18. What was the consequence? 19. Was the attack successful? 20. Did his death decide the fortune of the day? 21. What was the result of this victory? 22. How did the Greeks evince their gratitude to heaven for their success? 23. Were not the Greeks victorious in another quarter? 24. Relate the particulars. 1 25. By what means did the Persians attempt to defend themselves? 26. Did these precautions avail them? 27. What was the result of this attack? CHAPTER VII. FROM THE VICTORY OF MYCALE TO THE PEACE CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE GREEKS AND PERSIANS. SECTION I. 1. No sooner were the Greeks freed from the SB.C. apprehensions of a foreign foe, than they began to 478. entertain jealousies of each other; and the first symptoms of this dangerous spirit appeared in a misunderstanding that took place between the Athe'nians and Spartans. 2. The former, with their families, being returned to their own country, began to rebuild the city: and as its late state of weakness had rendered it so easy a prey to the Persians, they now formed a plan for strengthening and extending the walls, and giving it for the future a greater degree of security. 3. This excited the jealousy of the Lacedæmo'nians, who could not bear to see any of the other states of Greece upon an equal footing with themselves. They therefore sent ambassadors to dissuade the Athe'nians from this undertaking but being ashamed to avow their real motive, they alleged the great detriment which these fortifications would prove to the general interests of Greece, if ever they should fall into the hands of the enemy. 4. Themis'tocles, who then guided the councils of Athens, at once saw through their design, and resolved to meet their duplicity with equal dissimulation. He therefore told them that the Athe'nians would soon send an embassy to Sparta, and fully satisfy all their scruples and having procured himself to be chosen for this purpose, he by studied delays kept the Spartans in : M suspense until the works were completely finished.* 5. He then boldly threw off the mask, and declared that Athens was now in a condition to defend herself against any enemy, either foreign or domestic; that what she had done was perfectly consistent with the law of nations and the common interests of Greece; and added, that if any violence were offered to his person, the Athe'nians would retaliate upon the Spartan ambassadors who were now in their hands. 6. In consequence of this spirited conduct, the ambassadors on both sides were suffered quietly to depart; and Themis'tocles, upon his arrival in Athens, was received as if he had been returning from a triumph. 7. The confederates, being thus left at liberty to turn their arms against their foreign foes, instead of drawing their swords against one another, fitted out a powerful fleet. Pausa'nias commanded the Spartans; the Athe'nians were conducted by Aristei'des, and Ci'mon the son of Milti'ades. They first directed their course to the isle of Cy'prus,t where they set all the cities free; but from some unknown cause, the authority of the Persians was soon re-established in that island. Then, steering towards the Hel'lespont, they attacked the city of Byzan'tium,‡ of which they made themselves masters; and, besides the vast quantity of plunder which they found in it, took a great number of prisoners, many of whom were of the richest and most considerable families of Persia. 8. But whatever the Greeks gained upon this occasion in fame and authority, they lost in the purity and simplicity of their manners. The deluge of wealth poured in upon them from this quarter naturally tended to corrupt their minds; and from this time forward, neither the magistrates nor the people valued themselves, as for merly, on their personal merit, but merely on account of their riches and possessions. The Athe'nians, being a polite people, bore this change for some time with tolerable moderation; but the contagion immediately broke out among the Spartans with all its native virulence. 9. It seems to have inspired Pausa'nias, who was naturally of a haughty and imperious temper, and who had forfeited the good opinion * To accomplish this important undertaking, every person, without distinction, was employed in the work; women, children, strangers, and slaves were not exempt from their share of the labour; nor was it discontinued, night or day, till it was completely finished. † An island in the Mediterranean. Now Constantinople, the capital of the Turkish empire. not only of the neighbouring states, but also of his own subjects, with the ambitious hopes of raising himself to a still higher rank. He offered to deliver up Sparta, and even all Greece, to Xerx'es, provided that prince would give him his daughter in marriage. 10. How long this conspiracy was carried on is uncertain: Pausa'nias was twice tried, and twice acquitted for want of sufficient evidence against him. The wicked means which he took to conceal his guilt at length became the cause of his detection. A slave whom he had employed to convey a letter to one of the Persian satraps, remembering that no former messengers had returned, opened the despatch, and found that it contained orders to put him to death, as the best means of ensuring his secrecy. He conveyed the letter without delay to the Spartan magistrates, who immediately made every preparation for completing the proofs of the guilt of Pausa'nias previous to his arrest. 