a smaller history of greece-第24章

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The　Athenian　empire；　since　the　conclusion　of　the　Thirty　Years'　Truce；　had　again　become　exclusively　maritime。　　Yet　even　among　the　subjects　and　allies　united　with　Athens　by　the　Confederacy　of　Delos；　her　sway　was　borne　with　growing　discontent。　　One　of　the　chief　causes　of　this　dissatisfaction　was　the　amount　of　the　tribute　exacted　by　the　Athenians；　as　well　as　their　misapplication　of　the　proceeds。　　In　the　time　of　Aristides　and　Cimon；　when　an　active　war　was　carrying　on　against　the　Persians；　the　sum　annually　collected　amounted　to　460　talents。　　In　the　time　of　Pericles；　although　that　war　had　been　brought　to　a　close；　the　tribute　had　nevertheless　increased　to　the　annual　sum　of　600　talents。　　Another　grievance　was　the　transference　to　Athens　of　all　lawsuits；　at　least　of　all　public　suits；　for　on　this　subject　we　are　unable　to　draw　the　line　distinctly。　　In　criminal　cases；　at　all　events；　the　allies　seem　to　have　been　deprived　of　the　power　to　inflict　capital　punishment。　　Besides　all　these　causes　of　complaint；　the　allies　had　often　to　endure　the　oppressions　and　exactions　of　Athenian　officers；　both　military　and　naval；　as　well　us　of　the　rich　and　powerful　Athenian　citizens　settled　among　them。

In　B。C。　440　Samos；　one　of　the　free　independent　allies　already　mentioned；　revolted　from　Athens；　but　even　this　island　was　no　match　for　the　Athenian　power。　　Pericles；　who　sailed　against　the　Samians　in　person；　defeated　their　fleet　in　several　engagements；　and　forced　the　city　to　capitulate。　　The　Samians　were　compelled　to　raze　their　fortifications；　to　surrender　their　fleet；　to　give　hostages　for　their　future　conduct；　and　to　pay　the　expenses　of　the　war。

The　triumphs　and　the　power　of　Athens　were　regarded　with　fear　and　jealousy　by　her　rivals；　and　the　quarrel　between　Corinth　and　Corcyra　lighted　the　spark　which　was　to　produce　the　conflagration。　On　the　coast　of　Illyria　near　the　site　of　the　modern　Durazzo；　the　Corcyraeans　had　founded　the　city　of　Epidamnus。　　Corcyra　（now　Corfu）　was　itself　a　colony　of　Corinth；　and　though　long　at　enmity　with　its　mother　country；　was　forced；　according　to　the　time…　hallowed　custom　of　the　Greeks　in　such　matters；　to　select　the　founder　of　Epidamnus　from　the　Corinthians。　　Accordingly　Corinth　became　the　metropolis　of　Epidamnus　as　well　as　of　Corcyra。　　At　the　time　of　which　we　speak；　the　Epidamnians；　being　hard　pressed　by　the　Illyrians；　led　by　some　oligarchical　exiles　of　their　own　city；　applied　to　Corcyra　for　assistance；　which　the　Corcyraeans；　being　connected　with　the　Epidamnian　oligarchy；　refused。　　The　Epidamnians　then　sought　help　from　the　Corinthians；　who　undertook　to　assist　them。　　The　Corcyraeans；　highly　resenting　this　interference；　attacked　the　Corinthian　fleet　off　Cape　Actium；　and　gained　a　signal　victory　（B。C。　435）。

Deeply　humbled　by　this　defeat；　the　Corinthians　spent　the　two　following　years　in　active　preparations　for　retrieving　it。　　The　Corcyraeans；　who　had　not　enrolled　themselves　either　in　the　Lacedaemonian　or　Athenian　alliance；　and　therefore　stood　alone；　were　greatly　alarmed　at　these　preparations。　　They　now　resolved　to　remedy　this　deficiency；　and　as　Corinth　belonged　to　the　Lacedaemonian　alliance；　the　Corcyraeans　had　no　option；　and　were　obliged　to　apply　to　Athens。　　The　majority　of　the　Athenians　were　ready　to　comply　with　their　request；　but　in　order　to　avoid　an　open　infringement　of　the　Thirty　Years'　Truce；　it　was　resolved　to　conclude　only　a　defensive　alliance　with　Corcyra：　　that　is；　to　defend　the　Corcyraeans　in　case　their　territories　were　actually　invaded　by　the　Corinthians；　but　beyond　that　not　to　lend　them　any　active　assistance。　　A　small　Athenian　squadron　of　only　10　triremes　was　despatched　to　the　assistance　of　the　Corcyraeans。　　Soon　after　their　arrival　a　battle　ensued　off　the　coast　of　Epirus；　between　the　Corinthian　and　Corcyraean　fleets。　　After　a　hard…fought　day；　victory　finally　declared　in　favour　of　the　Corinthians。　　The　Athenians　now　abandoned　their　neutrality；　and　did　all　in　their　power　to　save　the　dying　Corcyraeans　from　their　pursuers。　　This　action　took　place　early　in　the　morning；　and　the　Corinthians　prepared　to　renew　the　attack　in　the　afternoon；　when　they　saw　in　the　distance　20　Athenian　vessels；　which　they　believed　to　be　the　advanced　guard　of　a　still　larger　fleet。　　They　accordingly　sailed　away　to　the　coast　of　Epirus；　but　finding　that　the　Athenians　did　not　mean　to　undertake　offensive　operations　against　them；　they　departed　homewards　with　their　whole　fleet。　　These　events　took　place　in　the　year　B。C。　432。

