a smaller history of greece-第23章

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ead　of　the　league。　　Her　alliances；　as　we　have　seen；　had　likewise　been　extended　in　continental　Greece；　where　they　embraced　Megara；　Boeotia；　Phocis；　Locris；　together　with　Troezen　and　Achaia　in　Peloponnesus。　　Such　was　the　position　of　Athens　in　the　year　448　B。C。；　the　period　of　her　greatest　power　and　prosperity。　　From　this　time　her　empire　began　to　decline；　whilst　Sparta；　and　other　watchful　and　jealous　enemies；　stood　ever　ready　to　strike　a　blow。

In　the　following　year　（B。C。　447）　a　revolution　in　Boeotia　deprived　Athens　of　her　ascendency　in　that　country。　　With　an　overweening　contempt　of　their　enemies；　a　small　band　of　1000　Athenian　hoplites；　chiefly　composed　of　youthful　volunteers　belonging　to　the　best　Athenian　families；　together　with　a　few　auxiliaries；　marched　under　the　command　of　Tolmides　to　put　down　the　revolt；　in　direct　opposition　to　the　advice　of　Pericles；　who　adjured　them　to　wait　and　collect　a　more　numerous　force。　　The　enterprise　proved　disastrous　in　the　extreme。　　Tolmides　was　defeated　and　slain　near　Chaeronea；　a　large　number　of　the　hoplites　also　fell　in　the　engagement；　while　a　still　larger　number　were　taken　prisoners。　This　last　circumstance　proved　fatal　to　the　interests　of　Athens　in　Boeotia。　　In　order　to　recover　these　prisoners；　she　agreed　to　evacuate　Boeotia；　and　to　permit　the　re…establishment　of　the　aristocracies　which　she　had　formerly　overthrown。　　But　the　Athenian　reverses　did　not　end　here。　　The　expulsion　of　the　partisans　of　Athens　from　the　government　of　Phocis　and　Locris；　and　the　revolt　of　Euboea　and　Megara；　were　announced　in　quick　succession。　　The　youthful　Pleistoanax；　king　of　Sparta；　actually　penetrated；　with　an　army　of　Lacedaemonians　and　Peloponnesian　allies；　as　far　as　the　neighbourhood　of　Eleusis；　and　the　capital　itself；　it　is　said；　was　saved　only　by　Pericles　having　bribed　the　Spartan　monarch。　　Pericles　reconquered　Euboea；　but　this　was　the　only　possession　which　the　Athenians　succeeded　in　recovering。　Their　empire　on　land　had　vanished　more；　speedily　than　it　had　been　acquired；　and　they　were　therefore　induced　to　conclude；　at　the　beginning　of　B。C。　445；　a　THIRTY　YEARS'　TRUCE　with　Sparta　and　her　allies；　by　which　they　consented　to　abandon　all　the　acquisitions　which　they　had　made　in　Peloponnesus；　and　to　leave　Megara　to　be　included　among　the　Peloponnesian　allies　of　Sparta。

From　the　Thirty　Years'　Truce　to　the　commencement　of　the　Peloponnesian　war；　few　political　events　of　any　importance　occurred。　　During　these　fourteen　years　（B。C。　445…431）　Pericles　continued　to　enjoy　the　sole　direction　of　affairs。　　His　views　were　of　the　most　lofty　kind。　　Athens　was　to　become　the　capital　of　Greece；　and　the　centre　of　art　and　refinement。　　In　her　external　appearance　the　city　was　to　be　rendered　worthy　of　the　high　position　to　which　she　aspired；　by　the　beauty　and　splendour　of　her　public　buildings；　by　her　works　of　art　in　sculpture；　architecture；　and　painting；　and　by　the　pomp　and　magnificence　of　her　religious　festivals。　　All　these　objects　Athens　was　enabled　to　attain　in　an　incredibly　short　space　of　time；　through　the　genius　and　energy　of　her　citizens　and　the　vast　resources　at　her　command。　　No　state　has　ever　exhibited　so　much　intellectual　activity　and　so　great　a　progress　in　art　as　was　displayed　by　Athens　in　the　period　which　elapsed　between　the　Thirty　Years'　Truce　and　the　breaking　out　of　the　Peloponnesian　war。　　She　was　the　seat　and　centre　of　Grecian　literature。　　The　three　great　tragic　poets　of　Greece　were　natives　of　Attica。　　AEschylus；　the　earliest　of　the　three；　had　recently　died　in　Sicily；　but　Sophocles　was　now　at　the　full　height　of　his　reputation；　and　Euripides　was　rapidly　rising　into　notice。　Aristophanes；　the　greatest　of　the　Grecian　comic　poets；　was　also　born　in　Attica；　and　exhibited　plays　soon　after　the　beginning　of　the　Peloponnesian　war。　　Herodotus；　the　Father　of　History；　though　a　native　of　Halicarnassus　in　Asia　Minor；　resided　some　time　at　Athens；　and　accompanied　a　colony　which　the　Athenians　sent　to　Thurii　in　Italy。　　Thucydides；　the　greatest　of　Greek　historians；　was　an　Athenian；　and　was　a　young　man　at　this　period。

