10. It is not to be supposed that Per'icles, the reputed author of these calamities, could long escape the popular resentment. In fact, he began to be as much hated by the people as ever he had been beloved, and they had actually deposed him from the command of the army; though actuated by that fickleness for which they were remarkable, they soon reinstated him, with more than former authority. But he did not live long to enjoy his honour.

11. He had seen the members of his once numerous and happy family successively fall victims to the plague, and only in one instance had his fortitude failed him for a moment. (B. C. 429.) At the funeral of his last son, Para'lus, he could not suppress the feelings of parental tenderness, and burst into a flood of tears; but he soon recovered his composure, and bent his undivided energies to the service of the state. But his strength soon became unequal to the task; in the third year of the war he was seized with a mortal disease; yet even then Athens engaged all his thoughts, and on his death-bed he continued to give the most judicious advice for the management of the war, and the treatment of the allies. 12. A little before he expired, his weeping friends were enumerating his many brilliant victories, and the wisdom with which he had administered the government,-" You forget," said he, "the only valuable part of my character; no Athenian was ever forced, by any action of mine, to put on a mourning robe.' 13. Thus died the most illustrious statesman that Greece ever produced; he was ambitious for his country and not for himself; he expended a princely fortune in the service of the public, and though he had the uncontrolled management of the revenue, he never was accused of converting the smallest portion to his own purposes. Thucydides, his political rival, bears the highest testimony to his abilities, by declaring, that had not the advice of Per'icles been neglected, Athens would have baffled the utmost efforts of the confederates. His plan of waging an offensive war by

sea, and confining the land operations to simple defence, must soon have dispirited the Peloponnesian allies, who suffered more severe injuries than they inflicted, and were held together by weaker ties than those which bound the members of the Athenian league. Unfortunately for them-selves, the Athenians, after the death of Per'icles, indulged their passion for foreign conquests and distant expeditions, which broke their forces into separate fragments, and rendered them incapable of serving their friends or injuring their enemies in Greece and the islands, where, alone, the contest could be decided.

14. The Lacedæmonians urged by the Thebans, undertook the siege of Platæ æ, and the citizens, having sent their wives and children to Athens, retained a garrison only of four hundred Plata'ans, and eighty Athenians; but with this inconsiderable force they baffled the entire army of the confederates for three years. (B. C. 427.) 15. While the siege continued, the Athenians suffered some reverses in Thrace, but this was more than compensated by a brilliant naval victory obtained by a small squadron, under Phonic'ion, on the west coast of Greece; though at first defeated and forced to retreat by the superior forces of the Peloponnesians, he turned on his pursuers, recovered all his own ships, and took six of the enemy besides. 16. The siege of Platæ æ had been turned into a blockade, and a strong line of fortifications drawn round the town. The lines of the besiegers equalled in height the walls of the town, and were strongly garrisoned, so that Platæ ́æ presented the most extraordinary aspect recorded in the annals of war. Mounds were extended from the lines to the city-walls, for the advance of storming-parties, as represented in the accompanying view; but all attempts at assault were defeated, and the besiegers resolved to await the certain, though slow operation of blockade. With this design they strengthened their lines by the erection of towers, strongly garrisoned, and placed so near each other,

that mutual aid could easily be afforded if the Platæans should venture on a sortie; there was no reason to dread any attempt to raise the siege from without, because the Athenians were themselves shut up in their own city.

At length half the garrison, with the loss of only a single man, broke through the lines and escaped to Athens; the rest surrendered to the Spartans, on condition that none should be put to death without a fair trial. 17. The trial granted them was a cruel mockery; each was asked, had he done any service to the cause of the Spartans during the war? and, as he answered in the negative, was slaughtered without mercy. Thus, to gratify their Theban allies, did the Spartans massacre a handful of brave men, whose courage and fidelity merited a better fate. 18. Nearly at the same time, Potida'a surrendered to the Athenians, and was occupied by new inhabitants. The expelled citizens retired to the neighbouring maritime towns, where they increased the enmity against the dominion of Athens.

Questions.

1. How were the Grecian states divided in the first Peloponnesian war? 2. What circumstance embittered the hostility of the combatants ?

3. How did the war commence ?

4. Did not the Athenians adopt a singular plan of defence?

5. How was the invasion of Attica revenged?

6. By what dreadful calamity were the Athenians soon after afflicted? 7. What circumstances made the plague particularly destructive? 8. Who is blamed for this?

9. Did the Athenians lose their courage?

10. How was Pericles treated by his countrymen ?

11. What caused the death of this statesman?

12. To what did he refer as the noblest trait in his character?

13. What proofs are given of his wisdom and integrity?

14. What siege did the confederates undertake?

15. Did any remarkable events occur during its progress? 16. Did any of the Platæans escape?

17. What became of the rest?

18. How did the Athenians treat Potidea?

2. Les'bos, s. an island in the Egean | 12. Extolled, part. praised. sea; now Met'elin.

Corcy'ra, s. an island in the Ionian

sea: now Corfu.

5. Aus'pices, s. patronage.

14. Blocka'ded, part. shut up and close

watched.

21. Tribut'ary, adj. paying a tax.
Aliena'ted, v. removed.

1. THE revolt of Les'bos, and the sedition of Corcy'ra, were the next most remarkable occurrences in the war. The Lesbians were, like the Thebans, of Æolic descent, and though treated by the Athenians with more leniency than the other colonies, were naturally disinclined to submit to the degrading tribute which Athens required from all her dependencies. The better class especially were anxious to be received into the Peloponnesian confederacy, because the Athenians, according to their usual policy, had transferred all power from them to the people. 2. Their negotiations with Sparta were, however, betrayed, and the Athenians immediately sent out a powerful fleet.

under Pa'ches, to reduce the rebellious islanders to subjection. The inhabitants of the neighbouring islands, actuated more by hatred of the Lesbians than love of the Athenians, sent considerable forces, and Mityle'ne, the capital of the island, was soon closely invested both by sea and land. 3. When the siege had continued several months the Spartans after many delays raised a fleet, which they entrusted to Al'cidas, a man every way unfitted for such an important command. (B. C. 427.) Instead of sailing to the relief of Mityle'ne, Alcidas employed his ships in plundering merchant-vessels and murdering their crews; he also levied contributions on several Io'nian cities previously well inclined to revolt from the Athenians, but which the cruelty of the Spartans now confirmed in their allegiance,

4. Salæ'thias, the governor of Mityle'ne, beginning to despair of success, armed the populace, in order to make an assault on the Athenian lines; but no sooner did the lower orders obtain possession of arms, than they made themselves complete masters of the city. This precipitated a surrender, Mityle'ne capitulated, on condition that none of the citizens should be enslaved or put to death, until the pleasure of the Athenian people was known.

5. A galley was immediately dispatched with the news to Athens, and an assembly of the people convoked to decide on the fate of the Lesbians. The rage of the Athenians was violent, because they had distinguished the Lesbians by peculiar favours, and thus the crime of their rebellion was heightened by ingratitude. Cle'on, a tanner, who had raised himself from the lowest ranks of life to be a popular leader, by the most audacious profligacy, still further stimulated their resentment, and under his auspices, a decree was passed, that all the citizens of Mityle'ne should be put to the sword, and the women and children sold into slavery. 6. This atrocious decree was proposed, carried, and sent off in one day; but the night brought better