replied the man. "Your thick cloak is between me and the sun; how could
I see through it?"--"Well, neither can you see through the moon, then,"
replied Pericles.
His men, thus warned, showed no fear of the eclipse; but the Spartans,
who did not trouble themselves greatly with learning, were terrified.
They imagined that the darkening of the sun at midday was the sign of
some coming misfortune, and hardly dared to fight against the Athenians.
Thanks to this superstitious fear, Pericles laid waste the fields of the
Peloponnesus, and came back to Athens in triumph; for, although much
damage had been done to the enemy, the Athenians had lost only a few
men. These were buried with great honors. Pericles himself pronounced
their funeral oration; and we are told that he was so eloquent that all
his hearers were melted to tears.
LXI. DEATH OF PERICLES.
Although the Athenian fleet had caused much damage, and had come home
victorious, the Spartan army was still in Attica. The Spartans had been
awed and frightened by the eclipse, but they did not give up their
purpose, and continued the war.
The Athenians remained within the city walls, not daring to venture out
lest they should meet with a defeat, and they soon began to suffer
greatly. As there were not enough water and food for the crowded
multitude, a terrible disease called the plague soon attacked the
people. This sickness was contagious, and it spread rapidly. On all
sides one could see the dead and dying. The sufferers were tormented by
a burning thirst; and as there was soon no one left to care for the
sick, they painfully dragged themselves to the sides of the fountains,
where many of them died.
Not only were the sick uncared for, but it was also nearly impossible to
dispose of the dead; and the bodies lay in the streets day after day,
waiting for burial.
When the Athenians were in the greatest distress, Pericles heard that
there was a Greek doctor, named Hip-poc'ra-tes, who had a cure for the
plague; and he wrote to him, imploring his help.
Hippocrates received Pericles' letter at the same time that a message
arrived from Artaxerxes, King of Persia. The king asked him to come and
save the Persians, who were suffering from the same disease, and offered
the doctor great wealth.
The noble doctor did not hesitate a moment, but sent away the Persian
messenger, saying that it was his duty first to save his own countrymen.
Then he immediately set out for the plague-stricken city of Athens,
where he worked bravely night and day.
His care and skill restored many sufferers; and, although thousands died
of the plague, the remaining Athenians knew that they owed him their
lives. When the danger was over, they all voted that Hippocrates should
have a golden crown, and said he should be called an Athenian
citizen,--an honor which they seldom granted to any outsider.
The plague had not only carried away many of the poorer citizens, but
had also stricken down the nobles and the rich. Pericles' family
suffered from it too. All his children took it and died, with the
exception of one.
The great man, in spite of his private cares and sorrows, was always in
and out among the people, helping and encouraging them, and he finally
caught the plague himself.
His friends soon saw, that, in spite of all their efforts, he would die.
They crowded around his bed in tears, praising him in low tones, and
saying how much he had done for the Athenians and for the improvement of
their city.
"Why," said one of them warmly, "he found the city bricks, and leaves it
marble!"
Pericles, whose eyes had been closed, and who seemed unconscious, now
suddenly roused himself, and said, "Why do you mention those things?
They were mostly owing to my large fortune. The thing of which I am
proudest is that I never caused any fellow-citizen to put on mourning!"
Pericles then sank back, and soon died; but his friends always
remembered that he had ruled Athens for more than thirty years without
ever punishing any one unjustly, and that he had always proved helpful
and merciful to all.
LXII. THE PHILOSOPHER SOCRATES.
When Pericles died, the Peloponnesian War had already been carried on
for more than three years, but was not nearly at an end. As the
Athenians felt the need of a leader, they soon chose Nic'ias to take the
place left vacant by Pericles.
This Nicias was an honest man; but he was unfortunately rather dull, and
very slow about deciding anything. Whenever he was called upon to see to
matters of state, he hesitated so long, and was so uncertain, that the
Greeks often had cause to regret the loss of Pericles.
There was another man of note in Athens at this time, the philosopher
Socrates, a truly wise and good man. He was no politician, however; and,
instead of troubling himself about the state, he spent all his spare
moments in studying, or in teaching the young men of Athens.
