so discouraged by this check, that he hastened back to Persia, leaving
his brother-in-law Mar-do'ni-us with an army of three hundred thousand
men to finish the conquest of Greece.
The Greeks were so happy over their naval victory at Salamis, that they
all flew to arms once more; and Pau-sa'ni-as, the Spartan king, the
successor of Leonidas, was soon able to lead a large army against
Mardonius.
The two forces met at Pla-tae'a, and again the Greeks won, although
fighting against foes who greatly outnumbered them. Strange to relate,
while Pausanias was winning one battle at Plataea, the other Spartan
king, Eurybiades, defeated a new Persian fleet at Myc'a-le.
These two victories finished the rout of the greatest army ever seen.
Mardonius fled with the remnant of his host, leaving his tents, baggage,
and slaves to the Greeks, who thus got much booty.
We are told that the Spartans, entering the Persian camp, were greatly
amazed at the luxury of the tents. Pausanias stopped in the one that had
been occupied by Mardonius, and bade the slaves prepare a meal such as
they had been wont to lay before their master.
[Illustration: Return of the Victorious Greeks.]
Then, calling his own Helots, he gave orders for his usual supper. When
both meals were ready, they made the greatest contrast. The Persian tent
was all decked with costly hangings, the table was spread with many
kinds of rich food served in dishes of solid gold, and soft couches were
spread for the guests.
The Spartan supper, on the contrary, was of the plainest description,
and was served in ordinary earthenware. Pausanias called his officers
and men, and, after pointing out the difference between the Spartan and
the Persian style of living, he showed how much he liked plain food by
eating his usual supper.
To reward Pausanias for his bravery and for defeating the enemy, the
Greeks gave him a part of all that was best in the spoil. Next they set
aside one tenth of it for Apollo, and sent it to his priests at Delphi
as a token of gratitude for the favor of the god.
To show that they were grateful also to Zeus and Poseidon,--the gods
who, they thought, had helped them to win their battles by land and by
sea,--they sent statues to Olympia and Corinth; and they erected a
temple in honor of Athene, the goddess of defensive war, on the
battlefield of Plataea.
LIV. THE REBUILDING OF ATHENS.
The Persians had been driven out of Greece, and the war with them was
now carried on in Asia Minor instead of nearer home. The Greek army won
many battles here also, and even managed to free the city of Miletus
from the Persian yoke.
These triumphs encouraged all the Ionian cities, and they soon formed a
league with the other Greeks, promising to help them against the
Persians should the war ever be renewed. As soon as this alliance was
made, the Greek fleet returned home, bringing back to Athens as a trophy
the chains with which Xerxes had pretended to bind the rebellious sea.
In the mean while the Athenians, who had taken refuge on the
Peloponnesus, had returned to their native city, where, alas! they found
their houses and temples in ruins. The desolation was great; yet the
people were so thankful to return, that they prepared to rebuild the
town.
They were greatly encouraged in this purpose by an event which seemed to
them a good omen. Near the temple of the patron goddess of Athens stood
a sacred olive tree, supposed to have been created by her at the time
when the city received her name.
This place had been burned by the invaders, and the returning Athenians
sorrowfully gazed upon the blackened trunk of the sacred tree. Imagine
their delight, therefore, when a new shoot suddenly sprang up from the
ashes, and put forth leaves with marvelous speed.
The people all cried that the goddess had sent them this sign of her
continued favor to encourage them to rebuild the city, and they worked
with such energy that they were soon provided with new homes.
As soon as the Athenians had secured shelter for their families, they
began to restore the mighty walls which had been the pride of their
city. When the Spartans heard of this, they jealously objected, for they
were afraid that Athens would become more powerful than Sparta.
Of course, they did not want to own that they were influenced by so mean
a feeling as jealousy, so they tried to find a pretext to hinder the
work. This was soon found, and Spartan messengers came and told the
Athenians that they should not fortify the town, lest it should fall
again into the hands of the enemy, and serve them as a stronghold.
