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diff --git a/old/66070-0.txt b/old/66070-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ac7b71a..0000000 --- a/old/66070-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13417 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Story of Greece: Told to Boys and Girls, -by Mary Macgregor - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Story of Greece: Told to Boys and Girls - -Author: Mary Macgregor - -Illustrator: Walter Crane - -Release Date: August 15, 2021 [eBook #66070] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Turgut Dincer, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF GREECE: TOLD TO BOYS -AND GIRLS *** - - - - -THE STORY OF GREECE - - -[Illustration: She changed her into a spider.] - - - - - THE - STORY OF GREECE - - TOLD TO BOYS AND GIRLS BY - - MARY MACGREGOR - - AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF ROME’ - ‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC. - - WITH NINETEEN PLATES IN COLOUR - BY WALTER CRANE - - [Illustration] - - - LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK, LTD. - 35 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C., & EDINBURGH - - - - - TO - JOYCE MOFFAT SCOTT - - - - -DEAR LITTLE JOYCE,--One of the reasons why this book is to be your very -own is that the story it tells begins in Wonderland, and that is a land -in which you and all other little people wander at will. - -Grown up children, men and women as we call them, do not know the -secrets of this strange land, yet there are a few who can always find -their way across its border, as they used to do when they were small -like you. Some few others there are who remember its secrets well. - -Shall I tell you some of the things you hear and see and do in -Wonderland? - -Why, when the wind blows soft, faint whispers reach your ear, but you -alone know what the whispers tell. When the brooks gurgle you hear -joyous laughter, and in the springs of water you see the sparkle of -elfin eyes. - -As the bluebells shake in the breeze, your tiny feet march to the music -of fairy bands, as the raindrops fall you gather pearls with your -little hands. - -The secrets of this strange Wonderland make you so glad that you laugh -and dance and sing. - - ‘Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful world, - With the wonderful water round you curled, - And the wonderful grass upon your breast, - World you are wonderfully drest.’ - -The ancient Wonderland of Hellas, of which this story tells, was unlike -your Wonderland in this, that men and women dwelt in it as well as -boys and girls, and they, too, saw and heard its secrets. And this was -because, in a way not known to-day, each had kept the heart of a little -child. - -So it was that these men and women heard voices in the wind and -laughter in the streams, so it was that they saw eyes in water springs -and pearls in raindrops. - -More even than these things the Hellenes saw. For across lone -hillsides, through busy fields, in sacred groves and flower-sweet -meadows, radiant figures sped. And the simple folk catching glimpses -of these flitting forms said one to the other, ‘The gods have come to -live among us. Their presence it is that makes the earth so fair, so -wonderful.’ As the years passed and the Hellenes grew older, sterner -times came. Cities sprang up on hillsides and by river-banks, and the -gods were seldom seen. Men went to war, battles were lost and won. - -But never, in victory or in defeat, did the people lose their early -love of beauty, or that strange, dreamy sense of wonder, which from the -beginning was ever plucking at their hearts. - -They longed to fulfil their dreams of beauty, they wished to re-shape -the world. - -But, because the world was so great, so wide, they began with one of -their cities, the one of which a poet sang, - - ‘O rich and renowned and with violets crowned, - O Athens the envied of nations.’ - -Here they built temples which became the wonder of the world, and in -them they placed statues of the old gods of Hellas, beautiful statues -wrought by master hands out of ivory and gold. - -Poets and philosophers lived in Athens, too, and so literature and art -spread the glory of Greece far and wide, moulding the thoughts and -quickening the deeds of many peoples. - -Before the glory of Greece faded, Europe had learned from her to follow -truth, to love beauty. - -This story tells but a small part of the wonder of this land, yet -I hope that it will make you love her and wish to learn more about -her.--Your friend, - - MARY MACGREGOR. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAP. PAGE - I. WONDERLAND 1 - - II. THE GREAT GOD PAN 3 - - III. THE SIX POMEGRANATE SEEDS 6 - - IV. THE BIRTH OF ATHENE 11 - - V. THE TWO WEAVERS 13 - - VI. THE PURPLE FLOWERS 16 - - VII. DANAE AND HER LITTLE SON 18 - - VIII. THE QUEST OF PERSEUS 22 - - IX. ANDROMEDA AND THE SEA-MONSTER 26 - - X. ACRISIUS IS KILLED BY PERSEUS 29 - - XI. ACHILLES AND BRISEIS THE FAIRCHEEKED 32 - - XII. MENELAUS AND PARIS DO BATTLE 38 - - XIII. HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 41 - - XIV. THE HORSES OF ACHILLES 44 - - XV. THE DEATH OF HECTOR 48 - - XVI. POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT 54 - - XVII. ODYSSEUS ESCAPES FROM THE CAVE 58 - - XVIII. ODYSSEUS RETURNS TO ITHACA 61 - - XIX. ARGUS THE HOUND DIES 64 - - XX. THE BOW OF ODYSSEUS 67 - - XXI. THE LAND OF HELLAS 72 - - XXII. LYCURGUS AND HIS LITTLE NEPHEW 76 - - XXIII. LYCURGUS RETURNS TO SPARTA 79 - - XXIV. THE TRAINING OF THE SPARTANS 82 - - XXV. THE HELOTS 85 - - XXVI. ARISTOMENES AND THE FOX 89 - - XXVII. THE OLYMPIAN GAMES 94 - - XXVIII. THE LAST KING OF ATHENS 97 - - XXIX. CYLON FAILS TO MAKE HIMSELF TYRANT 100 - - XXX. SOLON FREES THE SLAVES 102 - - XXXI. THE ATHENIANS TAKE SALAMIS 106 - - XXXII. PISISTRATUS BECOMES TYRANT 109 - - XXXIII. HARMODIUS AND ARISTOGITON 113 - - XXXIV. THE LAW OF OSTRACISM 116 - - XXXV. THE BRIDGE OF BOATS 118 - - XXXVI. DARIUS REWARDS HISTIAEUS 121 - - XXXVII. HISTIAEUS SHAVES THE HEAD OF HIS SLAVE 123 - - XXXVIII. SARDIS IS DESTROYED 126 - - XXXIX. THE SANDAL SEWN BY HISTIAEUS 129 - - XL. DARIUS DEMANDS EARTH AND WATER 131 - - XLI. THE BATTLE OF MARATHON 134 - - XLII. MILTIADES SAILS TO THE ISLAND OF PAROS 137 - - XLIII. ARISTIDES IS OSTRACISED 140 - - XLIV. THE DREAM OF XERXES 145 - - XLV. XERXES ORDERS THE HELLESPONT TO BE SCOURGED 148 - - XLVI. ‘THE BRAVEST MEN OF ALL HELLAS’ 153 - - XLVII. THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE 156 - - XLVIII. THE BATTLE OF ARTEMISIUM 161 - - XLIX. THEMISTOCLES URGES EURYBIADES TO STAY AT SALAMIS 163 - - L. THEMISTOCLES TRICKS THE ADMIRALS 167 - - LI. THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS 169 - - LII. THE BATTLE OF PLATAEA 173 - - LIII. THE DELIAN LEAGUE 178 - - LIV. THEMISTOCLES DECEIVES THE SPARTANS 182 - - LV. THEMISTOCLES IS OSTRACISED 185 - - LVI. THE ELOQUENCE OF PERICLES 189 - - LVII. PERICLES AND ELPINICE 194 - - LVIII. THE CITY OF ATHENS 196 - - LIX. GREAT MEN OF ATHENS 200 - - LX. THE THEBANS ATTACK THE PLATAEANS 202 - - LXI. ATTICA IS INVADED BY THE SPARTANS 205 - - LXII. THE LAST WORDS OF PERICLES 207 - - LXIII. THE SIEGE OF PLATAEA 210 - - LXIV. THE SENTENCE OF DEATH 214 - - LXV. BRASIDAS LOSES HIS SHIELD 218 - - LXVI. THE SPARTANS SURRENDER 221 - - LXVII. BRASIDAS THE SPARTAN 225 - - LXVIII. AMPHIPOLIS SURRENDERS TO BRASIDAS 228 - - LXIX. ALCIBIADES THE FAVOURITE OF ATHENS 232 - - LXX. SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER 237 - - LXXI. ALCIBIADES PRAISES SOCRATES 240 - - LXXII. THE IMAGES OF HERMES ARE DESTROYED 244 - - LXXIII. ALCIBIADES ESCAPES TO SPARTA 247 - - LXXIV. THE SIEGE OF SYRACUSE 249 - - LXXV. THE ATHENIAN ARMY IS DESTROYED 252 - - LXXVI. ALCIBIADES RETURNS TO ATHENS 255 - - LXXVII. ANTIOCHUS DISOBEYS ALCIBIADES 258 - - LXXVIII. THE WALLS OF ATHENS ARE DESTROYED 261 - - LXXIX. THE MARCH OF THE TEN THOUSAND 264 - - LXXX. PELOPIDAS AND EPAMINONDAS 269 - - LXXXI. THE SEVEN CONSPIRATORS 273 - - LXXXII. THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA 277 - - LXXXIII. THE DEATH OF EPAMINONDAS 281 - - LXXXIV. THE TWO BROTHERS 286 - - LXXXV. TIMOLEON SENDS DIONYSIUS TO CORINTH 289 - - LXXXVI. ICETES TRIES TO SLAY TIMOLEON 293 - - LXXXVII. THE BATTLE OF CRIMISUS 296 - - LXXXVIII. DEMOSTHENES WISHES TO BECOME AN ORATOR 300 - - LXXXIX. DEMOSTHENES THE GREATEST ORATOR OF ATHENS 303 - - XC. THE SACRED WAR 306 - - XCI. ALEXANDER AND BUCEPHALUS 309 - - XCII. ALEXANDER AND DIOGENES 312 - - XCIII. THE BATTLE OF GRANICUS 315 - - XCIV. THE GORDIAN KNOT 318 - - XCV. DARIUS GALLOPS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 321 - - XCVI. TYRE IS STORMED BY ALEXANDER 325 - - XCVII. THE BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA 328 - - XCVIII. ALEXANDER BURNS PERSEPOLIS 331 - - XCIX. ALEXANDER SLAYS HIS FOSTER-BROTHER 334 - - C. PORUS AND HIS ELEPHANT 338 - - CI. ALEXANDER IS WOUNDED 342 - - CII. THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER 345 - - CIII. DEMOSTHENES IN THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON 349 - - INDEX 353 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - She changed her into a spider, _Frontispiece_ - - AT PAGE - Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe, 6 - - Demeter rejoiced for her daughter was by her side, 10 - - The Wind-god sent a gust from the South, 18 - - For two days and two