Hitherto the Areopagus and the Council of Five Hundred exercised both the political and judicial power of the state. Pericles deprived them of the latter, and confided it to the juries, except in cases of homicide, which was still retained by the Areopagus. This he regarded as of the greatest importance, as it rendered all public functionaries liable to be tried by their fellow-citizens. The next important act of Pericles was to appoint two commissions: one consisting of seven magistrates, whose duty it was to oppose every proposition or measure which they deemed contrary to the existing laws; the other consisting of a much larger number, whose duty it was to propose to the people the revision of such laws as they thought defective.

The oligarchical party were so exasperated at seeing the power taken out of their own hands in this manner that they assassinated Ephialtes, the colleague of Pericles. The latter was not in the least intimidated by so outrageous an act. Finding himself now the sole chief of the democratic party, he persevered in the same policy which had already led to such important results. The first years of his administration were distinguished by the acquisition of Megara as an ally of Athens, and a successful war against Corinth and Egina. The Spartans looked on these successes with jealousy, foreseeing that if they were not checked in time, Athens would soon exercise her domination over the whole of continental Greece; and, accordingly, they did not conceal their intention of attacking the rival city as soon as they could suppress the insurrection of their slaves.

Not doubting but the Spartans would do all the mischief they could, Pericles resolved to be prepared for them in time. With this view, he proposed to join the city to the sea by two ramparts, one forty stadia in length, the other thirty. This he knew would render Athens, the Piræus, and the Phalerum but one fortification, which, by land, would be capable of resisting all the armies of the Peloponnesus, while by sea it could maintain complete liberty of action. The Spartans, taking offence at these preparations, crossed the Isthmus of Corinth with a considerable army, and gained a victory over the Athenians at Tanagra, which, however, was nearly as bad for themselves as a defeat, and proved an advantage rather than a loss to the Athenians by uniting them to each other.

Taking advantage of the good feeling thus promoted between the different parties, Pericles generously proposed to recal Cimon, his former antagonist. Among the results of

the unanimity of feeling thus produced was the decisive victory gained by the Athenians over the Boeotians at Enophyta,* which gave them an uncontested supremacy over the whole country comprehended between the Isthmus of Corinth and the Pass of Thermopyla. The next important step of Pericles was to remove the seat of the Ionian confederation from Delos to Athens, causing all the cities that formed that confederation to pay tribute to the sovereign city.

The Athenians were now undisputed masters of the sea, and among their tributary allies they numbered the Megarians, the Locrians, the Phocians, and the Achæians. The Boeotians, however, soon became discontented under the Athenian rule, and revolted. The friends of Cimon being still secretly opposed to Pericles, he was able to send only a small army against the insurgents. It was in vain he warned them against the consequences, telling them that they had better send no army than a weak one; and accordingly the Athenians were defeated at Coroneia by the Boeotians. The other allies, encouraged by the success of the latter, revolted in turn. Even Attica was invaded by the victorious allies, and the most reliable historians are of opinion that owing to the divisions caused among the Athenians by the oligarchists, the city might have been taken had not Pericles given the enemy money as an inducement to retire, as he had no other means of saving it. Yet, Thucydides, the son of Milesius, now at the head of the oligarchist party, accused Pericles of having brought all these misfortunes on the country. Plutarch tells us that "he was charged with having brought the greatest disgrace upon the Athenians by removing the public treasures of Greece from Delos, and taking them into his own custody; that he had not left himself even the specious apology of having caused the money to be brought to Athens for its greater security, and to keep it from being seized by the barbarians; that Greece must needs consider it as the highest insult, and an act of open tyranny, when she saw the money she had been obliged to contribute towards the war lavished by the Athenians in gilding their city and ornamenting it with statues and temples that cost a thousand talents, as a proud and vain woman decks herself out with jewels." The reply of Pericles was, "That they were not obliged to give the allies any account of the sums they had received, since they had kept the barbarians at a distance, and effectually defended the allies

Now Inia.

who had not furnished either horses, ships, or men, but only contributed money, which is no longer the property of the giver, but of the receiver, if he performs the conditions on which it is received. That as the state was provided with all the necessaries of war, its superfluous wealth should be laid out on such works as when well executed would be eternal monuments of its glory, and which during their continuance would diffuse a universal plenty; for as so many kinds of labor, and such a variety of instruments and materials were requisite to these undertakings, every art would be exerted, every hand employed, almost the whole of the city would be in pay, and be, at the same time, both adorned and supported by itself."