Themistocles suspected the real cause of these objections, and made up
his mind to use all his talents to help his fellow-citizens. He
therefore secretly assembled the most able men, and told them to go on
with the work as fast as possible, while he went to Sparta to talk over
the matter with the Lacedaemonians.
When he arrived at Sparta, he artfully prolonged the discussions until
the walls were built high enough to be defended. Of course, there was
now nothing to be done; but the Spartans were very angry, and waited
anxiously for an opportunity to punish the Athenians. This came after a
time, as you will see in the following chapters.
LV. DEATH OF PAUSANIAS.
Pausanias, the Spartan king, was very proud of the great victory he had
won over the Persians at Plataea, and of the praise and booty he had
received. He was so proud of it, that he soon became unbearable, and
even wanted to become ruler of all Greece.
Although he had at first pretended to despise the luxury which he had
seen in the tent of Mardonius, he soon began to put on the Persian dress
and to copy their manners, and demanded much homage from his subjects.
This greatly displeased the simple Greeks, and he soon saw that they
would not help him to become sole king.
In his ambition to rule alone, he entirely forgot all that was right,
and, turning traitor, secretly offered to help the Persians if they
would promise to make him king over all Greece.
This base plot was found out by the ephors, the officers whose duty it
was to watch the kings, and they ordered his own guards to seize him.
Before this order could be carried out, however, Pausanias fled, and
took refuge in a neighboring temple, where, of course, no one could lay
violent hands upon him.
As the ephors feared he might even yet escape to Persia, and carry out
his wicked plans, they ordered that the doors and windows of the temple
should all be walled up.
It is said that as soon as this command had been given, Pausanias'
mother brought the first stone, saying she preferred that her son should
die, rather than live to be a traitor.
Thus walled in, Pausanias slowly starved to death, and the barriers were
torn down only just in time to allow him to be carried out, and breathe
his last in the open air. The Spartans would not let him die in the
temple, because they thought his dying breath would offend the gods.
As Themistocles had been a great friend of Pausanias, he was accused of
sharing his plans. The Athenians therefore rose up against him in anger,
ostracized him, and drove him out of the country to end his life in
exile.
After wandering aimlessly about for some time, Themistocles finally went
to the court of Ar-tax-erx'es, the son and successor of Xerxes.
The Persian monarch, we are told, welcomed him warmly, gave him a
Persian wife, and set aside three cities to supply him with bread, meat,
and wine. Themistocles soon grew very rich, and lived on the fat of the
land; and a traveler said that he once exclaimed, "How much we should
have lost, my children and I, had we not been ruined by the Athenians!"
Artaxerxes, having thus provided for all Themistocles' wants, and helped
him to pile up riches, fancied that his gratitude would lead him to
perform any service the king might ask. He therefore sent for
Themistocles one day, and bade him lead a Persian army against the
Greeks.
But, although Themistocles had been exiled from his country, he had not
fallen low enough to turn traitor. He proudly refused to fight; and it
is said that he preferred to commit suicide, rather than injure the
people he had once loved so dearly.
LVI. CIMON IMPROVES ATHENS.
As soon as Themistocles had been banished from Athens, Aristides again
became the chief man of the city, and he was also made the head and
leader of the allies. He was so upright and just that all were ready to
honor and obey him, and they gladly let him take charge of the money of
the state.
In reward for his services, the Athenians offered him a large salary and
many rich gifts; but he refused them all, saying that he needed nothing,
and could afford to serve his country without pay.
He therefore went on seeing to all the public affairs until his death,
when it was found that he was so poor that there was not enough money
left to pay for his funeral. The Athenians, touched by his virtues, gave
him a public burial, held his name in great honor, and often regretted
that they had once been so ungrateful as to banish their greatest
citizen, Aristides the Just.
As Aristides had watched carefully over the money of the allied states,
and had ruled the Athenians very wisely, it is no wonder that Athens had
little by little risen above Sparta, which had occupied the first place
ever since the battle of Thermopylae.
The Athenians, as long as Aristides lived, showed themselves just and
liberal; but as soon as he was dead, they began to treat their former
allies unkindly. The money which all the Greek states furnished was now
no longer used to strengthen the army and navy, as first agreed, but was
lavishly spent to beautify the city.
