horfe. This memorable day reflected the highed glory 
on Miltiades. To prevent his little army from being fur- 
rounded by the enemy, he drew it up with a mountain in 
the rear ; extended his front as much as podible; placed 
his chief drength in the wings ; and caufed a great num¬ 
ber of trees to be cut down, to keep off' the enemies ca¬ 
valry from charging them in flank. The Athenians ru(li¬ 
ed forwards on the Perfians like fo many furious lions. 
This is remarked to have been the fird time that they ad¬ 
vanced to the attack running. By their impetuodty, they 
opened a lane through the enemy, and fupported with the 
greated firmnefs the charge of the Perfians. The battle 
was at fird fought by both parties with great valour and 
obdinacy ; but the wings of the Athenian army, where, as 
we have jud faid, Miltiades had placed his chief drength, 
attacking the main body of the enemy in flank, threw them 
into irretrievable confuflon. Six thoufand Perfians perifh- 
ed on the fpot, and among the reft the traitor Hippias, the 
principal occafion of the war. The red of the Perdan 
army quickly fled, and abandoned to the vigors their 
camp full of riches. 
Thus the Athenians obtained a victory more real than 
robable. Animated by their fuccefs, they purlued the 
erflans to their very (hips, of which they took (even, and 
fet fire to feveral more. On this occafion Cynegirus, an 
Athenian, after performing prodigies of valour in the field, 
endeavoured to prevent a particular galley from putting 
to fea, and for that purpofe held her fad with his right 
hand ; which being cut off, he next feized her with liis 
left; which being likewife cut off, he took hold of her 
with his teeth, and kept her fo till he died. Another fol- 
dier, all covered over with the blood of the enemy, ran to 
announce the victory at Athens; and, after crying ont, 
“ Rejoice, we are conquerors!” fell dead in the prefence 
of his fellow-citizens. The Athenians, in this engage- 
Vol.I 1 . No. 85. b ° 
I C A. ^05 
ment, lod only 200 men. Aridides and Themidocles dil- 
tinguifhed themfelves very highly in the battle ; but Mil¬ 
tiades gained the chief glory. As a reward for fo (ignal 
a piece of fervice to his country, and to perpetuate the 
memory of his (kill and bravery, they caufed him to be 
painted in a large pi£1 lire, representing the battle, in the 
attitude of giving orders at the head of his 10,000 Athe¬ 
nians. They likewife railed monuments to the memory 
of thofe who had fallen in the engagement, and thereon 
infcribed the names both of the deceafed and of their par¬ 
ticular tribe. Their fuccefs at Marathon, as having made 
the Athenians lenfible of their own drength, is accounted 
the principal caufe of their future victories ; and, indeed, 
the confideration of having with a handful of men defeat¬ 
ed fo vaft an army, might juftly infpire them with great 
confidence. But what may not a (kilful general perforin 
at the head of a fmall number of disciplined foldiers, ac¬ 
tuated by the mod ardent love for their country, and rea¬ 
dy in its defence to confront death in every fliape ? The 
Periian fleet, in the mean time, attempted to furprife 
Athens before the Grecian army (hould arrive to its re¬ 
lief : but the victorious Greeks, by a forced march, frui- 
trated the defign of the enemy, by arriving before them. 
The Athenians, thus delivered from the Perfians, re-' 
folved to chadife the iflands that had aflifled their enemies. 
For that purpofe they fent out a fleet under the command 
of Miltiades, who very foon fubdued a great number of 
the iflands, and made them tributary to his countrymen. 
But he was unfuccefsful at Paros, where, upon a fiilfe 
alarm of the arrival of the Perfians, he precipitately aban¬ 
doned the undertaking, and returned with his fleet to 
Athens. Being obliged to confine himfelf to his houfe, 
by a dangerous wound he had received in the courfe of 
the (iege, his enemies took advantage of that circumdance 
to prepoffefs the public againd him, with a belief of his 
keeping up a traitorous correfpondence with the Perfian 
monarch. The inconliderate multitude immediately con¬ 
demned him to death. Every man of fenfe was alhamed 
and (hocked at the injudice and cruelty of this fentence. 
In vain did his friends conflantly remind the people of his 
behaviour at Marathon. All they were able to obtain, 
was a commutation from the fentence of death to a fine of 
fifty talents. His great exploits had already excited the 
jealoufy of his fellow-citizens, who either thought that 
they owed him too much, or were afraid led he might 
afpire at fovereign authority; and, carelefs of being called 
ungrateful, they accounted his late misfortune a crime. 
Miltiades, being unable to pay fo large a fine, was thrown 
into prifon ; where his grief and indignation at fuch un¬ 
worthy treatment rendered his wound incurable, and foora 
brought him to the grave. Thus did that great man af¬ 
ford a driking example of the ingratitude and cruelty of 
his incondant and capricious countrymen. His foil Cimon, 
who afterwards made fo great a figure, having been ena¬ 
bled, with the adidance of his friends, to dilcharge the 
fine, obtained the privilege of burying the dead body of 
his unfortunate father; wiiofe death opened the eyes' of 
the Athenians, and made them fenfible of the injudice of 
their behaviour. But their forroW was too late, and could 
not redeem that excellent commander from the grave, nor 
even prevent their repeating the fame cruelty and folly 
on future occafions. 
The wife Aridides very foon became a fecond victim to 
their capricious difpofition ; but his difgrace was honour¬ 
able, being confededly occafioned by his deady adherence 
to judice. We have already mentioned, that an extreme 
contrariety of manners and principles fubfided between 
him and Themidocles. The latter, though of mean ex¬ 
traction, was extravagantly ambitious, very bold and en- 
terprifing, and of fo aCtive a difpofition, that quiet and re- 
pofe feemed a burden to him. He affected to roam through 
the dreets in the night; and, when aiked the reafon, an- 
fwered, That he could not deep for thinking on the tro¬ 
phies of Miltiades. He was exceedingly artful in finding 
out and availing himfelf of the ruling pafiions of men; 
6 N and 