Like his friend Anaxagoras, Socrates was a very deep thinker. He, too,
always tried to find out the exact truth about everything. He was
specially anxious to know how the earth had been created, who the Being
was who gave us life, and whether the soul died with the body, or
continued to live after the body had fallen into dust.
Socrates was a poor man, a stonecutter by trade; but he spent every
moment he could spare from his work in thinking, studying, and
questioning others. Little by little, in spite of the contrary opinion
of his fellow-citizens, he began to understand that the stories of the
Greek gods and goddesses could not be true.
He thought that there must surely be a God far greater than they,--a God
who was good and powerful and just, who governed the world he had
created, and who rewarded the virtuous and punished the wicked.
[Illustration: Socrates.]
Socrates believed that everybody should be as good and gentle as
possible, and freely forgive all injuries. This belief was very
different from that of all ancient nations, who, on the contrary,
thought that they should try to avenge every insult, and return evil for
evil.
The philosopher Socrates not only taught this gentleness, but practiced
it carefully at home and abroad. He had plenty of opportunity to make
use of it; for he had such a cross wife, that her name, Xan-thip'pe, is
still used to describe a scolding and bad-tempered woman.
Whenever Xanthippe was angry, she used to scold poor Socrates roundly.
He always listened without flying into a passion, or even answering her;
and when her temper was too unbearable, he quietly left the house, and
went about his business elsewhere.
This gentleness and meekness only angered Xanthippe the more; and one
day, when he was escaping as usual, she caught up a jug full of water
and poured it over his head.
Socrates good-naturedly shook off the water, smiled, and merely remarked
to his companions, "After the thunder comes the rain."
LXIII. SOCRATES' FAVORITE PUPIL.
As you have already heard, Socrates was a teacher. He did not, however,
have a school like yours, with desks, and books, and maps, and
blackboards. His pupils gathered about him at his workshop, or in the
cool porticoes, or under the trees in the garden of the Academy.
Then, while hammering his stone, or while slowly pacing up and down, the
philosopher talked to his scholars so gently and wisely, that even the
richest and noblest youths of Athens were proud to call him their
teacher. He also visited the house of the noted Aspasia, and was a
friend of Pericles, Phidias, and Anaxagoras, besides being the teacher
of three very celebrated men,--Pla'to, Xen'o-phon, and Al-ci-bi'a-des.
[Illustration: Alcibiades dared the Driver to come on.]
Plato and Xenophon, even in their youth, were noted for their coolness
and right-mindedness; but Alcibiades, a general favorite, was very
different from them both. He was an orphan, and the ward of Pericles.
His father had left him a large fortune; and, as Alcibiades was
handsome, intelligent, and very high-spirited, he was made much of and
greatly spoiled.
Even as a little child he was very headstrong, and, as he had no father
and mother to check him, he was often led by his willfulness into great
danger. We are told that once, when he saw a wagon coming down the
street where he and his playmates were playing, he called to the man to
stop. The man, who cared nothing for their game, drove on, and the other
children quickly sprang aside so as not to be run over. Alcibiades,
however, flung himself down across the road, in front of his playthings,
and dared the driver to come on.
This was of course very foolish; and if the driver had given him a few
sharp cuts with his whip, it might have done Alcibiades a great deal of
good. But the man was so amused by the little fellow's pluck, that he
actually turned around and drove through another street.
When Alcibiades grew a little older, he went to listen to the teachings
of Socrates. In the presence of this wise man, Alcibiades forgot all his
vanity and willfulness, talked sensibly, and showed himself well
informed and kind-hearted.
He seemed so earnest and simple that Socrates soon grew very fond of
him. They often walked together on the street; and it must have been
pleasing to see this tall, handsome, and aristocratic youth, eagerly
listening to the wise words of the homely, toil-worn workman beside
him.
Unfortunately, however, Alcibiades could not pass all his time with the
good philosopher, and when he left him it was to spend the rest of the
day with his own class. As he was rich, generous, and handsome, his
companions always flattered him, approved of all he did, and admired
everything he said.
This constant flattery was very bad for the young man; and, as he was
anxious to please everybody, it often led him to do foolish things. He
gave costly banquets, drove fast horses, boasted a great deal, and even
started out for his first battle in a magnificent suit of armor all
inlaid with gold.