nights the boat was tossed hither and - thither, 20 - - Often she would stand upon the walls of Troy, 34 - - ‘Yea, verily, thou art Odysseus,’ 68 - - In the earliest times, a simple foot-race was the only event, 96 - - Solon, the wise lawgiver of Athens, 102 - - They crashed into the Persian army with tremendous force, 136 - - Ship dashed against ship, till the Persian dead strewed the deep - ‘like flowers,’ 170 - - He stood silent before the king, 188 - - The figure of the goddess was a colossal one, 196 - - He became a target for every arrow, 220 - - He drank the contents as though it were a draught of wine, 238 - - The multitude saluted him with loud acclamations, 258 - - He left the assembly, hiding his face in his cloak, 304 - - He ran toward the horse and seized the bridle, 310 - - With an effort he looked at them as they passed, 348 - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -THE STORY OF GREECE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -WONDERLAND - - -The story of Greece began long, long ago in a strange wonderland of -beauty. Woods and winds, fields and rivers, each had a pathway which -led upward and onward into the beautiful land. Sometimes indeed no path -was needed, for the rivers, woods, and lone hill-sides were themselves -the wonderland of which I am going to tell. - -In the woods and winds, in the trees and rivers, dwelt the gods and -goddesses whom the people of long ago worshipped. It was their presence -in the world that made it so great, so wide, so wonderful. - -To the Hellenes, for that is the name by which the Greeks called -themselves, there were eyes, living eyes in flowers, trees, and water. -‘So crowded full is the air with them,’ wrote one poet who lived in the -far-off days, ‘that there is no room to put in the spike of an ear of -corn without touching one.’ - -When the wind blew soft, the Hellenes listened to the whispering of a -voice. When it blew rough, and snatched one of the children from their -midst, they did not greatly grieve. The child had but gone to be the -playmate of the gods. - -The springs sparkled clear, for in them dwelt the Naiads or freshwater -nymphs, with gifts as great as the river gods, who were ofttimes seen -and heard amid the churning, tossing waters. - -In the trees dwelt the Dryads, nymphs these of the forest, whom the -Hellenes saw but seldom. Shy nymphs were the Dryads, born each one at -the birth of a tree, in which she dwelt, fading away when the tree was -felled, or when it withered and died. - -Their revels were held in some wooded mountain, far from the haunts of -men. Were a human footfall heard, the frolics ceased on the instant, -while each Dryad sped swift for shelter to the tree of her birth. - -So the gods wandered through the land, filling the earth with their -presence. Yet there was one lofty mountain in central Greece, named -Mount Olympus, which the Hellenes believed was the peculiar home of the -gods. It was to this great mount that the actual roads on which the -Hellenes walked each day seemed ever to lead. - -On the sides of the mountain, green trees and dark pines clustered -close. The summit reached high up, beyond the clouds, so used the -ancient people to tell. Here, where no human foot had ever climbed, up -beyond the twinkling stars, was the abode of the gods. - -What the Hellenes never saw with their eyes, they saw quite clear -with their imagination. Within the clouds, where the gods dwelt, they -gazed in this strange way, upon marble halls, glistening with gold and -silver, upon thrones too, great white thrones, finer far than those on -which an earthly king might sit. The walls gleamed with rainbow tints, -and beauty as of dawns and sunsets was painted over the vast arches of -Olympus. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE GREAT GOD PAN - - -The supreme god of the Hellenes was Zeus. He dwelt in the sky, yet on -earth, too, he had a sanctuary amid the oak-woods of Dodona. - -When the oak-leaves stirred, his voice was heard, mysterious as the -voice of the mightiest of all the gods. - -In days long after these, Phidias, a great Greek sculptor, made an -image of Zeus. The form and the face of the god he moulded into -wondrous beauty, so that men gazing saw sunshine on the brow, and in -the eyes gladness and warmth as of summer skies. - -Even so, if you watch, you may catch on the faces of those whose home -is on the hill-side, or by the sea, a glimpse of the beauty and the -wonder amid which they dwell. - -It was only in very early times that the chief sanctuary of Zeus was -at Dodona. Before they had dwelt long in Hellas, the Hellenes built a -great temple in the plain of Olympia to their supreme god and named it -the Olympian temple. - -Here a gold and ivory statue of the god was placed, and to the quiet -courts of the temple came the people, singing hymns and marching in -joyous procession. - -Zeus had stolen his great power from his father Kronus, with the help -of his brothers and sisters. To reward them for their aid the god gave -to them provinces over which they ruled in his name. Hera, Zeus chose -as queen to reign with him. To Poseidon was given the sea, and a palace -beneath the waves of the ocean, adorned with seaweed and with shells. - -Pluto was made the guardian of Hades, that dark and gloomy kingdom of -the dead, beneath the earth, while Demeter was goddess of the earth, -and her gifts were flowers, fruits, and bounteous harvests. - -Athene was the goddess of war and wisdom, yet often she was to be seen -weaving or embroidering, while by her table sat her favourite bird, an -owl. - -Hermes was known as the fleet-footed, for on his feet he wore winged -sandals to speed him swift on the errands of the gods. - -Apollo, the Sun-god, was the youngest of all the Olympian deities. He -dwelt at Parnassus on the eastern coast of Greece, and his sanctuary -was at Delphi. - -The fairest of the goddesses was Aphrodite, Queen of Love. Her little -son was named Eros, and he never grew up. Always he was a little rosy, -dimpled child, carrying in his hands a bow and arrows. - -Many more gods and goddesses were there in the wonder days of long ago, -but of only one more may I stay to tell you now. - -The great god Pan, protector of the shepherds and their flocks, was -half man, half goat. Every one loved this strange god, who yet ofttimes -startled mortals by his wild and wilful ways. When to-day a sudden, -needless fear overtakes a crowd, and we say a panic has fallen upon it, -we are using a word which we learned from the name of this old pagan -god. - -Down by the streams the great god Pan was sometimes seen to wander-- - - ‘What was he doing, the great god Pan, - Down in the reeds by the river? - Spreading ruin and scattering ban, - Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat, - And breaking the golden lilies afloat, - With the dragon-fly on the river. - - ‘He tore out a reed, the great god Pan, - From the deep cool bank of the river,’ - -and then sitting down he ‘hacked and hewed, as a great god can,’ at the -slender reed. He made it hollow, and notched out holes, and lo! there -was a flute ready for his use. - -Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe as the god placed his -mouth upon the holes. - - ‘Blinding sweet, O great god Pan! - The sun on the hill forgot to die, - And the lilies revived, and the dragon-fly - Came back to dream on the river.’ - -On the hill-sides and in the fields of Hellas, the shepherds heard the -music of their god and were merry, knowing that he was on his way to -frolic and to dance among them. - -Pan lived for many, many a long year; but there is a story which tells -how on the first glad Christmas eve, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, -a traveller, as he passed Tarentum, the chief Greek city in Italy, -heard a voice crying, ‘The great god Pan is dead.’ - -And when this same Jesus had grown to be a Man, and ‘hung for love’s -sake on a Cross,’ one of our own women poets sings that all the old -gods of Greece - - ‘fell down moaning, - Each from off his golden seat; - All the false gods with a cry, - Rendered up their deity, - Pan, Pan was dead.’ - -And the reason that the old gods fell was that the strange Man upon the -Cross was mightier than they. But in the days of ancient Greece the -gods were alive and strong; of that the Hellenes were very sure. