pericles-第7章

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and　jointly　regulating　the　affairs　of　Greece。
　　Nothing　was　effected；　nor　did　the　cities　meet　by　their　deputies；
as　was　desired；　the　Lacedaemonians；　as　it　is　said；　crossing　the　design
underhand；　and　the　attempt　being　disappointed　and　baffled　first　in
Peloponnesus。　I　thought　fit；　however；　to　introduce　the　mention　of
it；　to　show　the　spirit　of　the　man　and　the　greatness　of　his　thoughts。
　　In　his　military　conduct；　he　gained　a　great　reputation　for
wariness；　he　would　not　by　his　good…will　engage　in　any　fight　which
had　much　uncertainty　or　hazard；　he　did　not　envy　the　glory　of
generals　whose　rash　adventures　fortune　favoured　with　brilliant
success；　however　they　were　admired　by　others；　nor　did　he　think　them
worthy　his　imitation；　but　always　used　to　say　to　his　citizens　that；
so　far　as　lay　in　his　power；　they　should　continue　immortal；　and　live
for　ever。　Seeing　Tolmides；　the　son　of　Tolmaeus；　upon　the　confidence　of
his　former　successes；　and　flushed　with　the　honour　his　military　actions
had　procured　him；　making　preparations　to　attack　the　Boeotians　in　their
own　country　when　there　was　no　likely　opportunity；　and　that　he　had
prevailed　with　the　bravest　and　most　enterprising　of　the　youth　to
enlist　themselves　as　volunteers　in　the　service；　who　besides　his
other　force　made　up　a　thousand；　he　endeavoured　to　withhold　him　and
to　advise　him　from　it　in　the　public　assembly；　telling　him　in　a
memorable　saying　of　his；　which　still　goes　about；　that；　if　he　would　not
take　Pericles's　advice；　yet　he　would　not　do　amiss　to　wait　and　be　ruled
by　time；　the　wisest　counsellor　of　all。　This　saying；　at　that　time；
was　but　slightly　commended；　but　within　a　few　days　after；　when　news　was
brought　that　Tolmides　himself　had　been　defeated　and　slain　in　battle
near　Coronea；　and　that　many　brave　citizens　had　fallen　with　him；　it
gained　him　great　repute　as　well　as　good…will　among　the　people；　for
wisdom　and　for　love　of　his　countrymen。
　　But　of　all　his　expeditions；　that　to　the　Chersonese　gave　most
satisfaction　and　pleasure；　having　proved　the　safety　of　the　Greeks
who　inhabited　there。　For　not　only　by　carrying　along　with　him　a
thousand　fresh　citizens　of　Athens　he　gave　new　strength　and　vigour　to
the　cities；　but　also　by　belting　the　neck　of　land；　which　joins　the
peninsula　to　the　continent；　with　bulwarks　and　forts　from　sea　to　sea；
he　put　a　stop　to　the　inroads　of　the　Thracians；　who　lay　all　about　the
Chersonese；　and　closed　the　door　against　a　continual　and　grievous
war；　with　which　that　country　had　been　long　harassed；　lying　exposed
to　the　encroachments　and　influx　of　barbarous　neighbours；　and
groaning　under　the　evils　of　a　predatory　population　both　upon　and
within　its　borders。
　　Nor　was　he　less　admired　and　talked　of　abroad　for　his　sailing
around　the　Peloponnesus；　having　set　out　from　Pegae；　or　The
Fountains；　the　port　of　Megara；　with　a　hundred　galleys。　For　he　not　only
laid　waste　the　sea…coast；　as　Tolmides　had　done　before；　but　also；
advancing　far　up　into　the　mainland　with　the　soldiers　he　had　on
board；　by　the　terror　of　his　appearance　drove　many　within　their
walls；　and　at　Nemea；　with　main　force；　routed　and　raised　a　trophy
over　the　Sicyonians；　who　stood　their　ground　and　joined　battle　with
him。　And　having　taken　on　board　a　supply　of　soldiers　into　the　galleys
out　of　Achaia；　then　in　league　with　Athens；　he　crossed　with　the　fleet
to　the　opposite　continent；　and；　sailing　along　by　the　mouth　of　the
river　Achelous；　overran　Acarnania　and　shut　up　the　Oeniadae　within
their　city　walls；　and　having　ravaged　and　wasted　their　country；　weighed
anchor　for　home　with　the　double　advantage　of　having　shown　himself
formidable　to　his　enemies；　and　at　the　same　time　safe　and　energetic
to　his　fellow　citizens；　for　there　was　not　so　much　as　any　chance
miscarriage　that　happened；　the　whole　voyage　through；　to　those　who　were
under　his　charge。
　　Entering　also　the　Euxine　Sea　with　a　large　and　finely　equipped　fleet；
he　obtained　for　the　Greek　cities　any　new　arrangements　they　wanted；　and
entered　into　friendly　relations　with　them；　and　to　the　barbarous
nations；　and　kings　and　chiefs　round　about　them；　displayed　the