His shield was also inlaid with gold and ivory, and on it was a picture
of Cu'pid throwing the thunderbolts of Jove (Zeus). All his flatterers,
instead of telling him frankly that such armor was ridiculous, admired
him greatly, and vowed that he looked like the god of the sun.
In the midst of the battle, Alcibiades, who was very brave, rushed into
the thick of the foe. His armor was not as strong as a plainer suit
would have been; and he soon found himself hemmed round, and almost
ready to fall. His fine friends had of course deserted the lad; but,
fortunately for him, Socrates was there. The philosopher rushed into the
midst of the fray, caught up the young man in his strong arms, and bore
him off the battlefield to a place of safety, where he tenderly bound up
his wounds.
As Alcibiades was a good-hearted youth, he felt deeply grateful to
Socrates for saving his life, and ever after proudly claimed him as a
friend. In spite of the philosopher's advice, however, the young man
continued to frequent the same society; and, as he was genial and
open-handed with all, he daily grew more popular.
LXIV. YOUTH OF ALCIBIADES.
As the Greeks all loved the Olympic games, Alcibiades was always seen
there. He took part in the chariot races especially; and his horses won
three prizes in succession, to the delight of his admirers.
Alcibiades was shrewd enough, in spite of all his vanity, to understand
that the people of Athens loved him principally because he was handsome
and rich. He also knew that they delighted in gossip, and he sometimes
did a thing merely to hear them talk about it.
He had a very handsome dog, for instance; and for a little while its
beauty was praised by every one. But the Athenians soon grew used to the
animal, and ceased to talk about it. Then Alcibiades had the dog's tail
cut off, and of course every one began to exclaim about that.
Some of the Athenians became so inquisitive that they asked why he had
done so, and he laughingly answered that it was merely in order to
supply them with material for conversation and wonder.
Alcibiades was so merry and light-hearted that he treated even serious
matters in a joking way. We are told, that, when he was first admitted
to the city council, he acted like a schoolboy, and mischievously let
loose a captive quail, which ran in and out among the feet of the
councilors, and fluttered about so wildly as to upset the gravity of the
whole assembly.
On another occasion the councilors were all waiting for Alcibiades to
begin their proceedings. He entered the hall with a crown of flowers on
his head; begged them to excuse him, because he could really not attend
to business, as he had a banquet at his house; and asked them to adjourn
and go home with him.
Strange to relate, his manner was so fascinating that the grave
councilors did as he wished, and dropped their important business to
feast with him. It was on account of this influence that an Athenian
citizen once bitterly exclaimed, "Go on, my brave boy! Your prosperity
will bring ruin on this crowd."
Alcibiades was such a favorite among rich and poor, that the Athenians
would gladly have made him king. Fortunately, however, the young man
still had sense enough to refuse this honor; but, although he would not
accept the title, he exercised much of the power of a king, and soon he
and Nicias were the principal politicians of the day.
Alcibiades was as ambitious as Nicias was careful; and while the latter
was always trying to keep the Athenians as quiet and contented as
possible, Alcibiades was always ready to think of some plan by which the
power of the city could be extended.
This ambition of Alcibiades was destined to have a very bad effect upon
his own fortunes and upon those of his native land, as you will see by
the end of his career.
LXV. GREEK COLONIES IN ITALY.
The Greeks, as you know, had founded colonies all along the coast of
Asia Minor and on many of the islands. They had also sailed as far as
Italy and Sicily, where they built many towns.
Little by little these colonies grew richer and stronger. As the Greek
settlers increased in number, they claimed more and more land. In Sicily
and southern Italy the soil was so fertile that the people soon grew
very rich; and, as they had vessels in plenty, they traded everywhere,
and became noted for their commercial enterprise.
The first of the Greek colonies in southern Italy was the city of
Syb'a-ris. It was so prosperous that the people had more money than they
knew what to do with; and they spent large sums in making their houses
beautiful and in securing every comfort.
The Syb'a-rites soon became so luxurious in their habits, that they were
noted all over the country for their love of ease. We are told that one
Sybarite, for instance, once ordered his slaves to prepare a couch for
him of fresh rose leaves.
