870 G R E 
tribiited, more than that of any one man, to the glory 
and greatnefs, as well as to the calamities and ruin, of 
Iris country. His father Xanthippus, wlio gained the 
illudriou's victory at Mycalc, rejoiced in a fon endued 
with the happiefl talents, and an innate love of glory ; 
and who early learned to controul the temped of youth, 
fill paffions, which fo often blaft the promifing hopes of 
manhood. Thus qualified by nature and education, he 
foon difplayed, in the Athenian aircmbly, an eloquence 
nourilhed by the copious fpring of philofophy, and en¬ 
nobled by the manly elevation of his character. But 
the fuperior talents of Pericles, which, in a well-regu¬ 
lated government, would have increafed his influence, 
had well nigh occafioned his ruin in a turbulent and fuf- 
picious democracy. The alarmed jealoufy of the en¬ 
vious contrived a fadtion againlh the imagined tyranny 
of Pericles ; who, to efcape the difgrace of the oitracifm, 
ihunned tlie furtlier admiration of the aliembly. 
The active vigour of his mind, thus withdrawn from 
politics, was totally diredted to war; and his abilities, 
alike fitted to excel in every honourable purfuit, and 
gradually opening with every occafion to difplay them, 
carried oil' the palm of military renown from the molt 
illuftrious captains of the age. Under his influence, as 
noticed above, many of the maritime dates had confenta 
ed to pay an annual I'ubiidy, inftead of finding men and 
Ihips. But thefe communities had unwarily forged their 
own chains, when they confented to rail'e an annual tax 
to maintain the guardian navy of Athens. They per¬ 
ceived not, that tliis temporary aid would foon be con- 
vertedMnto a perpetual tribute, lince, in proportion as 
they became unaccuftomed to war, they laid themfelves 
at the mercy of that republic to which they had tamely 
entrufied the care of their defence. When the rigorous 
exactions of Atliens fpeedily warned them of tlicir error, 
the wide intervals at which they were feparated from 
each otlier rendered it impollible for them to aftbrd 
mutual alliftaiice, or to adl with united vigour. Naxos, 
Thafos, .idigina, Euboea, Samos, and other illands and 
cities of lels importance, boldly firuggled to repel the 
ufurpation; but, each figluing lingly, were lucceflively 
fubdued ; while new, and more grievous, burdens were 
cruelly impol'ed on them. '1 he lead patient again mur¬ 
mured, pentioned, rebelled, and taking arms to refill 
©ppreiiion, were treated with the leverity due to un¬ 
provoked fedition. Tlie punilhment inflidded on them 
was uniformly rigorous. They were compelled to de¬ 
liver up the authors of tlie revolt, to lurrender their 
fhipping, to demolllh their wails, or receive an.Atiie- 
nian garrifon, and to pay the whole expences of the Jocial 
or thirty years’ war, by which names it is known in hil- 
tory, and wliich was finilhed by Pericles with every luc- 
tefs the moll prefumptuous ambition of Athens could 
cither expect or delire. Samos, the Cdpital of the illaiid 
ef that name, made tlie molt vigorous reliftance ; but 
at lengtli furrendered to Pericles, after a liege of nine 
month's, in the ninth year before the war of Pc luponnejiis. 
The taking of Samos doled the long feries of Athe¬ 
nian conquelis ; and during the nine fubfequent years, 
that magnanimous people aliernately enjoyed and abiiied 
tlie bleliings of peace and profperity. Their ollenta- 
tioiis dilplay of power increaled tiie envy and terror of 
Greeks and Barbarians, and excited the oblliiuite and 
bloody war of twenty-feven years, which was foon to 
follow, and which was exerted to denioiilh or uphold 
the (lately edifice of empire that haii been reared by the 
ambitious patriotifm of Pericles. Aliilled by feeble or 
reluctant allies, Athens long firuggled agaiult the com¬ 
bined (Irength of Peloponneliis, liceotia, iviaccdon, Si¬ 
cily, and Perlia ; and hence our curioluy is more for¬ 
cibly attracted towards the internal relources and moral 
cliara6tei of a jieople, who, with few natural advantages, 
could m.ike Inch memorable elforts, and who, amidlt 
tile din of arms, itill cultivating and improving their 
iavouiite arts, produced thole inimitable monuments of 
E C E. 