Colonization；　for　which　the　genius　and　inclination　of　the　Athenians　had　always　been　suited；　was　another　method　adopted　by　Pericles　for　extending　the　influence　and　empire　of　Athens。　　The　settlements　made　under　his　auspices　were　of　two　kinds　CLERUCHIES；　and　regular　colonies。　　The　former　mode　was　exclusively　Athenian。　It　consisted　in　the　allotment　of　land　in　conquered　or　subject　countries　to　certain　bodies　of　Athenians　who　continued　to　retain　all　their　original　rights　of　citizenship。　　This　circumstance；　as　well　as　the　convenience　of　entering　upon　land　already　in　a　state　of　cultivation　instead　of　having　to　reclaim　it　from　the　rude　condition　of　nature；　seems　to　have　rendered　such　a　mode　of　settlement　much　preferred　by　the　Athenians。　　The　earliest　instance　which　we　find　of　it　is　in　the　year　B。C。　506；　when　four　thousand　Athenians　entered　upon　the　domains　of　the　Chalcidian　knights　（see　Ch。5）。　　But　it　was　under　Pericles　that　this　system　was　most　extensively　adopted。　　During　his　administration　1000　Athenian　citizens　were　settled　in　the　Thracian　Chersonese；　500　in　Naxos；　and　250　in　Andros。　　The　islands　of　Lemnos；　Imbros；　and　Scyros；　as　well　as　a　large　tract　in　the　north　of　Euboea；　were　also　completely　occupied　by　Athenian　proprietors。

The　most　important　colonies　settled　by　Pericles　were　those　of　Thurii　and　Amphipolis。　　Since　the　destruction　of　Sybaris　by　the　Crotoniates；　in　B。C。　509；　the　former　inhabitants　had　lived　dispersed　in　the　adjoining　territory　along　the　gulf　of　Tarentum；　In　B。C。　443　Pericles　sent　out　a　colony　to　found　Thurii；　near　the　site　of　the　ancient　Sybaris。　　The　colony　of　Amphipolis　was　founded　some　years　later　（B。C。　437）；　under　the　conduct　of　Agnon。

But　Pericles；　notwithstanding　his　influence　and　power；　had　still　many　bitter　and　active　enemies；　who　assailed　him　through　his　private　connections；　and　even　endeavoured　to　wound　his　honour　by　a　charge　of　peculation。　　Pericles；　after　divorcing　a　wife　with　whom　he　had　lived　unhappily；　took　his　mistress　Aspasia　to　his　house；　and　dwelt　with　her　till　his　death　on　terms　of　the　greatest　affection。　　She　was　distinguished　not　only　for　her　beauty；　but　also　for　her　learning　and　accomplishments。　　Her　intimacy　with　Anaxagoras；　the　celebrated　Ionic　philosopher；　was　made　a　handle　for　wounding　Pericles　in　his　tenderest　relations。　　Paganism；　notwithstanding　its　licence；　was　capable　of　producing　bigots：　and　even　at　Athens　the　man　who　ventured　to　dispute　the　existence　of　a　hundred　gods　with　morals　and　passions　somewhat　worse　than　those　of　ordinary　human　nature；　did　so　at　the　risk　of　his　life。　Anaxagoras　was　indicted　for　impiety。　　Aspasia　was　included　in　the　same　charge；　and　dragged　before　the　courts　of　justice。　Anaxagoras　prudently　fled　from　Athens；　and　thus　probably　avoided　a　fate　which　in　consequence　of　a　similar　accusation　afterwards　overtook　Socrates。　　Pericles　himself　pleaded　the　cause　of　Aspasia。　　He　was　indeed　indirectly　implicated　in　the　indictment；　but　he　felt　no　concern　except　for　his　beloved　Aspasia；　and　on　this　occasion　the　cold　and　somewhat　haughty　statesman；　whom　the　most　violent　storms　of　the　assembly　could　not　deprive　of　his　self…possession；　was　for　once　seen　to　weep。　　His　appeal　to　the　jury　was　successful；　but　another　trial　still　awaited　him。　　An　indictment　was　preferred　against　his　friend；　the　great　sculptor　Phidias；　for　embezzlement　of　the　gold　intended　to　adorn　the　celebrated　ivory　statue　of　Athena；　and　according　to　some；　Pericles　himself　was　included　in　the　charge　of　peculation。　Whether　Pericles　was　ever　actually　tried　on　this　accusation　is　uncertain；　but　at　all　events；　if　he　was；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　he　was　honourably　acquitted。　　The　gold　employed　in　the　statue　had　been　fixed　in　such　a　manner　that　it　could　be　detached　and　weighed；　and　Pericles　challenged　his　accusers　to　the　proof。　But　Phidias　did　not　escape　so　fortunately。　　There　were　other　circumstances　which　rendered　him　unpopular；　and　amongst　them　the　fact　that　he　had　introduced　portraits　both　of　himself　and　Pericles　in　the　sculptures　which　adorned　the　frieze　of　the　Parthenon。　　Phidias　died　in　prison　before　the　day　of　trial。

The　Athenian　empire；　since　the　conclusion　of　the　Thirty　Years'　Truce；　had　again　become　exclusively　mari