The　Corinthians　were　naturally　incensed　at　the　conduct　of　Athens；　and　it　is　not　surprising　that　they　should　have　watched　for　an　opportunity　of　revenge。　　This　was　soon　afforded　them　by　the　enmity　of　the　Macedonian　prince　Perdiccas　towards　the　Athenians。　He　incited　her　tributaries　upon　the　coast　of　Macedonia　to　revolt；　including　Potidaea；　a　town　seated　on　the　isthmus　of　Pallene。　Potidaea；　though　now　a　tributary　of　Athens；　was　originally　a　colony　of　the　Corinthians；　and　received　from　them　certain　annual　magistrates。　　Being　urged　as　well　by　the　Corinthians　as　by　Perdiccas；　the　Potidaeans　openly　raised　the　standard　of　revolt　（B。C。　432）。　　A　powerful　Athenian　armament　was　despatched　to　the　coast　of　Macedonia　and　laid　siege　to　Potidaea。

Meanwhile　the　Lacedaemonians；　urged　on　all　sides　by　the　complaints　of　their　allies　against　Athens；　summoned　a　general　meeting　of　the　Peloponnesian　confederacy　at　Sparta。　　The　Corinthians　took　the　most　prominent　part　in　the　debate；　but　other　members　of　the　confederacy　had　also　heavy　grievances　to　allege　against　Athens。　　Foremost　among　these　were　the　Megarians；　who　complained　that　their　commerce　had　been　ruined　by　a　recent　decree　of　the　Athenians　which　excluded　them　from　every　port　within　the　Athenian　jurisdiction。　　It　was　generally　felt　that　the　time　had　now　arrived　for　checking　the　power　of　Athens。　　Influenced　by　these　feelings；　the　Lacedaemonians　decided　upon　war；　and　the　congress　passed　a　resolution　to　the　same　effect；　thus　binding　the　whole　Peloponnesian　confederacy　to　the　same　policy。　　This　important　resolution　was　adopted　towards　the　close　of　B。C。　432；　or　early　in　the　following　year。　　Before　any　actual　declaration　of　war；　hostilities　were　begun　in　the　spring　of　B。C。　431　by　a　treacherous　attack　of　the　Thebans　upon　Plataea。　　Though　Boeotians　by　descent；　the　Plataeans　did　not　belong　to　the　Boeotian　league；　but　had　long　been　in　close　alliance　with　the　Athenians。　　Hence　they　were　regarded　with　hatred　and　jealousy　by　the　Thebans；　which　sentiments　were　also　shared　by　a　small　oligarchical　faction　in　Plataea　itself。　　The　Plataean　oligarchs　secretly　admitted　a　body　of　300　Thebans　into　the　town　at　night；　but　the　attempt　proved　a　failure；　the　citizens　flew　to　arms；　and　in　the　morning　all　the　Thebans　were　either　slain　or　taken　prisoner。



CHAPTER　X。

ATHENS　IN　THE　TIME　OF　PERICLES。

＇Note：　The　figures　referred　to　in　a　few　places　in　this　chapter　have　had　to　be　omitted　from　the　etext。＇

At　the　commencement　of　the　Peloponnesian　war　Athens　was　at　the　height　of　its　glory　under　the　brilliant　administration　of　Pericles。　　We　may　therefore　here　pause　to　take　a　brief　survey　of　the　city　and　of　its　most　important　buildings。　　Athens　is　situated　about　three　miles　from　the　sea…coast；　in　the　central　plain　of　Attica。　　In　this　plain　rise　several　eminences。　　Of　these　the　most　prominent　is　a　lofty　insulated　mountain；　with　a　conical　peaked　summit；　now　called　the　Hill　of　St。　George；　and　which　bore　in　ancient　times　the　name　of　LYCABETTUS。　　This　mountain；　which　was　not　included　within　the　ancient　walls；　lies　to　the　north…east　of　Athens；　and　forms　the　most　striking　feature　in　the　environs　of　the　city。　　It　is　to　Athens　what　Vesuvius　is　to　Naples；　or　Arthur's　Seat　to　Edinburgh。　　South…west　of　Lycabettus　there　are　four　hills　of　moderate　height；　all　of　which　formed　part　of　the　city。　　Of　these　the　nearest　to　Lycabettus　and　at　the　distance　of　a　mile　from　the　latter；　was　the　ACROPOLIS；　or　citadel　of　Athens；　a　square　craggy　rock　rising　abruptly　about　150　feet；　with　a　flat　summit　of　about　1000　feet　long　from　east　to　west；　by　500　feet　broad　from　north　to　south。　　Immediately　west　of　the　Acropolis　is　a　second　hill　of　irregular　form；　the　AREOPAGUS。　　To　the　south…　west　there　rises　a　third　hill；　the　PNYX；　on　which　the　assemblies　of　the　citizens　were　held；