G R E 
vhkh once more commamled the fea, with a fleet of 
near three hundred fail, and employed the bed half ot 
her citizens and fubjedfs in fliipsof war or of commerce. 
Yet idlenel's, and luxury, and dilTipation, feem to have 
been the only relults whicli followed from this pre¬ 
eminence of the Athenian republic ; and it required 
only a daring and profligate leader to involve them in 
frolh wars and extravagant fpeculations. Such a per- 
fonage prefented himfelf in Chares, whofe I'oldier-like 
appearance and impetuous valour mafked his ambition, 
and rendered him the idol of the populace. Though 
an enterprifing and fuccefsful partii'an, he was unac¬ 
quainted with the great duties of a general ; and his 
defers appear the more ftriking, when compared with 
the abilities of Iphicrates and Timotheus, his contem¬ 
poraries, who prevailed as often by addrefs as by focce, 
and w'hofe conquells were fecured to the republic by 
the moderation and humanity with which they had been 
obtained, and with which they continued to be governed. 
Chares propofed a new and mofl: unjuftifiable mode 
of adminillration : he exhorted his countrymen to fup- 
■ply the defects of their treafury, and to acquire the ma¬ 
terials of thofe pleafures which they regarded as elTen- 
tial to their happinefs, by plundering the wealth of 
their allies and colonies. This counfel was too faith¬ 
fully obeyed ; the vexations, anciently exercifed againfl; 
the tributary and dependent Hates, were renewed and 
extended to a inoft alarming and oppreflive degree. 
The weaker communities remonflrated againfl: this into¬ 
lerable oppreflion ; while the iflands of Chios, Coos, 
Rhodes, as well as the city of Byzantium, prepared 
openly to revolt, and engaged with each other to repel 
force by force, until they fliould obtain peace and inde¬ 
pendence, or perifli with their liberty and property. 
Chares, who treated with contempt this formidable re- 
folution of the people, was fent out with a powerful 
fleet and army to quafli at once the hopes of the infur- 
gents ; and thus, in the year before Chrifl 358, com¬ 
menced the third Social War. He failed towards Chios, 
witli an intention to feize the capital of that ifland, 
which wa.s fuppofed to be the centre of tlie rebellion. 
The confederates, informed of his motions, had already 
drawn thither the greatefl part of their force. The 
city of Chios w'as befieged by fea and land. The 
iflanders defended themfelves with vigour. Chares 
found it difficult to'repulfe their fallies. His fleet at¬ 
tempted to enter their harbour, but without fuccefs ; 
the fliip of Chabrias along penetrated thus far ; and 
that able commander, whofe valour and integrity me¬ 
rited a better fortune, tliough del'erted by the fleet, yet 
forfook not the ffiip intrufled to him by the republic. 
His companions threw away tlieir Ihields, and faved 
themfelves by fwimming to the Athenian fquadron, 
which was within their reach. But Chabrias, flghting 
bravely, fell by the darts of the Ciiians, preferring an 
honourable death to a difgraceful life. 
Encouraged by thefe advantages, the infurgents aug¬ 
mented their fleet, and ravaged tlie ifles of Lemnos and 
Samos. The Athenians, indignant that their power and 
authority fliouldhave been thus foiled, fitted out, early 
in the next Ipring, a new armament under the command 
of Mneflheus, the fon of Iphicrates, and fon-in-law of 
Timotheus, expefting that the new commander v.'ould 
more cordially co-operate with thofe great men, who 
perhaps declined atting as principals in an expedition 
where Chares any longer poflelfed a fliare of autho¬ 
rity. That general had railed the fiege of Chios, and 
now cruifed in the Hellefpont j where, being joined by 
Mneflheus, the united fquadrons amounted to an hun¬ 
dred and twenty fail. It was immediately determined 
to caufe a diverfion of the enemy’s forces from Samos 
'and Lemnos, by laying fiege to Byzantium. The de- 
fign fucceeded ; the allies withdrew from thefe iflands, 
collefted their whole naval flrength, and prepared vi- 
goroully for defending the principal sity in their ednfe- 
E C E. <)if> 
deracy. The hoflile fleets approached each other, v/ith 
a refolution to join battle, when a, fudden and violent 
florin arofe, which rendered it impoflible for tlie Atlie- 
nians to bear up to the enemy, or even to keep the fea, 
without being expofed to tlie dangers of fhipwreck. 