11. But just as the Eph'ori were upon the point of seizing him, he took refuge B.C. in the temple of Miner'va, where, the sanctity of 475. the place preventing his being dragged forth, the people blocked up the entry with large stones, and tearing off the roof, left him to die of cold and hunger.† Thus perished the man who had led on the troops of Greece to victory in the battle of Platæ'a. 12. The fate of Pausa'nias soon after involved that of Themis'tocles, who had some time before been banished, and lived in great esteem at Ar'gos.‡ 13. The occasion of his banishment was this: he had built near his house a temple in honour of Dian'a, with this inscription, “To Dian'a, the goddess of good counsel;" thereby insinuating the benefit his counsels had been of to his country, and the little gratitude his fellow-citizens had shown in rewarding them. 14. He was now accused, not only of having been privy to the designs of Pausa'nias, without revealing them to the state-which part of the charge, indeed, seems to have been well founded—but likewise of having approved and favoured * One proof of his arrogance was, his causing to be engraved on the golden tripod presented at Delphi by the confederate states of Greece, the following inscription: "Pausanias, general of the Greeks, having destroyed the Persian army, dedicated this memorial to Apollo.' was afterwards erased, and a new inscription engraved by order of the Spartan government. This It is said that the first stone was placed by his own mother. those designs; a crime of which it appears he was altogether guiltless. 15. The Spartans, however, who had always been his enemies, now declared themselves his accusers before the assembly of the people of Athens: and those of his countrymen who had formerly either dreaded his power or envied his popularity, joined in the general charge against him. 16. By these means the people were wrought up to such a degree of rage, that they clamoured for his death with great vehemence; and persons were actually sent to seize and bring him before the general council of Greece. 17. Fortunately, however, he had notice of their design, and saved himself by a precipitate flight. He first took refuge in the island of Corcy'ra.* Thence he repaired to the court of Adme'tus, king of the Molos'sians ;t but that prince not being able to afford him any long or certain protection, he at last went over to Sardis, where, throwing himself prostrate before the Persian monarch,‡ he boldly declared his name, his country, and his misfortunes. 66 18. "I have done," cried he, my ungrateful country services more than once; and I am now come to offer those services to you. My life is in your hands; you may now exert your clemency, or display your vengeance. By the former you will preserve a faithful suppliant; by the latter you will destroy the greatest enemy of Greece." 19. The king made him no answer at this audience, though he was struck with admiration at his eloquence and intrepidity; but he soon gave loose to his joy for the event. 20. He told his courtiers that he considered the arrival of Themis'tocles as a very happy incident; and wished that his enemies would always pursue the same destructive policy of banishing from among them the good and wise. 21. He gave him the revenues of three cities for his support, and maintained him in the utmost affluence and splendour. It is said, that such was his interest at the Persian court, and so great was the estimation in which h was held by all ranks of the people, that one day at tabl *Now Corfu, in the Mediterranean. † A people of Molos'sia, now Pundo'sia, in Epi'rus. Artaxerxes Longimanus, so called from the extreme length of his hands. § Magne'sia, Lamp'sachus, and My'us, in Asia Minor. So great was the joy of Artaxerx'es on seeing Themistocles at his court, that he could not help repeatedly exclaiming, even in his sleep, "I have got Themis'tocles the Athenian." ne observed to his wife and children, who sat near him, "Children, we should certainly have been ruined, if we had not formerly been undone." Questions for Examination. 1. Did these victories promote harmony among the Greeks? 2. What gave rise to this spirit? 3. What effect had this on the Lacedæmonians? 4. Did the Athenians hearken to their persuasions? 5. What conduct did Themistocles adopt? 6. What was the consequence of this boldness? 7. What farther measures were adopted? 8. What were the consequences of this success? 9. Who among the Spartans felt the influence of prosperity most? 10. Did Pausanias carry on his treason with impunity? 11. What was his fate? 12. Was any one else involved in his ruin? 13 What occasioned the banishment of Themistocles? 14. Of what was he now accused? 15. By whom was he accused? 16. What was the consequence? 17. Did they accomplish their purpose? 18. How did Themistocles address the Persian 19. What reception did he experience? 20. How did he express himself on the occasion? 21. In what way did he farther evince his satisfaction? М 2 |