When it was ready, he stretched himself out upon it and slept. In a
short time he awoke with cries of great distress, saying that he could
not sleep because a rose leaf was crumpled under him, and chafed his
tender skin.
Ever since then, when people make a great fuss about a trifle, they are
apt to hear the remark, "'Tis the crumpled rose leaf!" and when they
spend too much thought upon their bodily comfort, and indulge in too
much luxury, they are called Sybarites.
The people of this town continued to flourish for some time, but they
finally quarreled with the neighboring colony of Croton. A war followed,
in which the ease-loving Sybarites were defeated and their city was
destroyed.
Croton and Ta-ren'tum on the mainland, and Messina and Syr'a-cuse on the
Island of Sicily, were now the principal colonies. They were all very
rich and prosperous, so Alcibiades told the Athenians that it would be a
good plan to send out a fleet to conquer and annex them.
Nicias and his party opposed this plan; but when it was put to the vote,
it was found that the eloquence of Alcibiades had prevailed. A large
fleet was prepared, and Nicias, Lam'a-chus, and Alcibiades were chosen
generals of the expedition. The fleet was on the point of sailing out of
the Piraeus, when the Athenians found out that all the statues of their
god Her'mes, which were used as boundary marks and milestones, had been
shamefully broken.
The excited people assembled on the market place to discuss this event;
and all cried loudly against it, for the statues were considered sacred,
as they represented a god. Alcibiades' enemies--and he had a number,
although he was so popular--now stepped forward, and declared that he
had done it after the banquet which he had given to celebrate his
departure.
The young man denied having broken the statues, and asked that his
trial might take place at once, so that he might prove his innocence
before he started out; but, in spite of this urgent request, it was
postponed, and he was forced to depart with this cloud hanging over him.
LXVI. ALCIBIADES IN DISGRACE.
Alcibiades had no sooner sailed, however, than his enemies, grown
bolder, began to talk louder, and soon convinced the people of his
guilt. In their wrath, the Athenians now sent a messenger to Sicily to
overtake him, and bid him return to Athens to be tried.
His friends, seeing the excitement of the people, and fearing that they
would condemn him in anger, sent word to him not to return, but to wait
until the popular fury had had time to blow over.
In obedience to this advice, Alcibiades left the fleet, and, instead of
going to Athens, went straight to Sparta, where he took up his abode.
Here the changeable youth adopted the Spartan dress, lived with the
utmost simplicity and frugality, and even used the laconic mode of
speech.
As he was tall and strong, and a very good athlete, he soon won the
admiration of the Spartans, and made many friends. During his stay here,
he heard that he had been tried at Athens, although absent, found guilty
of sacrilege, and even sentenced to death.
This ingratitude on the part of his people so angered Alcibiades, that
he told the Spartans all the Athenian plans, and showed how to upset
them. By his advice, the Spartans sent aid to the Greeks in Sicily,
helped them to resist the Athenian attack, and even captured both
generals and seven thousand soldiers, who were put to death.
The Spartans, still under Alcibiades' instructions, now took and
fortified the small town of Dec-e-le'a, only twelve miles from Athens.
Here they kept an armed force, ready to spring out at any minute and
molest the Athenians, who thus found themselves in a continual state of
warfare and insecurity.
The small cities and islands which the Athenians had won by force now
seized this favorable opportunity to revolt; and the Persians, at
Alcibiades' invitation, joined them, and again began to wage war with
the proud city.
[Illustration: Alcibiades.]
The Athenians were almost in despair. They had enemies on all sides, and
were also worried by the quarrels of aristocrats and democrats within
the city. These two political parties were now so opposed to each other,
that nothing could make them friends.
The army, longing for action, and without a leader, finally took matters
into their own hands. They recalled Alcibiades, and asked him to help
them. The young man, who was generous and kind-hearted, immediately
responded to this appeal; and, now that it was too late, he repented of
what he had done, and began to do all in his power to defeat the enemy
he had aroused.
By his eloquence and skill, Alcibiades finally succeeded in winning the
Persians over to side with the Athenians, and to fight against the
Spartans; but all his efforts to make up for the past were vain. His
treachery had ruined Athens; and when he led the troops against the
Spartans, the Athenians were completely defeated.
