512 ATT 
thing to attract the attention and the favour of the crowd. 
It mud be confefl’ed, that his extraordinary abilities cor- 
refponded perfectly with his foaring ambition. He pof- 
i'efl'ed uncommon elevation of fentiment, and a ftriking 
dignity of manner and deportment. He had received the 
mod important part of Iris education under the celebrated 
philofopher Anaxagoras; from whom, befides natural phi- 
lofophy, he had learned a chafte and lofty (tyle. Pericles 
had likewife dudied with much care the art of govern¬ 
ment among his countrymen ; and his Angular penetration 
quickly enabled him to manage their pallions and their 
prejudices to the bed advantage. His quality of fenator 
gave him an opportunity of difplaying to the greated ad¬ 
vantage his powers of oratory, which he pofi'efled in a 
fupreme degree. His natural elocution was enforced by 
all the graces of a fine voice, and very captivating exterior 
accompiifhments, infomuch that he in a manner charmed 
the imaginations of his audience, and managed them as he 
pleafed. The boldnefs, too, and the impetuofity with 
which he fpoke fo adonifhed his hearers, that they fancied 
a refemblance between his declamation and the thunder of 
Jupiter. This procured him the apellation of Olympian. 
But finding it neceflary, in order completely to gain over 
the multitude to his fide, to rival Cimon in liberality, his 
fird care was to infinuate himfelf into that branch of the 
adminidration which regarded the management of the 
public funds. It is apparent, that in this employment he 
by no means propofed to add on the rigid principles of 
Aridides. He fird obtained the conquered territories to 
be divided among the citizens ; and then he procured a 
certain proportion of the public money to be paid to each 
of them as a gratuity for their attending the popular af- 
femblies ; a policy that corrupted the Athenians, and ac- 
cudomed that fober frugal people to luxury and idlenefs. 
By lavifhing the public money in the mod profufe and 
odentatious manner, Pericles Succeeded in feducing the 
people to his fide. In the profecutioq of this plan, lie re¬ 
ceived no oppolition from his rival Cimon. That great 
man being of a mild, candid, and peaceable, difpofition, 
and of fentiments too elevated for little political intrigues, 
enjoyed in quiet the fruits of his former fuccefs, and plac¬ 
ed his chief pleafure iulharing his wealth with his fellow- 
citizens. Pericles therefore mqde hady advances towards 
the objeCt of his ambition. 
The Helots, having formed a new confederacy, made 
themfelves mafiers of Ithome. The Lacedemonians by a 
fredi embatfy begged allidance of the Athenians ; but, in 
confequence of a fudden change of opinion, they very 
abruptly dilmiffed the Athenian troops that had been fent 
to their allidance. This caprice greatly difguded the 
Athenians. Cimon having warmly Supported the demand 
of the Lacedemonians, and difplayed much zeal in their 
favour, Pericles and Ephiates availed themfelves of that 
circumdance, privately to prepolfefs the people againd 
him, and to render him lufpeCted. Cimon was dedined, 
like mod of the great men of this republic, to have his 
fervices rewarded with the punifhment of odracifm. He 
was baniflted for ten years. Pericles took advantage of 
the abfence of Cimon, and of his own credit with the 
people, to make innovations in the edablifiied form of go¬ 
vernment. He deprived the Areopagus of the power of 
judging in the mod important quedions that had former¬ 
ly belonged to their jurisdiction; he rendered the other 
courts of juflice fubjfervient to his pleafure ; and he be¬ 
came fo abfolute in Athens, that he pofTeiied a power al- 
mod defpotic. 
The mifunderdanding which at this time took place be¬ 
tween the Spartans and Athenians, was the beginning of 
the mutual animofity that condanily afterwards fubiided 
between thofe two dates, and brought to view the fpirit of 
rivallliip, with which they had long been fecretly animated 
againd one another. The fpirit of difcord broke out 
much about the fame time among the other dates of Greece, 
and fet them all in arms. As it is unnecelfary, and would 
be inconfident with our plan, to take notice of the parti- 
I C A. 
culars of all the petty wars that were the confequence of 
thefe difputes, we fhall content ourfelves with the mod 
curfory mention of them. We do this the more willingly, 
becaufe a particular detail of the mifery and daughter of 
which they were productive would fltock the humanity 
of mod readers, without conveying any precife or didintt 
ideas to thofe who take pleafure in the dudy of military 
operations. 