greatness　of　the　power　of　the　Athenians；　their　perfect　ability　avid
confidence　to　sail　where…ever　they　had　a　mind；　and　to　bring　the
whole　sea　under　their　control。　He　left　the　Sinopians　thirteen　ships　of
war；　with　soldiers　under　the　command　of　Lamachus；　to　assist　them
against　Timesileus　the　tyrant；　and　when　he　and　his　accomplices　had
been　thrown　out；　obtained　a　decree　that　six　hundred　of　the　Athenians
that　were　willing　should　sail　to　Sinope　and　plant　themselves　there
with　the　Sinopians；　sharing　among　them　the　houses　and　land　which　the
tyrant　and　his　party　had　previously　held。
　　But　in　other　things　he　did　not　comply　with　the　giddy　impulses　of　the
citizens；　nor　quit　his　own　resolutions　to　follow　their　fancies；
when；　carried　away　with　the　thought　of　their　strength　and　great
success；　they　were　eager　to　interfere　again　in　Egypt；　and　to　disturb
the　King　of　Persia's　maritime　dominions。　Nay；　there　were　a　good　many
who　were；　even　then；　possessed　with　that　unblest　and　inauspicious
passion　for　Sicily；　which　afterward　the　orators　of　Alcibiades's
party　blew　up　into　a　flame。　There　were　some　also　who　dreamt　of　Tuscany
and　Carthage；　and　not　without　plausible　reason　in　their　present
large　dominion　and　prosperous　course　of　their　affairs。
　　But　Pericles　curbed　this　passion　for　foreign　conquest；　and
unsparingly　pruned　and　cut　down　their　ever　busy　fancies　for　a
multitude　of　undertakings；　and　directed　their　power　for　the　most
part　to　securing　and　consolidating　what　they　had　already　got；
supposing　it　would　be　quite　enough　for　them　to　do；　if　they　could
keep　the　Lacedaemonians　in　check；　to　whom　he　entertained　all　along　a
sense　of　opposition；　which；　as　upon　many　other　occasions；　so　he
particularly　showed　by　what　he　did　in　the　time　of　the　holy　war。　The
Lacedaemonians；　having　gone　with　an　army　to　Delphi；　restored
Apollo's　temple；　which　the　Phocians　had　got　into　their　possession；
to　the　Delphians；　immediately　after　their　departure；　Pericles；　with
another　army；　came　and　restored　the　Phocians。　And　the
Lacedaemonians；　having　engraven　the　record　of　their　privilege　of
consulting　the　oracle　before　others；　which　the　Delphians　gave　them；
upon　the　forehead　of　the　brazen　wolf　which　stands　there；　he；　also；
having　received　from　the　Phocians　the　like　privilege　for　the
Athenians；　had　it　cut　upon　the　same　wolf　of　brass　on　his　right　side。
　　That　he　did　well　and　wisely　in　thus　restraining　the　exertions　of　the
Athenians　within　the　compass　of　Greece；　the　events　themselves　that
happened　afterward　bore　sufficient　witness。　For；　in　the　first　place；
the　Euboeans　revolted；　against　whom　he　passed　over　with　forces；　and
then；　immediately　after；　news　came　that　the　Megarians　were　turned
their　enemies；　and　a　hostile　army　was　upon　the　borders　of　Attica；
under　the　conduct　of　Plistoanax；　King　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　Wherefore
Pericles　came　with　his　army　back　again　in　all　haste　out　of　Euboea；
to　meet　the　war　which　threatened　at　home；　and　did　not　venture　to
engage　a　numerous　and　brave　army　eager　for　battle；　but　perceiving　that
Plistoanax　was　a　very　young　man；　and　governed　himself　mostly　by　the
counsel　and　advice　of　Cleandrides；　whom　the　ephors　had　sent　with
him；　by　reason　of　his　youth；　to　be　a　kind　of　guardian　and　assistant　to
him；　he　privately　made　trial　of　this　man's　integrity；　and；　in　a
short　time；　having　corrupted　him　with　money；　prevailed　with　him　to
withdraw　the　Peloponnesians　out　of　Attica。　When　the　army　had　retired
and　dispersed　into　their　several　states；　the　Lacedaemonians　in　anger
fined　their　king　in　so　large　a　sum　of　money；　that；　unable　to　pay　it；
he　quitted　Lacedaemon；　while　Cleandrides　fled；　and　had　sentence　of
death　passed　upon　him　in　his　absence。　This　was　the　father　of　Gylippus；
who　overpowered　the　Athenians　in　Sicily。　And　it　seems　that　this
covetousness　was　an　hereditary　disease　transmitted　from　father　to　son；
for　Gylippus　also　afterwards　was　caught　in　foul　practices；　and
expelled　from　Sparta　for　it。　But　this　we　have　told　at　large　in　the
account　of　Lysander。
　　When　Pericles；　in　giving　up　his　accounts　of　this　expedition；
stated　a　disbursement　of　ten　talents；　as　laid　out　upon　fit　occasion；
t