talte and genius, which, furviving the deftniiftion of 
their walls, have ever attefted the glory of A.thens over 
the united vengeance of her enemies. But her progrefs 
in the fcience of government and laws, which gives fe- 
curity to all other fciences, merits the forenioft: place in 
our attention ; nor, at this diftance of time, will the en- 
lightened reader contemplate with indifference the laws 
of Athens, which having been incorporated into the 
Roman jurifprudence about the middle of the fifth cen¬ 
tury before Chriff, I'erved, after an interval of above 
fixtecn hundred years, to foften and ameliorate the 
rugged difeipline of the Gothic legiflation, and to in¬ 
troduce juftice, fecurity, and refinement, among she 
modern nations of Europe. 
The very imperfeit laws of Draco, wlio flouriflied 
thirty years' before Solon, proved that the Athenians 
felt the want of a fcience, which they knew not how to . 
acquire or cultivate. This want was deffined to be 
fupplied from the fuperior (lores of juftice and equity, 
which dignified the mental endowments of Solon. Pie 
maintained the ancient divifion of property, but abo- 
liflied debts. He eltablilhed the rate of intcreft at twelve 
percent, at wliich it afterwards remained ; but forbade, 
that the infolveiit debtor fhoiild become tlie flave of his 
creditor, or be compelled to fell his children into fer- 
vitiide. After thefe preliminary regulations, he divi¬ 
ded the Athenians into'four claffes, according to the 
produce of their eftates. The firft clafs confifted of 
thofe whofe lands annually yielded five hundred mea- 
fiires of liquid as well as dry commodities, and the mi- 
niinuni of whofe yearly income may be calculated at 
fixty pounds fferling ; which is equivalent, if we eftimate 
tlie relative value of money by the price of labour, and 
of the things inoft necelfary to life, to about fix hundred 
pounds fferling of the prefent age. The fecoiid clafs 
confifted of thole whofe eftates produced three hundred 
mcafures; the third of thofe whofe eftates produced 
two hundred; tlie fourth, and by far the moft mime- 
rous clafs, either pollelfcd no landed property, or at 
lead enjoyed not a revenue in land equal to twenty-four 
pounds fferling, or, agreeably to the above proportion, 
two hundred and forty pounds of our prefent currency. 
But all ranks of citizens were alike admitted to vote in 
the public alfembly, and to judge in the courts of jiif- 
tice, whether civil or criminal, which were properly fo 
many committees of the aifembly. But the three firft 
clalfes were excliifively entitled to fit in the fenate, to 
decide in the Areopagus, or to hold any other office of 
magillracy. To thefe dignities they were elected by 
the free luffrages of tlie people, to whoni they were ac¬ 
countable for iheir admiiiiltration, and by whom they 
might be puniflied for malverfatioii or negligence, ai- 
tlioLigh they derived no emolument from the diligent 
dil'c.harge of their duty. 
The lenate of four iiiindred, which, eiglfty-fix years 
after its inftitution, was augmented to five hundred by 
Clilthenes, enjoyed tlie prerogatives of convoking tire 
popular afi'embly; of previouliy examining all matters 
before they came to be decided by the people, which 
gave them a negative before debate in all public refolu- 
tioiis ; and of making laws which had force during a year, 
wuhout requ.ring the coafent of the populace. Belides 
this general authority, the fenate was e.'vcliifively in- 
veiled With many particular branches of the executive 
po’.ver. 1 he prelident of that council had the cuftody 
of tlic public archives and trealury. The fenate alone 
built Ihips; equipj.ed rieets and armies; feized and 
confined Itaie criminal; ; examined and puniflied feveral 
oftences, which wei- not exprcfsly forbidden by any 
politive law. The weigiii of fiiclra council, which af- 
iembled every day, exeept fettivals, iiifufed a large mix¬ 
ture of ariftocracy iniu the Athenian coiiftitiuion ; and 
tills was (till faiiiier increafed by the aiitliority of the 
Areopagus, a court lo named from the place wiiere it 
was held ; a hiill'acred to Mars, adjoining to the citadel. 
Tire 