Chares alone confidently infifled on commencing the at¬ 
tack, while the otiicr commanders, more cautious and 
experienced, perceived tlie diladvantage, and declined 
tlie danger. His impetuofity, thus over-riiled by the 
prudence of his colleagues, was converted into refent- 
nient and fury ; he called the foldiers and failors to 
witnefs their oppofition, which he branded with every 
odious epithet of reproach ; and, with the lirfl oppor¬ 
tunity, difpatched nieffengers to Athens, to accufe them 
of incapacity, cowardice, and negledt of duty. The 
accufation was fupported by venal orators in the pay of 
Chares. 
Timotheus and Iphicrates were tried capitally. The 
former trufled to his innocence and eloquence; the lat¬ 
ter to an expedient which had difgracefully fucceeded 
before. The targeteers, or light infantry, who had 
been long difcjplined and commanded by Iphicrates, 
furrounded, on the day of trial, the benches of the ma- 
giflrates ; and feafonably difplayed the points of their 
daggers. The magiflrates, overawed by the inflant 
danger which they had neither flrength to reflfl nor 
virtue to elude, were compelled to an immediate deci- 
fion; but, inflead of the f'eiitence of death, they im- 
pofed a fine on the delinquents, which no Athenian ci¬ 
tizen in that age was in a condition to pay. This feve- 
rity drove into baiiifliment thofe tw'o illuflrious com¬ 
manders. Timotheus failed to Chalcis in Euboea, and 
afterwards to the ifle of Lefbos, both which places his 
valour and abilities had recovered for the republic, and 
which, being chofen as his refidence in adverfity, fuffi- 
ciently evince the mildnefs of his government, and his 
m.oderation in profperity. Iphicrates travelled into 
Thrace, wliere he lived and died in obfeurity. Thus 
did the focial war deflroy or remove Iphicrates, Cha¬ 
brias, and Timotheus, the befl generals whom Greece 
could boafl ; and, the brave and honelt Phocion ex¬ 
cepted, the lafl venerable remains of Athenian ability 
and virtue. 
By the removal of thofe diflinguiffied commanders. 
Chares was left to condu6l,uncontrouled, the war againfl 
the allies ; and to difplay the full extent of ins weak- 
nefs and incapacity. His infatiable avarice rendered 
him intolerable to the friends of Athens ; his volup- 
tuoufnefs and negligence expofed him to the contempt 
of the infurgents. He indulged his officers and himfeLf 
in a total negledl of difeipline ; the redudfion of the 
rebels was the leafl matter of his concern ; he was. at¬ 
tended by an effeminate crowd of dancers and harlots, 
whofe extravagance exhaufled the fcanty fupplies raifed 
by the Athenians for the fervice of the war. In ord.er 
to fatisfy the clamorous demands of the foldiers, Chares, 
regardlefs of the treaties fubfilling between Athens and 
Perfia, let out himfelf and his forces to Artabazus, the 
W'ealthy fatrap of Ionia, who had revolted from Arta- 
xerxes Ochus, the mofl cruel tyrant that ever difgraced. 
the throne of Cyrus. The arms of the Greeks faved 
Artabazus from his implacable refentment, and their 
fervices were lavifhly rewarded by tlie gratitude of 
tlie fatrap. But tliis lingular tranfadlion neither 
aflonillied nor difpleafed the Athenians. They were 
now accuftomed to allow their commanders in foreign 
parts to adl without controul; and the creatures of 
Chares extolled his good management in paying tlie 
Grecian troops witli Perfian money. But the difgrace¬ 
ful triumph was of fhort duration. Ochus lent an eiii- 
baffy to remonflrate with the Athenians on their unpro¬ 
voked infraction of the peace ; and threatened, that iin- 
lefs they immediately withdrew their forces from Afia, 
he would allifl the rebels with a fleet of three hundred 
fail. This menace^ in the year before Chrifl 336, obliged 