Now, while it was a good thing to make their town as fine as possible,
it was certainly wrong to use the money of others for this purpose, and
the Athenians were soon punished for their dishonesty.
Cimon, the son of Miltiades, was made the head of the army, and won
several victories over the Persians in Asia Minor. When he returned to
Athens, he brought back a great deal of spoil, and generously gave up
all his share to improve the city and strengthen the walls.
[Illustration: The Theseum.]
It is said that Cimon also enlarged the beautiful gardens of the
A-cad'e-my; and the citizens, by wandering up and down the shady walks,
showed that they liked this as well as the Lyceum, which, you will
remember, Pisistratus had given them.
They also went in crowds to these gardens to hear the philosophers, who
taught in the cool porticoes or stone piazzas built all around them, and
there they learned many good things.
Cimon showed his patriotism in still another way by persuading the
people that the remains of Theseus, their ancient king, should rest in
the city. Theseus' bones were therefore brought from Scyros, the island
where he had been killed so treacherously, and were buried near the
center of Athens, where the resting-place of this great man was marked
by a temple called the The-se'um. A building of this name is still
standing in the city; and, although somewhat damaged, it is now used as
a museum, and contains a fine statue of Theseus.
LVII. THE EARTHQUAKE.
Cimon, as you have already seen, was very wealthy, and as generous as he
was rich. Besides spending so much for the improvement of the city, he
always kept an open house. His table was bountifully spread, and he
gladly received as guests all who chose to walk into his home.
Whenever he went out, he was followed by servants who carried full
purses, and whose duty it was to help all the poor they met. As Cimon
knew that many of the most deserving poor would have been ashamed to
receive alms, these men found out their wants, and supplied them
secretly.
Now, although Cimon was so good and thoughtful, you must not imagine
that it was always very easy for him to be so. It seems that when he was
a young man he was very idle and lazy, and never thought of anything but
his own pleasure.
Aristides the Just noticed how lazy and selfish the young man was, and
one day went to see him. After a little talk, Aristides told him
seriously that he ought to be ashamed of the life he was living, as it
was quite unworthy of a good citizen or of a noble man.
This reproof was so just, that Cimon promised to do better, and tried so
hard that he soon became one of the most industrious and unselfish men
of his day.
Cimon was not the only rich man in Athens, however; for Per'i-cles,
another citizen, was even wealthier than he. As Pericles was shrewd,
learned, and very eloquent, he soon gained much influence over his
fellow-citizens.
While Cimon was generally seen in the company of men of his own class,
and was hence considered the leader of the nobles or aristocrats,
Pericles liked to talk with the poorer class, whom he could easily sway
by his eloquent speeches, and who soon made him their idol.
Day by day the two parties became more distinct, and soon the Athenians
sided either with Pericles or with Cimon in all important matters. The
two leaders were at first very good friends, but little by little they
drifted apart, and finally they became rivals.
About this time an earthquake brought great misfortunes upon Greece. The
whole country shook and swayed, and the effects of the earthquake were
so disastrous at Sparta that all the houses and temples were destroyed.
Many of the inhabitants were crushed under the falling stones and
timbers, and there were only five houses left standing. The Spartans
were in despair; and the Helots, or slaves, who had long been waiting
for an opportunity to free themselves, fancied that the right time had
come.
They quickly assembled, and decided to kill the Spartans while they were
groping about among the ruined dwellings for the remains of their
relatives and friends.
The plan would have succeeded had not the king, Ar-chi-da'mus, found it
out. Without a moment's delay, he rallied all the able-bodied men, and
sent a swift messenger to Athens for aid.
True to their military training, the Spartans dropped everything when
the summons reached them; and the Helots came marching along, only to
find their former masters drawn up in battle array, and as calm as if no
misfortune had happened.
This unexpected resistance so frightened the Helots, that they hastily
withdrew into Messenia. Here they easily persuaded the Messenians to
join forces with them and declare war against the Spartans.
In the mean while the swift runner sent by Archidamus had reached
Athens, and told about the destruction of the town and the perilous
situation of the people. He ended by imploring the Athenians to send
immediate aid, lest all the Spartans should perish.