LXVII. DEATH OF ALCIBIADES.
Afraid to return to his native city, where he knew the people would
blame him for their sufferings, Alcibiades fled. After roaming about for
some time, he took refuge in a castle which he had built on the
Cher-so-ne'sus.
From the height upon which the castle stood, Alcibiades could overlook
the sea on both sides; and he watched the Spartan and Athenian fleets,
which, unknown to each other, had come to anchor very near him. He soon
discovered that the Spartans had become aware of the presence of the
Athenians, and were preparing to surprise them.
He therefore left his castle, and, at the risk of his life, went down to
warn the Athenians of the coming danger. They, however, treated his
warning with scorn, and bade him return to his castle, and remember
that he no longer had any right to interfere in their affairs.
From the top of his promontory, Alcibiades saw the complete destruction
of the Athenian fleet. Only a few men managed to escape to his castle
for shelter; while a single ship sailed in haste to Athens, to report
the defeat, and warn the people of the coming danger.
A few days later the victorious Spartan army marched unchallenged into
Athens, for there were now no fighting men left to oppose them. The
Spartans said that Athens must now obey them in all things; and, to
humiliate the people, they tore down the Long Walls to the sound of
joyful music on the anniversary of the glorious victory of Salamis.
Thus ended the Peloponnesian War, which, as you have seen, began shortly
before the death of Pericles. From this time on, the fame of Athens was
due mostly to her literature and art.
By order of the Spartans, Solon's laws were set aside, and thirty men
were chosen to govern the city. These rulers proved so stern and cruel,
that they were soon known as the Thirty Tyrants, and were hated by every
one.
The Athenians suffered so sorely under the government which the Spartans
had thus forced upon them, that they soon began to long for the return
of Alcibiades, who, whatever his faults, was always generous.
When the Thirty Tyrants and the Spartans learned of this feeling, they
were afraid that the Athenians would summon Alcibiades, so they bribed
the Persian governor to put him to death.
A party of murderers went to his house at night, and set it afire.
Alcibiades, waking up suddenly, tried to escape with his household; but
no sooner had he reached the door than he found himself surrounded by
enemies.
Alcibiades quickly wrapped his cloak around his left arm to serve as a
shield, and, seizing his sword in his right hand, rushed manfully out
upon his foes. The Persians, frightened at his approach, fled in haste;
but they came to a stop at a safe distance, and flung so many stones and
spears at him that he soon fell dead from the blows.
His body was left where it had fallen, and was found by his wife, who
loved him dearly in spite of all his faults. She tenderly wrapped it up
in her own mantle, and had it buried not far from where it lay.
Thus ended the life of the brilliant Alcibiades, who died at the age of
forty, far away from his native land, and from the people whose idol he
had once been, but whom he had ruined by his vanity.
LXVIII. THE OVERTHROW OF THE THIRTY TYRANTS.
Although the Thirty Tyrants ruled in Athens but a short time, they
condemned fifteen hundred men to death, and drove many good citizens
into exile. During their brief period of authority they even found fault
with Socrates, and would have liked to kill him, though he was the
greatest philosopher the world has ever known.
As the rule of the Thirty Tyrants had been forced upon them by the
victorious Spartans, the Athenians soon resolved to get rid of them.
Among the good citizens whom these cruel rulers had driven away into
exile, was Thras-y-bu'lus, who was a real patriot.
He had seen the sufferings of the Athenians, and his sympathy had been
roused. So he began plotting against the Thirty Tyrants, assembled a few
brave men, entered the city, drove out the Spartans, and overturned
their government when they least expected it.
Some years later the Athenians rebuilt the Long Walls, which Ly-san'der,
the Spartan general, had torn down to the sound of festive music. They
were so glad to be rid of the cruel tyrants, that they erected statues
in honor of Thrasybulus, their deliverer, and sang songs in his praise
at all their public festivals.
The Spartans, in the mean while, had been changing rapidly for the
worse, for the defeat of the Athenians had filled their hearts with
pride, and had made them fancy they were the bravest and greatest people
on earth. Such conceit is always harmful.