The inhabitants of Megara had formed a fpirited refo- 
lution to render themfelves independent of the Argives ; 
but, being totally defeated in an engagement by their op- 
prelfors, their city was befieged, and, in fpite of the mod 
obftinate red dance, was taken and razed to the ground. 
The Helots, after defending themfelves in Ithome for ten 
years againd the whole Spartan power, were at lad oblig. 
ed to furrender; and, being expelled the Peloponnefe, fet¬ 
tled at NaupaCtus. The Megarians, by renouncing their 
connexions with the Spartans, and tiding with the Athe¬ 
nians, excited the jealoufy of the Corinthians, who on 
that account fought two battles with the Athenians, in 
which each party was conqueror in its turn. The inha¬ 
bitants of Egina, actuated by the fame motives of jealoufy, 
likewife declared war againd the Athenians, but were 
defeated in a fea-engagement by Leocrates, who blocka¬ 
ded their town. The Corinthians, having laid wade the 
territory of Megara, were totally routed by the Atheni¬ 
ans, who had come to the relief of that country. A war 
likewife breaking out between the Dorians and Phoceans, 
the former, fupported by the Spartans, remained the con¬ 
querors. 
About the fame time a fharp engagement happened be¬ 
tween the Spartans and Athenians in the neighbourhood of 
Tangara in Bceotia. Cimon, who was then in banilhment, 
came to the field of battle, and begged permifiion of his 
countrymen to (hare with them in the danger of the en¬ 
gagement. But this they refufed him, on pretence of Suf- 
peCting his intentions. He exhorted, however, thofe of 
his tribe who were prefent, and lay under the fame fufpi- 
cion of favouring the enemy, to give proofs of their loy¬ 
alty and fidelity. They obeyed his injunctions fo effectu¬ 
ally, that every one of them fell, fighting bravely, and 
the Athenians lod the battle. Two months after, the 
Athenians had their revenge for this defeat. Under the 
command of Myronidas, one of the bed generals of Greece, 
they totally vanquished the Spartans, dedroyed Tangara, 
and laid wade Bceotia. Egina, having in the mean time 
capitulated, had its walls razed to the foundation. About 
the fame time, the Athenian commander Tolmedes Sur- 
prifed Giltheum, a fea-port town of Laconia, burnt the 
Lacedemonian fleet, and defeated the inhabitants of Sicyon 
in battle. 
While the dates of Greece were in this manner em¬ 
ployed in the mutual dedruCtion of each other, the Athe¬ 
nians, by the indigation of Inarus king of Lybia, under¬ 
took an expedition into Egypt, which had lately revolted 
againd the Perfian power. On their junCtion with the 
king of Lybia, they gave battle to the Perfians, put them 
to flight, and got polfeflion of a part of Memphis. Next 
year, however, the fcene was greatly altered. For, after 
Several fruitlefs aflaults, they were at lad obliged to raife 
the liege of that city on the approach of the enemy, and 
to retire to Biblis, an illand in the Nile. In this place they 
withdood an eight-months fiege. But, their fleet happen¬ 
ing to lie at anchor in the Nile, the Perfians, by changing 
the courfe of the river, rendered the ground round the 
(hips dry, took every one of them, and put the greated 
part of their crews to the fword. The army, being thus 
difabled from oppofing the enemy any longer, partly pe- 
rifiied and partly difperfed. Such was the event of this 
unfortunate enterprize, in which the Athenians confirmed 
fix years. During the Egyptian expedition, Pericles, de- 
firous of didinguilhing himfelf in the character of a foldier, 
as well as in that of a datefman, ravaged the coads of La¬ 
conia, and beat the Sicyonians in two engagements. 
The Athenians, becoming fenfible at la$ of the injudice 
of 