Cimon, who was generous and kind-hearted, immediately cried out that the
Athenians could not refuse to help their unhappy neighbors; but
Pericles, who, like most of his fellow-citizens, hated the Spartans,
advised all his friends to stay quietly at home.
Much discussion took place over this advice. At last, however, Cimon
prevailed, and an army was sent to help the Spartans. Owing to the
hesitation of the Athenians, this army came late, and they fought with
so little spirit that the Lacedaemonians indignantly said that they might
just as well have remained at home.
This insult so enraged the Athenians that they went home; and when it
became publicly known how the Spartans had treated their army, the
people began to murmur against Cimon. In their anger, they forgot all
the good he had done them, and, assembling in the market place, they
ostracized him.
LVIII. THE AGE OF PERICLES.
As soon as Cimon had been banished, Pericles became sole leader of the
Athenians; and as he governed them during a long and prosperous time,
this period is generally known as the Age of Pericles.
The Spartans who had so rudely sent away their Athenian allies manfully
resolved to help themselves, and set about it so vigorously that they
soon brought the Helots back to order, and rebuilt their city. When they
had settled themselves comfortably, however, they remembered the
lukewarm help which had been given them, and determined to punish the
Athenians.
The Persian general was just then planning a new invasion of Greece, so
the Athenians found themselves threatened with a twofold danger. In
their distress they recalled Cimon, who was an excellent general, and
implored him to take command of their forces.
Cimon fully justified their confidence, and not only won several
victories over the Spartans, but compelled them at last to agree to a
truce of five years. This matter settled, he next attacked the Persians,
whom he soon defeated by land and by sea.
He then forced Artaxerxes, the Persian king, to swear a solemn oath that
he would never again wage war against the Athenians, and forbade the
Persian vessels ever to enter the AEgean Sea.
[Illustration: Pericles.]
These triumphs won, Cimon died from the wounds he had received during
the war. His death, however, was kept secret for a whole month, so that
the people would have time to get used to a new leader, and not be
afraid to fight without their former general.
While Cimon was thus successfully battling with the enemy abroad,
Pericles had managed affairs at home. He urged the Athenians to finish
their walls; and by his advice they built also the Long Walls, which
joined the city to the Pi-rae'us, a seaport five miles away.
Pericles also increased the Athenian navy, so that, by the time the
five-years' truce was over, he had a fine fleet to use in fighting
against the Spartans.
As every victory won by the Athenians had only made Sparta more jealous,
the war was renewed, and carried on with great fury on both sides. The
Spartans gained the first victories; but, owing to their better navy,
the Athenians soon won over all the neighboring cities, and got the
upper hand of their foes.
[Illustration: The Acropolis.]
They were about to end the war by a last victory at Cor-o-ne'a, when
fortune suddenly deserted them, and they were so sorely beaten that they
were very glad to agree to a truce and return home.
By the treaty then signed, the Athenians bound themselves to keep the
peace during a term of thirty years. In exchange, the Spartans allowed
them to retain the cities which they had conquered, and the leadership
of one of the confederacies formed by the Greek states, reserving the
head of the other for themselves.
During these thirty years of peace, Pericles was very busy, and his
efforts were directed for the most part toward the improvement of
Athens. By his advice a magnificent temple, the Par'the-non, was built
on top of the Acropolis, in honor of Athene.
This temple, one of the wonders of the world, was decorated with
beautiful carvings by Phidias, and all the rich Athenians went to see
them as soon as they were finished. This sculptor also made a
magnificent gold and ivory statue of the goddess, to stand in the midst
of the Parthenon. But in spite of all his talent, Phidias had many
enemies. After a while they wrongfully accused him of stealing part of
the gold intrusted to him. Phidias vainly tried to defend himself; but
they would not listen to him, and put him in prison, where he died.
Between the temple of Athene and the city there was a series of steps
and beautiful porticoes, decorated with paintings and sculptures, which
have never been surpassed.