No person of taste or culture, however well versed in the art of government, will deny that the reasons assigned by Pericles for constructing the immortal works alluded to were just and fair, and such as might be expected from a true statesman, one who was capable of appreciating the beautiful as well as the useful. It may well be asked, What other use could he have made of the superfluous wealth of the republic, that could have redounded more to its glory? Nor did the people fail to admit the fact when taught to view it in its proper light; although it could not be expected that even the Athenians, enlightened as they undoubtedly were, could estimate the value of such masterpieces both of architecture and sculpture as those which adorned the Acropolis of Athens. Accordingly, when he asked the people "Whether they thought he had expended too much?" they answered in the affirmative; but when he remarked, "Then be it charged to my account, not yours; only let the new edifices be inscribed with my name, not that of the people of Athens," they cried out that he might spend as much as he pleased of the public treasures, without sparing them in the least."t

This, perhaps, showed his influence over the people more than their appreciation of his sublime works. Be this as it may, the opposition of the oligarchic party still continued. In order to put an end to a struggle which if permitted to continue could hardly fail to end disastrously, the usual resource of the ostracism was had recourse to. The people being called upon to decide between Pericles and Thucydides, voted the exile of the latter (442 B. C.), and left the former once more sole ruler of Athens, who, as on former

occasions, made the best possible use of his power. He could not please all, however.

Two years after the exile of Thucydides, the Samians, although exempt from tribute, revolted against the domination of Athens, and formally refused to obey it any longer. Pericles reasoned with them in his usual forcible style, telling them that it was very painful to the Athenian people, as well as to himself personally, to have recourse to force, but that if they persisted in their disobedience force could not be avoided. They returned a defiant reply. Pericles immediately fitted out a fleet of twenty ships, which were commanded by six stratages, including the great chief himself, and the poet Sophocles, and in a few weeks laid siege to Samos. The Samians made a gallant resistance, but after holding out for nine months, were obliged to capitulate, although they soon learned that had they only delayed one month longer, the whole confederation of the Peloponnesus would have declared in their favor.

On the return of Pericles to Athens he was received with the greatest enthusiasm. This was the occasion on which he delivered one of his great orations, that on the death of those who had fallen at the siege of Samos. Plutarch tells us that when he came down from the rostrum, the women paid their respects to him and presented him with crowns and chaplets, like a champion just returned victorious from the lists. Only Elpinice addressed him in terms quite different: "Are these actions, then, Pericles, worthy of crowns and garlands which have deprived us of many brave citizens, not in a war with Phoenicians and Medes such as my brother Cimon waged, but in destroying a city united to us both in blood and friendship?"

For five years after this Athens enjoyed profound tranquillity; in the meantime Pericles continued to introduce reforms whenever they seemed needed, and did all in his power to encourage literature and the fine arts. But an event took place in the island of Corcyra* in 434 B.C.which was the indirect cause of one of the most terrible wars that had yet desolated Greece. That island was an emancipated colony of Corinth, which entered into a conflict with the metropolis for the possession of the city of Epidamnus. The Corcyrians were first successful; but on reflection they came to the conclusion that it would be impossible for them to contend alone

• Corfu.

with so powerful a city as Corinth. Resolving, however, not to part with the disputed city, they offered themselves as allies to the Athenians, on condition that the latter would aid them against Corinth. Their geographical position would render them highly important to the Athenians as allies, and they sent ambassadors to Athens, who discussed the whole question before an assembly of the people. In doing so they took occasion to urge that a war between Athens and the league of Peloponnesus was inevitable; that by means of concessions the Athenians might be able to retard, but not prevent it; that it was therefore better to take the first step, and that when the fleet of Athens was joined to that of Corcyra, Corinth would be careful not to undertake a war against both.

The Corinthians were quite aware of the efforts thus made by their late colonists; nor did they fail to oppose them as best they could. Their argument was, that they had evinced friendly feelings towards the Athenians in not taking any part against them during their war with the Samians. But a much more forcible argument was, that as long as the Athenians were on terms of friendship with Corinth, they were sure of peace; but that a rupture with that city would be regarded as a declaration of war against the whole confederation of the Peloponnesus.

With his usual generosity, Pericles was in favor of protecting the weak from the strong, and the people readily voted what he advised.* The Corinthians did not hesitate to carry out their threat against Corcyra; but they were completely repulsed by an Athenian squadron. In order to avenge themselves for this, they caused

*All his contemporaries agree in assigning the noblest traits of character to Pericles. It has been justly said of him, that with the highest degree of manly courage he combined the tenderness and generosity of a woman. In illustration of this we will note an incident in his conduct towards Anaxagoras. The gifted and learned have in all ages been remarkable for their sensitiveness; nor did Anaxagoras, wise as he was in other respects, form an exception to the rule. Although he knew that Pericles would not have him want any of the comforts of life that money could purchase, he would rather die than call on him for aid; whereas, his friend was so absorbed in public affairs that he found no time to think of those who would not think of themselves. The incident is related as follows by Plutarch, and needs no further comment: "Nay, for want of such prudential regards, this very Anaxagoras lay neglected and unprovided for, insomuch that the poor old man had covered up his head, and was going to starve himself. But an account of it being brought to Pericles, he was extremely moved at it, ran immediately to him, expostulated, entreated; bewailing not so much the fate of his friend as his own if his administration should lose so valuable a counsellor. Anaxagoras uncovering his face, replied, Ah, Pericles, those that have need of a lamp, take care to supply it with oil.""