a smaller history of greece-第19节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s；　turned　and　fled　to　the　temple；　where　he　took　refuge　in　a　small　chamber　belonging　to　the　building。　　From　this　sanctuary　it　was　unlawful　to　drag　him；　but　the　ephors　caused　the　doors　to　be　built　up　and　the　roof　to　be　removed；　and　his　own　mother　is　said　to　have　placed　the　first　stone　at　the　doors。　　When　at　the　point　of　death　from　starvation；　he　was　carried　from　the　sanctuary　before　he　polluted　it　with　his　corpse。　　Such　was　the　end　of　the　victor　of　Plataea。　　After　his　death　proofs　were　discovered　among　his　papers　that　Themistocles　was　implicated　in　his　guilt。　　But　in　order　to　follow　the　fortunes　of　the　Athenian　statesman；　it　is　necessary　to　take　a　glance　at　the　internal　history　of　Athens。

The　ancient　rivalry　between　Themistocles　and　Aristides　had　been　in　a　good　degree　extinguished　by　the　danger　which　threatened　their　common　country　during　the　Persian　wars。　　Aristides　had　since　abandoned　his　former　prejudices；　and　was　willing　to　conform　to　many　of　the　democratical　innovations　of　his　rival。　　The　effect　of　this　was　to　produce；　soon　after　their　return　to　Attica；　a　still　further　modification　of　the　constitution　of　Clisthenes。　The　Thetes　the　lowest　of　the　four　classes　of　Athenian　citizens；　were　declared　eligible　for　the　magistracy；　from　which　they　had　been　excluded　by　the　laws　of　Solon。　　Thus　not　only　the　archonship；　but　consequently　the　Council　of　Areopagus；　was　thrown　open　to　them；　and；　strange　to　say；　this　reform　was　proposed　by　Aristides　himself。

Nevertheless　party　spirit　still　ran　high　at　Athens。　　Cimon　and　Alcmaeon　were　violent　opponents　of　Themistocles；　and　of　their　party　Aristides　was　still　the　head。　　The　popularity　of　Aristides　was　never　greater　than　at　the　present　time；　owing　not　only　to　the　more　liberal　spirit　which　he　exhibited；　but　also　to　his　great　services　in　establishing　the　Confederacy　of　Delos。　　Themistocles　had　offended　the　Athenians　by　his　ostentation　and　vanity。　　He　was　continually　boasting　of　his　services　to　the　state；　but　worse　than　all　this；　his　conduct　was　stained　with　positive　guilt。　　Whilst；　at　the　head　of　an　Athenian　squadron；　he　was　sailing　among　the　Greek　islands　for　the　ostensible　purpose　of　executing　justice；　there　is　little　room　to　doubt　that　he　corrupted　its　very　source　by　accepting　large　sums　of　money　from　the　cities　which　he　visited。　　Party　spirit　at　length　reached　such　a　height　that　it　was　found　necessary　to　resort　to　ostracism；　and　Themistocles　was　condemned　to　a　temporary　banishment　（B。C。　471）。　　He　retired　to　Argos；　where　he　was　residing　when　the　Spartans　called　upon　the　Athenians　to　prosecute　their　great　statesman　before　a　synod　of　the　allies　assembled　at　Sparta；　on　the　ground　of　treasonable　correspondence　with　Persia。　　Accordingly　joint　envoys　were　sent　from　Athens　and　Sparta　to　arrest　him　（B。C。　466）。　　Themistocles　avoided　the　impending　danger　by　flying　from　Argos　to　Corcyra。　The　Corcyraeans；　however；　not　daring　to　shelter　him；　he　passed　over　to　the　continent；　where；　being　still　pursued；　he　was　forced　to　seek　refuge　at　the　court　of　Admetus；　king　of　the　Molossians；　though　the　latter　was　his　personal　enemy。　　Fortunately；　Admetus　happened　to　be　from　home。　　The　forlorn　condition　of　Themistocles　excited　the　compassion　of　the　wife　of　the　Molossian　king；　who　placed　her　child　in　his　arms；　and　bade　him　seat　himself　on　the　hearth　as　a　suppliant。　　As　soon　as　the　king　arrived；　Themistocles　explained　his　peril；　and　adjured　him　by　the　sacred　laws　of　hospitality　not　to　take　vengeance　upon　a　fallen　foe。　　Admetus　accepted　his　appeal；　and　raised　him　from　the　hearth；　he　refused　to　deliver　him　up　to　his　pursuers；　and　at　last　only　dismissed　him　on　his　own　expressed　desire　to　proceed　to　Persia。　　After　many　perils；　Themistocles　succeeded　in　reaching　in　safety　the　coast　of　Asia。　　Artaxerxes；　the　son　of　Xerxes；　was　now　upon　the　throne　of　Persia；　and　to　him　Themistocles　hastened　to　announce　himself。　The　king　was　delighted　at　his　arrival；　and　treated　him　with　the　greatest　distinction。　　In　a　year's　time；　Themistocles；　having　acquired　a　sufficient　knowledge　of　the　Persian　language　to　be　able　to　converse　in　it；　entertained　Artaxerxes　with　magnificent　schemes　for　the　subjugation　of　Greece。　　Artaxerxes　loaded　him　with　presents；　gave　him　a　Persian　wife；　and　appointed　Magnesia；　a　town　not　far　from　the　Ionian　coast；　as　his　place　of　residence。　after　living　there　some　time　he　was　carried　off　by　disease　at　the　age　of　sixty…five；　without　having　realised；　or　apparently　attempted；　any　of　those　plans　with　which　he　had　dazzled　the　Persian　monarch。　　Rumour　ascribed　his　death　to　poison；　which　he　took　of　his　own　accord；　from　a　consciousness　of　his　inability　to　perform　his　promises；　but　this　report；　which　was　current　in　the　time　of　Thucydides；　is　rejected　by　that　historian。