Many other beautiful buildings were erected under the rule of Pericles;
and the beauty and art loving Athenians could soon boast that their city
was the finest in the world. Artists from all parts of the country
thronged thither in search of work, and all were well received by
Pericles.
[Illustration: Phidias.]
LIX. THE TEACHINGS OF ANAXAGORAS.
As Pericles was a very cultivated man, he liked to meet and talk with
the philosophers, and to befriend the artists. He was greatly attached
to the sculptor Phidias, and he therefore did all in his power to save
him from the envy of his fellow-citizens.
An-ax-ag'o-ras, a philosopher of great renown, was the friend and
teacher of Pericles. He, too, won the dislike of the people; and, as
they could not accuse him also of stealing, they charged him with
publicly teaching that the gods they worshiped were not true gods, and
proposed to put him to death for this crime.
Now, Anaxagoras had never heard of the true God, the God whom we
worship. He had heard only of Zeus, Athene, and the other gods honored
by his people; but he was so wise and so thoughtful that he believed the
world could never have been created by such divinities as those.
He observed all he saw very attentively, and shocked the people greatly
by saying that the sun was not a god driving in a golden chariot, but a
great glowing rock, which, in spite of its seemingly small size, he
thought must be about as large as the Peloponnesus.
Of course, this seems very strange to you. But Anaxagoras lived more
than two thousand years ago, and since then people have constantly been
finding out new things and writing them in books, so it is no wonder
that in this matter you are already, perhaps, wiser than he. When you
come to study about the sun, you will find that Anaxagoras was partly
right, but that, instead of being only as large as the Peloponnesus, the
sun is more than a million times larger than the whole earth!
Anaxagoras also tried to explain that the moon was probably very much
like the earth, with mountains, plains, and seas. These things, which
they could not understand, made the Athenians so angry that they exiled
the philosopher, in spite of all Pericles could say.
Anaxagoras went away without making any fuss, and withdrew to a distant
city, where he continued his studies as before. Many people regretted
his absence, and missed his wise conversation, but none so much as
Pericles, who never forgot him, and who gave him money enough to keep
him in comfort.
Another great friend of Pericles was a woman called As-pa'sia. She was
so bright that the wisest men of Athens used to go to her house merely
for the pleasure of talking to her. All the best-informed people in town
used to assemble there; and Cimon and Pericles, Phidias, Anaxagoras, and
Soc'ra-tes were among her chosen friends.
LX. BEGINNING OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR.
The end of Pericles' long and useful life was troubled by a new war
between Athens and Sparta; for, as soon as the thirty-years' truce was
ended, both cities flew to arms. The war which then began, and which in
history is known as the Peloponnesian War, lasted almost as long as the
truce; that is to say, for nearly thirty years.
Pericles knew very well that the Athenians, not being so well trained,
were no match for the Spartans on land. He therefore advised all the
people to come into the city, and take refuge behind the mighty walls,
while the fleet carried on the war by sea.
This advice was followed. All the farmers left their fields, and crowded
into Athens. When the Spartans came into Attica, they found the farms
and villages deserted; but from the top of the Acropolis the people
could see the enemy burn down their empty dwellings and destroy the
harvests in their fields.
In the mean while the Athenian fleet had sailed out of the Piraeus, and
had gone down into the Peloponnesus, where the troops landed from time
to time, striking terror into the hearts of the inhabitants, and causing
much damage.
The Spartans also had a fleet; but it was so much smaller than that of
the Athenians, that it could not offer any very great resistance. Still
the time came when a battle was to take place between the vessels of the
two cities.
It happened on a day when there was to be an eclipse of the sun. Now,
you know that this is a very simple and natural thing. An eclipse of the
sun is a darkening of its surface, which occurs whenever the moon passes
between it and the earth.
As the moon is a very large and solid body, we cannot see either through
or around it, and for a few minutes while it is directly between us and
the sun it entirely hides the latter from our sight. Pericles, who had
so often talked with Anaxagoras and the other learned men of his day,
knew what an eclipse was, and had even been told that one would soon
take place. He was therefore quite ready for it, warned his soldiers
that it was coming, and illustrated his meaning by flinging his cloak
over the head of his pilot.