Aristides　died　about　four　years　after　the　banishment　of　Themistocles。　　The　common　accounts　of　his　poverty　are　probably　exaggerated；　and　seem　to　have　been　founded　on　the　circumstances　of　a　public　funeral；　and　of　handsome　donations　made　to　his　three　children　by　the　state。　　But　whatever　his　property　may　have　been；　it　is　at　least　certain　that　he　did　not　acquire　or　increase　it　by　unlawful　means；　and　not　even　calumny　has　ventured　to　assail　his　well…earned　title　of　THE　JUST。

On　the　death　of　Aristides；　Cimon　became　the　undisputed　leader　of　the　conservative　party　at　Athens。　　Cimon　was　generous；　affable；　magnificent；　and；　notwithstanding　his　political　views；　of　exceedingly　popular　manners。　　He　had　inherited　the　military　genius　of　his　father；　and　was　undoubtedly　the　greatest　commander　of　his　time。　　He　employed　the　vast　wealth　acquired　in　his　expeditions　in　adorning　Athens　and　gratifying　his　fellow…　citizens。　　It　has　been　already　mentioned　that　he　succeeded　Aristides　in　the　command　of　the　allied　fleet。　　His　first　exploits　were　the　capture　of　Eion　on　the　Strymon；　and　the　reduction　of　the　island　of　Scyros　（B。C。　476）。　　A　few　years　afterwards　we　find　the　first　symptoms　of　discontent　among　the　members　of　the　Confederacy　of　Delos。　　Naxos；　one　of　the　confederate　islands；　and　the　largest　of　the　Cyclades；　revolted　in　B。C。　466；　probably　from　a　feeling　of　the　growing　oppressiveness　of　the　Athenian　headship。　　It　was　immediately　invested　by　the　confederate　fleet；　reduced；　and　made　tributary　to　Athens。　　This　was　another　step　towards　dominion　gained　by　the　Athenians；　whose　pretensions　were　assisted　by　the　imprudence　of　the　allies。　　Many　of　the　smaller　states　belonging　to　the　confederacy；　wearied　with　perpetual　hostilities；　commuted　for　a　money　payment　the　ships　which　they　were　bound　to　supply；　and　thus；　by　depriving　themselves　of　a　navy；　lost　the　only　means　by　which　they　could　assert　their　independence。

The　same　year　was　marked　by　a　memorable　action　against　the　Persians。　　Cimon　at　the　head　of　200　Athenian　triremes；　and　100　furnished　by　the　allies；　proceeded　to　the　coast　of　Asia　Minor。　The　Persians　had　assembled　a　large　fleet　and　army　at　the　mouth　of　the　river　Eurymedon　in　Pamphylia。　　After　speedily　defeating　the　fleet；　Cimon　landed　his　men　and　marched　against　the　Persian　army　which　was　drawn　up　on　the　shore　to　protect　the　fleet。　　The　land…　force　fought　with　bravery；　but　was　at　length　put　to　the　rout。

The　island　of　Thasos　was　the　next　member　of　the　confederacy　against　which　the　Athenians　directed　their　arms。　　After　a　siege　of　more　than　two　years　that　island　surrendered；　when　its　fortifications　were　razed；　and　it　was　condemned　to　pay　tribute　（B。C。　463）。

The　expedition　to　Thasos　was　attended　with　a　circumstance　which　first　gives　token　of　the　coming　hostilities　between　Sparta　and　Athens。　　At　an　early　period　of　the　blockade　the　Thasians　secretly　applied　to　the　Lacedaemonians　to　make　a　diversion　in　their　favour　by　invading　Attica：　　and　though　the　Lacedaemonians　were　still　ostensibly　allied　with　Athens；　they　were　base　enough　to　comply　with　this　request。　　Their　treachery；　however；　was　prevented　by　a　terrible　calamity　which　befel　themselves。　　In　the　year　B。C。　461　their　capital　was　visited　by　an　earthquake　which　laid　it　in　ruins　and　killed　20；000　of　the　citizens。　　But　this　was　only　part　of　the　calamity。　　The　earthquake　was　immediately　followed　by　a　revolt　of　the　Helots；　who　were　always　ready　to　avail　themselves　of　the　weakness　of　their　tyrants。　　Being　joined　by　the　Messenians；　they　fortified　themselves　in　Mount　Ithome　in　Messenia。　　Hence　this　revolt　is　sometimes　called　the　Third　Messenian　War　（B。C。　464）。　after　two　or　three　years　spent　in　a　vain　attempt　to　dislodge　them　from　this　position；　the　Lacedaemonians　found　themselves　obliged　to　call　in　the　assistance　of　their　allies；　and；　among　the　rest；　of　the　Athenians。　　It　was　with　great　difficulty　that　Cimon　persuaded　the　Athenians　to　comply　with　this　request；　but　he　was　at　length　despatched　to　Laconia　with　a　force　of　4000　hoplites。　The　aid　of　the　Athenians　had　been　requested　by　the　Lacedaemonians　on　account　of　their　acknowledged　superiority　in　the　art　of　attacking　fortified　places。　　As；　however；　Cimon　did　not　succeed　in　dislodging　the　Helots　from　Ithome　the　Lacedaemonians；　probably　from　a　consciousness　of　their　own　treachery　in　the　affair　of　Thasos；　suspected　that　the　Athenians　were　playing　them　false；　and　abruptly　dismissed　them；　saying　that　they　had　no　longer　any　occasion　for　their　services。　　This　rude　dismissal　gave　great　offence　at　Athens；　and　annih