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE SIX POMEGRANATE SEEDS - - -Demeter, the goddess of the earth, was often to be seen in the fields -in springtime. As the Greek peasants sowed their seed they caught -glimpses of her long yellow hair while she moved now here, now there, -among them. It almost seemed to these simple folk as though already -the bare fields were golden with the glory of harvest, so bright -shone the yellow hair of the goddess. Then they smiled hopefully one -to the other, knowing well that Demeter would give them a bounteous -reaping-time. - -In the autumn she was in the fields again, the peasants even dreamed -that they saw her stoop to bind the sheaves. Certainly she had been -known to visit their barns when the harvest was safely garnered. And -stranger still, it was whispered among the womenfolk that the great -Earth-Mother had entered their homes, had stood close beside them as -they baked bread to feed their hungry households. - -It was in the beautiful island of Sicily, which lies in the -Mediterranean Sea, that the goddess had her home. Here she dwelt with -her daughter Persephone, whom she loved more dearly than words can tell. - -Persephone was young and fair, so fair that she seemed as one of the -spring flowers that leaped into life when her mother touched the earth -with her gracious hands. - -[Illustration: Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe] - -Early as the dawn the maiden was in the fields with Demeter, to gather -violets while the dew still lay upon them, to dance and sing with her -playmates. At other times she would move gravely by the side of her -mother to help her in her quiet labours. - -All this time, Pluto, King of Hades, was living in his gloomy kingdom -underground, longing for some fair maiden to share his throne. But -there was not one who was willing to leave the glad light of the sun, -no, not though Pluto offered her the most brilliant gems in his kingdom. - -One day the dark king came up out of the shadows, riding in his chariot -of gold, drawn by immortal horses. Swifter was their pace than that of -any mortal steeds. - -Persephone was in a meadow with her playfellows when the king drew -near. The maiden stood knee-deep amid the meadow-grass, and, stooping, -plucked the fragrant sweet flowers all around her--hyacinth, lilies, -roses, and pale violets. - -Pluto saw the group of happy maidens, beautiful each one as a day in -spring, but it was Persephone who charmed him more than any other. - -‘She shall be my queen and share my throne,’ muttered the gloomy king -to himself. Then, for he knew that to woo the maiden would be vain, -Pluto seized Persephone in his arms, and bore her weeping to his -chariot. - -Swift as an arrow the immortal steeds sped from the meadow, where -Persephone’s playmates were left terror-stricken and dismayed. - -On and on flew the chariot. Pluto was in haste to reach Hades ere -Demeter should miss her daughter. - -A river lay across his path, but of this the king recked naught, for -his steeds would bear him across without so much as lessening their -speed. - -But as the chariot drew near, the waters began to rise as though driven -by a tempest. Soon they were lashed to such fury that Pluto saw that it -was vain to hope to cross to the other side. So he seized his sceptre, -and in a passion he struck three times upon the ground. At once a great -chasm opened in the earth, and down into the darkness plunged the -horses. A moment more and Pluto was in his own kingdom, Persephone by -his side. - -When the king seized the maiden in the meadow, and bore her to his -chariot, she had cried aloud to Zeus, her father, to save her. But Zeus -had made no sign, nor had any heard save Hecate, a mysterious goddess, -whose face was half hidden by a veil. - -None other heard, yet her piteous cry echoed through the hills and -woods, until at length the faint echo reached the ear of Demeter. - -A great pain plucked at the heart of the mother as she heard, and -throwing the blue hood from off her shoulders, and loosening her long -yellow hair, Demeter set forth, swift as a bird, to seek for Persephone -until she found her. - -To her own home first she hastened, for there, she thought, she might -find some trace of the child she loved so well. But the rooms were -desolate as ‘an empty bird’s nest or an empty fold.’ - -The mother’s eyes searched eagerly in every corner, but nothing met her -gaze save the embroidery Persephone had been working, ‘a gift against -the return of her mother, with labour all to be in vain.’ It lay as -she had flung it down in careless mood, and over it crept a spider, -spinning his delicate web across the maiden’s unfinished work. - -For nine days Demeter wandered up and down the earth, carrying blazing -torches in her hands. Her sorrow was so great that she would neither -eat nor drink, no, not even ambrosia, or a cup of sweet nectar, which -are the meat and drink of the gods. Nor would she wash her face. On the -tenth day Hecate came towards her, but she had only heard the voice of -the maiden, and could not tell Demeter who had carried her away. - -Onward sped the unhappy mother, sick at heart for hope unfulfilled, -onward until she reached the sun. Here she learned that it was Pluto -who had stolen her daughter, and carried her away to his gloomy -kingdom. - -Then in her despair Demeter left all her duties undone, and a terrible -famine came upon the earth. ‘The dry seed remained hidden in the soil; -in vain the oxen drew the ploughshare through the furrows.’ - -As the days passed the misery of the people grew greater and greater, -until faint and starving they came to Demeter, and besought her once -again to bless the earth. - -But sorrow had made the heart of the goddess hard, and she listened -unmoved to the entreaties of the hungry folk, saying only that until -her daughter was found she could not care for their griefs. - -Long, weary days Demeter journeyed over land and sea to seek for -Persephone, but at length she came back to Sicily. - -One day as she walked along the bank of a river, the water gurgled -gladly, and a little wave carried a girdle almost to her feet. - -Demeter stooped to pick it up, and lo! it was the girdle that -Persephone had worn on the day that she had been carried away. The -maiden had flung it into the river as the chariot had plunged into the -abyss, hoping that it might reach her mother. The girdle could not help -Demeter to recover her daughter, yet how glad she was to have it, how -safe she treasured it! - -At length, broken-hearted indeed, Demeter went to Zeus to beg him to -give her back her daughter. ‘If she returns the people shall again have -food and plenteous harvests,’ she cried. And the god, touched with the -grief of the mother and the sore distress of the people, promised that -Persephone should come back to earth, if she had eaten no food while -she had lived in the gloomy kingdom of Hades. - -No words can tell the joy with which Demeter hastened to Hades. Here -she found her daughter with no smile upon her sweet face, but only -tears of desire for her mother and the dear light of the sun. But alas! -that very day Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds. For every -seed that she had eaten she was doomed to spend a month each year -with Pluto. But for the other six months, year after year, mother and -daughter would dwell together, and as they clung to one another they -were joyous and content. - -So for six glad months each year Demeter rejoiced, for her daughter was -by her side, and ever it was spring and summer while Persephone dwelt -on earth. But when the time came for her to return to Hades, Demeter -grew ever cold and sad, and the earth too became weary and grey. It was -autumn and winter in the world until Persephone returned once more. - -[Illustration: Demeter rejoiced, for her daughter was by her side] - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BIRTH OF ATHENE - - -One day Zeus was ill. To us it is strange to think of the gods as -suffering the same pains as mortals suffer, but to the Hellenes it -seemed quite natural. - -Zeus was ill. His head ached so severely that he bade all the gods -assemble in Olympus to find a cure for his pain. But not one of them, -not even Apollo, who was god of medicine as well as Sun-god, could ease -the suffering deity. - -After a time Zeus grew impatient with the cruel pain, and resolved at -all costs to end it. So he sent for his strong son Hephaestus, and bade -him take an axe and cleave open his head. - -Hephaestus did not hesitate to obey, and no sooner had the blow -descended than from his father’s head sprang forth Athene, the goddess -of war and wisdom. She was clad in armour of pure gold, and held in -her hand a spear, poised as though for battle. From her lips rang a -triumphant war-song. - -The assembled gods gazed in wonder, not unmixed with fear at the -warrior goddess, who had so suddenly appeared in their midst. But she -herself stood unmoved before them, while a great earthquake shook the -land and proclaimed to the dwellers in Hellas the birth of a new god. - -Athene was a womanly goddess as well as a warlike one. She presided -over all kinds of needlework, and herself loved to weave beautiful -tapestries. - -Soon after the birth of the goddess a man named Cecrops came to a -province in Greece, which was afterwards known as Attica. Here he -began to build a city, which grew so beautiful beneath his hands that -the gods in Olympus marvelled. When it was finished, each of the gods -wished to choose a name for the city Cecrops had built. - -As only one name could be used, the gods met in a great council to -determine what was to be done. Soon, one by one, each gave up his wish -to name the city, save only Athene and Poseidon. - -Then Zeus decreed that Athene and Poseidon should create an object -which would be of use to mortals. To name the city and to care for it -should be the prize of the one who produced the more useful gift. - -Poseidon at once seized his three-pronged fork or trident, which was -the sign that he was ruler of the sea. As he struck the ground with it -lo! a noble horse sprang forth, the first horse that the gods had seen. - -As Poseidon told the gods in how many ways the beautiful animal could -be of use to mortals, they thought that Athene would not be able to -produce anything that could help men more. - -When she quietly bade the council to look at an olive-tree, the gods -laughed her to scorn. But they soon ceased to laugh. For Athene told -them how the wood, the fruit, the leaves, all were of use, and not only -so, but that the olive-tree was the symbol of peace, while the horse -was the symbol of war. And war did ever more harm than good to mortals. - -So the gods decided that it was Athene who had won the right to name -the city, and she gave to it her own name of Athene, and the citizens -ever after worshipped her as their own peculiar goddess. - -Of this city, which we know as Athens, you will hear much in this -story. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE TWO WEAVERS - - -Athene could not only wield the sword, she could also ply the needle. - -In these olden days there lived in Greece a Lydian maid who could weave -with wondrous skill. So beautiful were the tapestries she wrought that -her fame spread far and wide. Lords and ladies both came from distant -towns to see the maiden’s skilful hands at work. - -Arachne, for that was the maiden’s name, lived in a cottage with her -parents. They were poor folk, and had often found it hard to earn their -daily bread. But now that their daughter was famous for her embroidery -their troubles were at an end. For not only lords and ladies, but -merchants, too, were glad to pay well to secure the young maid’s -exquisite designs. - -And so all would have been well with Arachne and her parents had not -the foolish girl become vain of her work. Soon her companions began -to weary of her, for of nothing could she talk save of her own deft -fingers, of her own beautiful embroideries. - -Those who loved Arachne grew sad as they listened to her proud words, -and warned her that ‘pride ever goes before a fall.’ - -But Arachne only tossed her pretty head as she listened to the wisdom -of older folk. Nor did she cease to boast, even saying that she could -do more wonderful work than the goddess Athene. - -Not once, but many times did Arachne say that she wished she might -test her skill against that of the goddess. And should a prize be -offered, proudly she declared that it was she who would win it. - -From Olympus Athene heard the vain words of the maid. So displeased was -she with her boldness that she determined to go to see Arachne, and if -she did not repent to punish her. - -She changed herself into an old white-haired dame, and came to earth. -Leaning upon a staff she knocked at the door of the cottage where -Arachne lived, and was bidden to enter. - -Arachne was sitting in the midst of those who had come to see and to -praise her work. Soon she began to talk, as she was quick to do, of her -skill, and of how she believed that her work surpassed in beauty any -that Athene could produce. - -The old woman pushed her way through the group that surrounded the -maid, and laying her hand upon the shoulder of Arachne she spoke kindly -to her. - -‘Be more modest, my child,’ she said, ‘lest the anger of the gods -descend upon you, lest Athene take you at your word, and bid you to the -contest you desire.’ - -Impatiently Arachne shook off the stranger’s hand, and answered, ‘Who -are you who dare speak to me? I would Athene might hear my words now, -and come to test her skill against mine. She would soon see that she -had a rival in Arachne.’ - -Athene frowned at the insolence of the maiden. Then the little company -were startled to see the old woman suddenly change into the glorious -form of the goddess Athene. As they gazed they were afraid and fell at -her feet. - -But Arachne did not worship the goddess. Foolish Arachne looked boldly -in her face, and asked if she had come to accept her challenge. - -Athene’s only answer was to sit down before an empty loom. Soon each, -in silence, had begun to weave a wondrous tapestry. - -Swift and more swift moved the fingers of the weavers, while the group -of strangers, gathered now near to the door, watched the webs as they -grew and grew apace. - -Into her tapestry Athene was weaving the story of her contest with -Poseidon for the city of Cecrops. The olive-tree, the horse, the gods -in the council, all seemed to live as they appeared on the web of the -goddess. - -The tapestry woven by Arachne was also beauteous as her work was wont -to be. In it you saw the sea, with waves breaking over a great bull, to -whose horns clung a girl named Europa. And Europa’s curls blew free in -the wind. - -At length Athene rose from the loom, her work complete. Arachne, too, -laid down her spindle, and as she turned to look upon the tapestry of -the goddess her courage suddenly failed. - -A glance had been enough to show her that her skill was as nothing -before the wonder and the beauty of Athene’s work. - -Too late the maiden repented that she had defied the goddess. In her -despair she seized a rope and tied it round her neck to hang herself. - -But the goddess saw what Arachne meant to do, and at once she changed -her into a spider, bidding her from henceforth never cease to spin. - -And so when you see a spider weaving its beautiful embroidery on a -dewy morning in the garden, or when you find a delicate web in your -lumber-room, you will remember how Athene punished poor foolish Arachne -in the days of old. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE PURPLE FLOWERS - - -Apollo, the youngest and most beautiful of all the gods, dearly loved a -lad named Hyacinthus. - -Ofttimes he would leave the other gods sipping nectar in Mount Olympus, -ofttimes he would forsake the many beautiful temples in which he was -worshipped on earth, that he might be free to wander through the woods -with his little friend. - -For Hyacinthus was only a merry little lad, who loved to roam over hill -and dale, and when the fancy seized him to hunt in the woods. - -Apollo was never happier than when he was with the boy. Sometimes he -would go hunting with him, and then Hyacinthus was merrier than ever, -for the world seemed more full of brightness when the Sun-god was by -his side. Sometimes the friends would walk together over hill and dale, -followed by the dogs Hyacinthus loved so well. - -One day they had wandered far, and the little lad was tired, so he -flung himself down in a grassy meadow to rest, Apollo by his side. But -the Sun-god was soon eager for a game. He sprang to his feet, crying, -‘Hyacinthus, let us play at quoits before the shadows fall.’ - -Quoits were flat, heavy discs, and the game was won by the player who -could fling the quoits the farthest through the air. - -Hyacinthus was ever willing to do as Apollo wished, and the game was -soon begun. After a throw of more than usual skill and strength the -friends laughed gleefully. - -O but it was good to be alive in such a happy world, thought -Hyacinthus. And Apollo, as he looked at the merry face of the little -lad, rejoiced that he was not sitting in the cold marble halls of -Olympus, but was here on the glad green earth. - -By and by while they still played, Zephyrus, the god of the south wind, -came fleeting by. He saw the Sun-god and his little playmate full of -laughter and of joy. - -Then an ugly passion, named jealousy, awoke in the heart of the god, -for he too loved the little hunter Hyacinthus, and would fain have been -in Apollo’s place. - -Zephyrus tarried a while to watch the friends. Once as Apollo flung his -disc high into the air, the Wind-god sent a gust from the south which -blew the quoit aside. He meant only to annoy Apollo, but Hyacinthus was -standing by, so that the quoit struck him violently on the forehead. - -The lad fell to the ground, and soon he was faint from loss of blood. - -In vain Apollo tried to staunch the wound; nothing he could do was -of any use. Little by little the boy’s strength ebbed away, and the -Sun-god knew that the lad would never hunt or play again on earth. -Hyacinthus was dead. - -The grief of the god was terrible. His tears fell fast as he mourned -for the playmate he had loved so well. - -At length he dried his tears and took his lyre, and as he played he -sang a last song to his friend. And all the woodland creatures were -silent that they might listen to the love-song of the god. - -When the song was ended, Apollo laid aside his lyre, and, stooping, -touched with his hand the blood-drops of the lad. And lo! they were -changed into a cluster of beautiful purple flowers, which have ever -since been named hyacinths, after the little lad Hyacinthus. - -Year by year as the spring sun shines, the wonderful purple of the -hyacinth is seen. Then you, who know the story, think of the days of -long ago, when the Sun-god lost his little friend and a cluster of -purple flowers bloomed upon the spot where he lay. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -DANAE AND HER LITTLE SON - - -The stories I have told you are about the gods of ancient Greece; the -story I am going to tell you now is about a Greek hero. - -When you think of a hero, you think of a man who does brave, unselfish -deeds. But to the Hellenes or Greeks a hero was one who was half god, -half man--whose one parent was a god while the other was a mortal. So -the god Zeus was the father of Perseus, the hero of whom I am going to -tell, while his mother was a beautiful princess named Danae. - -From morning to night, from night till morning, Acrisius, the father of -Danae, was never happy. Yet he was a king. - -A king and unhappy? Yes, this king was unhappy because he was afraid -that some day, as an oracle had foretold, he would be slain by his -grandson. - -The ancient Greeks often sent to sacred groves or temples to ask their -gods about the future, and the answer, which was given by a priestess, -was called an oracle. - -Now Acrisius, King of Argos, had no grandson, so it was strange that -the oracle should make him afraid. He hoped that he never would have a -grandson. - -His one child, beautiful, gentle Danae he had loved well until he had -heard the oracle. Now he determined to send her away from the palace, -to hide her, where no prince would ever find her and try to win her for -his bride. - -[Illustration: The Wind-god sent a gust from the south] - -So the king shut the princess into a tower, which was encased in -brass and surrounded it with guards, so that no one, and least of all a -prince, could by any chance catch a glimpse of his beautiful daughter. - -Very sad was Danae, very lonely, too, when she was left in the brazen -tower, and Zeus looking down from Olympus pitied her, and before long -sent a little son to cheer her loneliness. - -One day the guards saw the babe on his mother’s knee. Here was the -grandson about whom the king had hoped that he would never be born. - -In great alarm they hastened to the palace to tell the king the strange -tidings. Acrisius was so frightened when he heard their story that he -flew into a passion, and vowed that both Danae and Perseus, as her -little son was named, should perish. So he ordered the guards to carry -the mother and her babe to the seashore, and to send them adrift on the -waters in an empty boat. - -For two days and two nights the boat was tossed hither and thither by -the winds and the waves, while Danae, in sore dismay but with a brave -heart, clasped her golden-haired boy tight in her arms. - -The child slept sound in the frail bark, while his mother cried to the -gods to bring her and her treasure into a safe haven. - -On the third day the answer to her prayers came, for before her Danae -saw an island with a shore of yellow sand. And on the shore stood a -fisherman with his net, looking out to sea. He soon caught sight of the -boat, and as it drew near he cast his net over it, and gently pulled it -to the shore. - -It seemed to Danae almost too good to be true, to stand once again on -dry land. She thought it was but a dream, from which she would awake to -find herself once more tossing on the great wide sea. - -But there stood Dictys, the fisherman, looking at her in wonder. Then -Danae knew that she was indeed awake. She hastened to thank him for -his help, and to ask him where she could find shelter for herself and -her child. - -Then the fisherman, who was the brother of Polydectes, king of the -island on which Danae had landed, said that if she would go with him -to his home he would treat her as a daughter. And Danae went gladly to -live with Dictys. - -So Perseus grew up in the island of Seriphus, playing on the sands when -he was small, and when he had grown tall and strong going voyages to -other islands with Dictys, or fishing with him nearer home. Zeus loved -the lad and watched over him. - -Fifteen years passed, and then the wife of Polydectes died, and the -king wished to marry Danae, for he loved her and knew that she was a -princess. - -But Danae did not wish to wed Polydectes, and she refused to become his -queen, for indeed she loved no one save her son Perseus. - -Then the king was angry, and vowed that if Danae would not come to the -palace as his queen, he would compel her to come as his slave. - -And it was even so, as a slave, that Perseus found her, when he -returned from a voyage with Dictys. - -The anger of the lad was fierce. How dare any one treat his beautiful -mother so cruelly! He would have slain the king had not Dictys -restrained him. - -Subduing his anger as well as he could, Perseus went boldly to the -palace, and taking no heed of Polydectes, he brought his mother away -and left her in the temple of Athene. There she would be safe, for no -one, not even the king, would enter the sanctuary of the goddess. - -‘Perseus must leave the island,’ said Polydectes when he was told of -the lad’s bold deed. He thought that if her son were banished Danae -would perchance be willing to become his queen. - -[Illustration: For two days and two nights the boat was tossed hither -and thither] - -But Polydectes was too crafty to issue a royal command bidding Perseus -leave Seriphus. That, he knew, would make Danae hate him more than -ever, so he thought of a better way to get rid of the lad. He arranged -to give a great feast in the palace, and proclaimed that each guest -should bring a gift to present to the king. - -Among other youths, Perseus, too, was invited, but he was poor and had -no gift to bring. And this was what the unkind king wished. - -So when Perseus entered the palace empty-handed, Polydectes was quick -to draw attention to the lad, laughing at him and taunting him that -he had not done as the other guests and brought with him a gift. The -courtiers followed the example of their king, and Perseus found himself -attacked on every side. - -The lad soon lost his temper, and looking with defiance at Polydectes, -he cried, ‘I will bring you the head of Medusa as a gift, O King, when -next I enter the palace!’ - -‘Brave words are these, Perseus,’ answered the king. ‘See that you turn -them into deeds, or we shall think you but boast as does a coward.’ - -Then as Perseus turned and left the banqueting-hall the king laughed -well pleased, for he had goaded the lad until he had fallen into the -trap prepared for him. If Perseus went in search of the head of Medusa, -he was not likely to be seen again in Seriphus, thought the king. - -And Perseus, as he walked away toward the sea, was saying to himself, -‘Yes, I shall go in search of Medusa, nor shall I return unless I bring -her head with me, a gift for the king.’ - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE QUEST OF PERSEUS - - -Medusa and her two sisters were named the Gorgons. The sisters had -always been plain and even terrible to see, but Medusa had once been -fair to look upon. - -When she was young and beautiful her home was in a northern land where -the sun never shone, so she begged Athene to send her to the south -where sunshine made the long days glad. But the goddess refused her -request. - -In her anger Medusa cried, ‘It is because I am so beautiful that you -will not let me go. For if Medusa were to be seen who then would wish -to look at Athene.’ - -Such proud and foolish words might not be suffered by the gods, and the -maiden was sharply punished for her rash speech. Her beautiful curly -hair was changed into serpents, living serpents that hissed and coiled -around her head. Nor was this all, but whoever so much as glanced at -her face was at once turned into stone. - -Terrible indeed was Medusa, the Gorgon, whose head Perseus had vowed -to bring as a gift to Polydectes. She had great wings like eagles and -sharp claws instead of hands. - -Now as Perseus wandered down to the shore after he had defied the king, -his heart began to sink. How was he even to begin his task? He did not -know where Medusa lived, nor did any one on the island. - -In his perplexity he did as his mother had taught him to do; he prayed -to Athene, and lo! even as he prayed the goddess was there by his -side. With her was Hermes, the fleet-footed, wearing his winged sandals. - -‘The gods will aid you, Perseus,’ said Athene, ‘if you will do as they -bid you. But think not to find their service easy. For they who serve -the gods must endure hardship, and live laborious lives. Will this -content you?’ - -Perseus had no fears now that he knew the gods would help him, and with -a brave and steadfast heart he answered, ‘I am content.’ - -Then Pluto sent to the lad his magic helmet, which made whoever wore -it invisible. Hermes gave to him the winged sandals he wore, so that -he might be able to fly over land and sea, while Athene entrusted to -him her shield, the dread Ægis, burnished bright as the sun. The shield -was made from the hide of a goat, but the Hellenes thought of it as the -great storm-cloud in which Zeus hid himself when he was angry. For it -was the shield of her father Zeus that Athene used. - -Upon Medusa herself Perseus would not be able to cast a glance lest he -be turned to stone, but looking at the shield he would see her image as -in a mirror. - -The lad was now armed for his quest, but not yet did he know whither it -would lead. - -But Athene could direct him. She said that the abode of the Gorgons was -known to none save three sisters called the Grææ. These sisters had -been born with grey hair, and had only one eye and one tooth between -them, which they used in turn. Their home was in the north, in a land -of perpetual darkness, and it was there that Perseus must go to learn -the dwelling-place of the Gorgons. So at length the lad was ready to -set out on his great adventure. - -On and on, sped by his winged sandals he flew, past many a fair town, -until he left Greece far behind. On and on until he reached the dark -and dreary land where the Grææ dwelt. He could see them now, the three -grey sisters, as they sat in the gloom just outside their cave. - -As Perseus drew near, unseen by them, because of his magic helmet, the -sisters were passing their one eye from hand to hand, so that at that -moment all three were blind. - -Perseus saw his chance, and stretching out his hand seized the eye. -They, each thinking the other had it, began to quarrel. But Perseus -cried, ‘I hold the eye in my hand. Tell me where I may find Medusa and -you shall have it back.’ - -The sisters were startled by a voice when they had neither seen nor -heard any one approach; they were more startled by what the voice said. - -Very unwilling were they to tell their secret, yet what could they do -if the stranger refused to give back their one eye? Already he was -growing impatient, and threatening to throw it into the sea. So lest he -should really fling it away they were forced to tell him where he would -find the Gorgon. Then Perseus, placing the eye in one of the eager, -outstretched hands, sped swiftly on his journey. - -As he reached the land of which the Grææ had told him, he heard the -restless beating of the Gorgon’s wings, and he knew that his quest was -well-nigh over. - -Onward still he flew, and then raising his burnished shield he looked -into it, and lo! he saw the images of the Gorgons. They lay, all three, -fast asleep on the shore. - -Unsheathing his sword, Perseus held it high, and then, keeping his gaze -fixed upon the shield, he flew down and swiftly cut off Medusa’s head -and thrust it into a magic bag which he carried slung over his shoulder. - -Now as Perseus seized the terrible head, the serpents coiled around the -Gorgon’s brow roused themselves, and began to hiss so fiercely that the -two sisters awoke and knew that evil had befallen Medusa. - -They could not see Perseus, for he wore his magic helmet, but they -heard him, and in an instant they were following fast, eager to avenge -the death of their sister. - -For a moment the brave heart of the hero failed. - -Was he doomed to perish now that his task was accomplished? - -He cried aloud to Athene, for he heard the Gorgons following ever -closer on his path. Then more swiftly sped the winged sandals, and soon -Perseus breathed freely once again, for he had left the dread sisters -far behind. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -ANDROMEDA AND THE SEA-MONSTER - - -As Perseus journeyed over land and sea on his great quest, he often -thought of the dear mother he had left in Seriphus. Now that his task -was done he longed to fly over the blue waters of the Mediterranean -to see her, to know that she was safe from the cruel King Polydectes. -But the gods had work for Perseus to do before he might return to his -island home. - -Again and again the lad struggled against wind and rain, trying ever -to fly in the direction of Seriphus, but again and again he was beaten -back. - -Faint and weary he grew, tired too of striving, so that he thought he -would die in the desert through which he was passing. - -Then all at once it flashed across his mind that Hermes had told him -that as long as he wore the winged sandals he could not lose his way. -New courage stole into his heart as he remembered the words of the god, -and soon he found that he was being carried with the wind toward some -high mountains. Among them he caught sight of a Titan or giant named -Atlas, who had once tried to dethrone Zeus, and who for his daring had -been doomed to stand, - - ‘Supporting on his shoulders the vast pillar - Of Heaven and Earth, a weight of cumbrous grasp.’ - -The face of Atlas was pale with the mighty burden he bore, and which -he longed to lay down. As he caught sight of Perseus he thought that -perhaps the stranger would be able to help him, for he knew what -Perseus carried in his magic bag. So as he drew near Atlas cried to -him, ‘Hasten, Perseus, and let me look upon the Gorgon’s face, that I -may no longer feel this great weight upon my shoulders.’ - -Then in pity Perseus drew from the magic bag the head of Medusa, and -held it up before the eyes of Atlas. In a moment the giant was changed -into stone, or rather into a great rugged mountain, which ever since -that day has been known as the Atlas Mountain. - -The winged sandals then bore Perseus on until he reached a dark and -desolate land. So desolate it was that it seemed to him that the gods -had forsaken it, or that it had been blighted by the sins of mortals. -In this island lived Queen Cassiopeia with her daughter Andromeda. - -Cassiopeia was beautiful, but instead of thanking the gods for their -gift of beauty, she used to boast of it, saying that she was fairer -than the nymphs of the sea. - -So angry were the nymphs when they heard this, that they sent a -terrible monster to the island, which laid it waste, and made it dark -and desolate as Perseus had seen. - -The island folk sent to one of their temples to ask what they could do -to free their island from the presence of the sea-serpent. - -‘This monster has been sent to punish Cassiopeia for her vain boast,’ -was the answer. ‘Bid her sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to the -sea-serpent, then will the nymphs remove the curse from your homes.’ - -Andromeda was fair and good, and the people loved her well, so that -they were greatly grieved at the oracle. Yet if they did not give up -their princess their homes would be ruined, their children would perish -before their eyes. - -So while the queen shut herself up in her palace to weep, the people -took the beautiful maiden down to the shore and chained her fast to a -great rock. Then slowly, sorrowfully, they went away, leaving her a -prey to the terrible monster. - -As Perseus drew nearer to the sea he saw the maiden. The next moment -he was gazing in horror at the sea-serpent, as with open, hungry jaws -it approached its victim. - -Quick as lightning Perseus drew his sword and swooped down toward the -monster, at the same moment holding before him the head of Medusa. - -As the eyes of the serpent fell upon that awful sight, it slipped -backward, and before Perseus could use his sword, it was changed into a -rock, a great black rock. And if you go to the shore of the Levant you -may see it still, surrounded by the blue waters of the Mediterranean. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ACRISIUS IS KILLED BY PERSEUS - - -As soon as Perseus saw that the monster was harmless, he took off his -magic helmet, and hastening to Andromeda he broke the chain that held -her to the rock. Then bidding her fear no more he led her back to the -palace, where the queen sat weeping for her lost daughter. - -When the door of her room was opened Cassiopeia never stirred. -Andromeda’s arms were around her, Andromeda’s kisses were on her cheek -before she could believe that her daughter was in very truth alive. -Then, indeed, the mother’s joy was boundless. - -So fair, so good was the maiden that Perseus loved her, and thanked -the gods who had led him to that desolate land. Before many weeks had -passed the princess was wedded to the stranger who had saved her from -the terrible sea-monster. - -Twelve months later they left Cassiopeia, and sailed away to Seriphus, -for Perseus longed to see his mother, and to bring to her his beautiful -bride. - -Seven long years had passed since Perseus set out on his quest, and -Danae’s heart was glad when she saw her son once more. - -As soon as their greetings were over, Perseus left Andromeda with his -mother, and went to the palace, carrying with him the head of Medusa in -the magic bag. - -The king was feasting with his nobles when Perseus entered the -banqueting-hall. Long, long ago he had ceased to think of Perseus, for -he believed that he had perished on his wild adventure. Now he saw -him, grown to be a man, entering the hall, and he grew pale with sudden -fear. - -Paying no heed to any, Perseus strode through the throng of merry -courtiers until he stood before the throne on which sat Polydectes. - -‘Behold the gift I promised you seven years ago, O King!’ cried -Perseus, and as he spoke he drew forth the head of Medusa and held it -up for the king to see. - -Polydectes and his startled nobles stared in horror at the awful face -of the Gorgon, and as they gazed the king and all his followers were -changed into figures of stone. - -Then Perseus turned and left the palace, and telling the island folk -that Polydectes was dead, he bade them now place Dictys, the fisherman, -upon the throne. - -He then hastened to the temple of Athene, and with a glad heart gave -back to the goddess the gifts which had served him so well--the helmet, -the sandals, the shield. - -As his own offering to Athene he gave the head of the Gorgon. She, well -pleased, accepted it, and had it placed in the centre of her shield, -so from that day the Ægis became more terrible than before, for the -Gorgon’s head still turned to stone whoever looked upon it. - -Danae had often talked to Perseus when he was a boy of Acrisius, her -father, and of Argos, the city from which he had been banished when -he was a babe. Perseus now resolved to sail to Argos with Danae and -Andromeda. During these years Acrisius had been driven from his throne -by an ambitious prince. He was in a miserable dungeon, thinking, it -may be, of his unkindness to his daughter Danae, when she once again -reached Argos. - -Perseus soon drove away the usurper, and for his mother’s dear sake he -took Acrisius out of his dungeon and gave him back his kingdom. For -Danae had wept and begged Perseus to rescue his grandfather from prison. - -It seemed as though the oracle that long ago had made Acrisius act so -cruelly would now never be fulfilled. But sooner or later the words of -the gods come true. - -One day Perseus was present at the games that were held each year at -Argos. As he flung a quoit into the air a sudden gust of wind hurled it -aside, so that it fell upon the foot of Acrisius, who was sitting near. - -The king was an old man now, and the blow was more than he could bear. -Before long he died from the wound, and thus the oracle of the gods was -fulfilled. - -Perseus was kind as he was brave, and it grieved him that he had caused -the death of his grandfather, although it had been by no fault of his -own. - -Argos no longer seemed a happy place to the young king, so he left it, -and going to a city called Mycenæ, he made it his capital. Here, after -a long and prosperous reign, Perseus died. The gods whom he had served -loyally, placed him in the skies, among the stars. And there he still -shines, together with Andromeda and Cassiopeia. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ACHILLES AND BRISEIS THE FAIRCHEEKED - - -The story of Perseus belongs to the Heroic Age of Greek history, to the -time when heroes were half mortal, half divine. Many other wonderful -tales belong to the Heroic Age, but among them all none are so famous -as those that are told in the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_. The _Iliad_ -tells of the war that raged around the walls of the city of Troy; the -_Odyssey_ of the adventures of the goodly Odysseus. - -In the north-west corner of Asia, looking toward Greece, the ruins of -an ancient city have been discovered. It was on this spot that Troy or -Ilium was believed to have stood. - -Strange legends gathered round the warriors of the Trojan War, so -strange that some people say that there never were such heroes as -those of whom the _Iliad_ tells. However that may be, we know that in -long after years, when the Greeks fought with the people of Asia, they -remembered these old stories, and believed that they were carrying on -the wars which their fathers had begun. - -The _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_ were written by a poet named Homer, so -many wise folk tell. While others, it may be just as wise, say that -these poems were not written by one man, but were gathered from the -legends of the people, now by one poet, now by another, until they grew -into the collection of stories which we know as the _Iliad_ and the -_Odyssey_. - -At first these old stories were not written in a book; they were sung -or told in verse by the poets to the people of Hellas. And because -what is ‘simple and serious lives longer than what is merely clever,’ -these grave old stories of two thousand years ago are still alive, and -people are still eager to read them. - -Some day you will read the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_. In this story -I can only tell you about a few of the mighty warriors who fought at -Troy, about a few of their strange adventures. - -If you look at a map of Greece you will easily find, in the south, -the country called Peloponnesus. In Peloponnesus you will see Sparta, -the capital city, over which Menelaus was king, when the story of the -_Iliad_ begins. - -Menelaus was married to a beautiful queen named Helen. She was the -fairest woman in the wide world. - -One day there came to the court of the king a prince named Paris. He -was the second son of Priam, King of Troy. Menelaus welcomed his royal -guest and treated him with kindness, but Paris repaid the hospitality -of the king most cruelly. For when affairs of State called Menelaus -away from Sparta for a short time, Paris did not wait until he -returned. He hastened back to Troy, taking with him the beautiful Queen -of Sparta, who was ever after known as Helen of Troy. - -When Menelaus came home to find that Helen had gone away to Troy, he -swore a great oath that he would besiege the city, punish Paris, and -bring back his beautiful queen to Sparta; and this was the beginning of -the Trojan War. - -Menelaus had not a large enough army to go alone against his enemy. So -he sent to his brother Agamemnon, who was the chief of all the mighty -warriors of Hellas, and to many other lords, to beg them to help him to -besiege Troy, and, if it might be, to slay Paris. - -The chiefs were eager to help Menelaus to avenge his wrongs, and soon a -great army was ready to sail across the Hellespont to Asia, to march on -Troy. - -But before the army embarked, the warriors sent, as was their custom, -to an oracle, to ask if their expedition would be successful. - -‘Without the help of goodly Achilles, Troy will never be taken,’ was -the answer. - -Achilles was the son of Thetis, the silver-footed goddess, whose -home was in the depths of the sea. Well did she love her strong son -Achilles. When he was a babe she wished to guard him from the dangers -that would surely threaten him when he grew to be a man, so she took -him in her arms and carried him to the banks of the river Styx. Whoever -bathed in these magic waters became invulnerable, that is, he became -proof against every weapon. Silver-footed Thetis, holding her precious -babe firmly by one heel, plunged him into the tide, so that his little -body became at once invulnerable, save only the heel by which his -mother grasped him. It was untouched by the magic water. - -Achilles set sail with the other chiefs for Troy, so it seemed as -though the city would be taken by his help, as the oracle foretold. -With him Achilles took his well-loved friend Patroclus. - -For nine long years was the city of Troy besieged, and all for the sake -of Helen the beautiful Queen of Sparta. Often as the years passed, she -would stand upon the walls of Troy to look at the brave warriors of -Hellas, to wonder when they would take the city. But when nine years -had passed, no breach had yet been made in the walls. - -When the Hellenes needed food or clothing, they attacked and plundered -the neighbouring cities, which were not so well defended as Troy. - -The plunder of one of these cities, named Chryse, was the cause of the -fatal quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles. - -In Chryse there was a temple sacred to Apollo, guarded by a priest -named Chryses. His daughter Chryseis, and another beautiful maiden -named Briseis the Faircheeked, were taken prisoners when the town was -sacked by the Hellenes. Agamemnon claimed the daughter of the priest as -his share of the spoil, while Briseis he awarded to Achilles. - -[Illustration: Often she would stand upon the walls of Troy] - -When Chryses the priest found that his daughter had been carried -away by the Greeks, he hastened to the tent of Agamemnon, taking with -him a ransom great ‘beyond telling.’ In his hands he bore a golden -staff on which he had placed the holy garland, that the Greeks, seeing -it, might treat him with reverence. - -‘Now may the gods that dwell in the mansions of Olympus grant you to -lay waste the city of Priam and to fare happily homeward,’ said the -priest to the assembled chiefs, ‘only set ye my dear child free and -accept the ransom in reverence to Apollo.’ - -All save Agamemnon wished to accept the ransom and set Chryseis free, -but he was wroth with the priest and roughly bade him begone. - -‘Let me not find thee, old man,’ he cried, ‘amid the ships, whether -tarrying now or returning again hereafter, lest the sacred staff of -the god avail thee naught. And thy daughter will I not set free. But -depart, provoke me not, that thou mayest the rather go in peace.’ - -Then Chryseis was angry with Agamemnon, while for his daughter’s sake -he wept. - -Down by the ‘shore of the loud-sounding sea’ he walked, praying to -Apollo, ‘Hear me, god of the silver bow. If ever I built a temple -gracious in thine eyes, or if ever I burnt to thee fat flesh ... of -bulls or goats, fulfil thou this my desire; let the Greeks pay by thine -arrows for my tears.’ - -Apollo heard the cry of the priest, and swift was his answer. For he -hastened to the tents of the Greeks, bearing upon his shoulders his -silver bow, and he sped arrows of death into the camp. - -Dogs, mules, men, all fell before the arrows of the angry god. The -bodies of the dead were burned on great piles of wood, and the smoke -rose black toward the sky. - -For nine days the clanging of the silver bow was heard. Then Achilles -called the hosts of the Greeks together, and before them all he spoke -thus to Agamemnon: ‘Let us go home, Son of Atreus,’ he said, ‘rather -than perish, as we surely shall do if we remain here. Else let us ask -a priest why Apollo treats us thus harshly.’ - -But it was easy to tell why Apollo was angry, and Calchas, a seer, -answered Achilles in plain-spoken words. ‘The wrath of the god is upon -us,’ he said, ‘for the sake of the priest whom Agamemnon spurned, -refusing to accept the ransom of his daughter. Let Chryseis be sent -back to her father, and for sacrifice also a hundred beasts, that the -anger of the god may be pacified.’ - -Deep was the wrath of Agamemnon as he listened to the words of Calchas. - -‘Thou seer of evil,’ he cried, his eyes aflame with anger, ‘never yet -hast thou told me the thing that is pleasant. Yet that the hosts of our -army perish not, I will send the maiden back. But in her place will I -take Briseis the Fair-cheeked, whom Achilles has in his tent.’ - -When Achilles heard these words he drew his sword to slay Agamemnon. -But before he could strike a blow he felt the locks of his golden hair -caught in a strong grasp, and in a moment his rage was checked, for -he knew the touch was that of the goddess Athene. None saw her save -Achilles, none heard as she said to him, ‘I came from heaven to stay -thine anger.... Go to now, cease from strife, and let not thine hand -draw the sword.’ - -Then Achilles sheathed his sword, saying, ‘Goddess, needs must a man -observe thy saying even though he be very wroth at heart, for so is the -better way.’ - -Yet although Achilles struck no blow, bitter were the words he spoke -to the king, for a coward did he deem him and full of greed. ‘If thou -takest from me Briseis,’ he cried, ‘verily, by my staff, that shall not -blossom again seeing it has been cleft from a tree, never will I again -draw sword for thee. Surely I and my warriors will go home, for no -quarrel have we with the Trojans. And when Hector slaughters thy hosts, -in vain shalt thou call for Achilles.’ - -Well did Agamemnon know that he ought to soothe the anger of Achilles -and prevail on him to stay, for his presence alone could make the -Trojans fear. Yet in his pride the king answered, ‘Thou mayest go and -thy warriors with thee. Chieftains have I who will serve me as well as -thou, and who will pay me more respect than ever thou hast done. As for -the maiden Briseis, her I will have, that the Greeks may know that I am -indeed the true sovereign of this host.’ - -The Assembly then broke up, and Chryseis was sent home under the charge -of Odysseus, one of the bravest of the Greek warriors. - -When the priest received his daughter again, he at once entreated -Apollo to stay his fatal darts, that the Greeks might no longer perish -in their camp. And Apollo heard and laid aside his silver bow and his -arrows of death. - -Then Agamemnon called heralds, and bade them go to the tent of Achilles -and bring to him Briseis of the fair cheeks. ‘Should Achilles refuse -to give her up,’ said the angry king, ‘let him know that I myself will -come to fetch the maiden.’ - -But when the heralds told Achilles the words of the king, he bade -Patroclus bring the damsel from her tent and give her to the messengers -of Agamemnon. And the maiden, who would fain have stayed with Achilles, -was taken to the king. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -MENELAUS AND PARIS DO BATTLE - - -When the heralds of Agamemnon had led Briseis away, Achilles stripped -off his armour, for not again would he fight in the Trojan War. Down -to the seashore he went alone to weep for the loss of Briseis the -Faircheeked. - -As he wept he called aloud to his mother Thetis. From the depths of the -sea she heard his cry, and swift on a wave she reached the shore. Soon -she was by the side of her son, and taking his hand, as when he was a -boy, she asked, ‘My child, why weepest thou?’ - -Then Achilles told how Agamemnon had taken from him Briseis, whom he -loved. - -‘Go to the palace of Zeus,’ he entreated her, ‘and beseech Zeus to give -me honour before the hosts of the Greeks. Let him grant victory to the -Trojans until the king sends to Achilles to beg for his help in the -battle.’ - -So Thetis, for the sake of her dear son, hastened to Olympus, and -bending at the knee of Zeus she besought the god to avenge the wrong -done to Achilles. - -At first Zeus, the Cloud-gatherer, was silent, as though he heard her -not. ‘Give me now thy promise,’ urged Thetis, ‘and confirm it with a -nod or else deny me.’ - -Then the god nodded, and thereat Olympus shook to its foundations. So -Thetis knew that she had found favour in the eyes of Zeus, and leaving -the palace of the gods she plunged deep into the sea. - -Zeus hastened to fulfil his promise, and sent to Agamemnon a ‘baneful -dream.’ - -As the king dreamed, he thought he heard Zeus bid him go forth to -battle against the Trojans, for he would surely take the city. But in -this Zeus deceived the king. - -When Agamemnon awoke in the morning he was glad, for now he hoped to -win great honour among his warriors. Quickly he armed himself for -battle, throwing a great cloak over his tunic, and slinging his sword, -studded with silver, over his shoulder. In his right hand he bore the -sceptre of his sires, the sign of his lordship over all the great hosts -of Hellas. - -Then when he was armed, the king assembled his great army, and after -telling his dream, he bade it march in silence toward the city. - -But when the Trojans saw the Hellenes drawing near, they came out to -meet them ‘with clamour and with shouting like unto birds, even as when -there goeth up before heaven a clamour of cranes which flee from the -coming of winter and sudden rain.’ - -As the Trojans approached, Menelaus saw Paris who had stolen his fair -wife, and he leaped from his chariot that he might slay the prince. But -Paris, when he saw the wrath of Menelaus, was afraid and hid himself -among his comrades. - -Then Hector, his brother, who was the leader of the Trojans, mocked at -him for his cowardice, until Paris grew ashamed. - -‘Now will I challenge Menelaus to single combat,’ he cried. And Hector -rejoiced at his words and bade the warriors stay their arrows. - -‘Hearken, ye Trojans and ye Greeks,’ he cried, ‘Paris bids you lay down -your arms while he and his enemy Menelaus alone do battle for Helen and -for her wealth. And he who shall be victor shall keep the woman and her -treasures, while we will make with one another oaths of friendship and -of peace.’ So there, without the walls of the city, oaths were taken -both by the Greeks and the Trojans. But the heart of Priam, King of -Troy, was heavy lest harm should befall Paris, and he hastened within -the gates of the city that he might not watch the combat. ‘I can in no -wise bear to behold with mine eyes my dear son fighting with Menelaus,’ -he said. ‘But Zeus knoweth, and all the immortal gods, for whether of -the twain the doom of death is appointed.’ - -Then Menelaus and Paris drew their swords, and Menelaus cried to Zeus -to grant him his aid, so that hereafter men ‘may shudder to wrong his -host that hath shown him kindness.’ - -But it seemed that Zeus heard not, for when Menelaus flung his -ponderous spear, although it passed close to Paris, rending his tunic, -yet did it not wound him, and when he dealt a mighty blow with his -sword upon the helmet of his enemy, lo, his sword broke into pieces in -his hand. - -Then in his wrath, Menelaus reproached the god: ‘Father Zeus,’ he -cried, ‘surely none of the gods is crueller than thou. My sword -breaketh in my hand, and my spear sped from my grasp in vain, and I -have not smitten my enemy.’ - -Yet even if Zeus denied his help, Menelaus determined to slay his foe. -So he sprang forward and seized Paris by the strap of his helmet. But -the goddess Aphrodite flew to the aid of the prince, and the strap -broke in the hand of Menelaus. Before the king could again reach his -enemy, a mist sent by the goddess concealed the combatants one from the -other. Then, unseen by all, Aphrodite caught up Paris, ‘very easily as -a goddess may,’ and hid him in the city within his own house. - -In vain did Menelaus search for his foe, yet well did he know that -no Trojan had given him shelter. For Paris was ‘hated of all even as -black death,’ because it was through his base deed that Troy had been -besieged for nine long years. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE - - -The gods were angry with Aphrodite because she had hidden Paris from -the king, and they determined that, in spite of their oath, the two -armies should again begin to fight. - -So Athene was sent to the Trojan hosts, disguised as one of themselves. -In and out among the soldiers she paced, until at length she spoke to -one of them, bidding him draw his bow and wound Menelaus. - -The soldier obeyed, and the arrow, guided by Athene, reached the king, -yet was the wound but slight. - -When the Greeks saw that the Trojans had disregarded their oath, they -were full of wrath, and seizing their arms they followed their chiefs -to battle. ‘You had thought them dumb, so silent were they,’ as they -followed. But as the Trojans looked upon the enemy there arose among -them a confused murmur as when ‘sheep bleat without ceasing to hear -their lambs cry.’ - -Fierce and yet more fierce raged the battle. Valiant deeds were done on -both sides, but when Hector saw that the Greeks were being helped by -the gods, he left the battlefield and hastened to the city. - -At the gates, wives and mothers pressed around him, eager to hear what -had befallen their husbands, their sons. But Hector tarried only to bid -them go pray to the gods. - -On to the palace he hastened to find Hecuba, his mother. She, seeing -him come, ran to greet him and to beg of him to wait until she brought -honey-sweet wine, that he might pour out an offering to Zeus, and -himself drink and be refreshed. - -But Hector said, ‘Bring me no honey-sweet wine, my lady-mother, lest -thou cripple me of my courage and I be forgetful of my might. But go -thou to the temple with all thy women, to offer gifts to Athene and to -beseech her aid.’ - -Then leaving his mother, Hector went to the house of Paris, and -bitterly did he rebuke him, because he was not in the forefront of the -battle. - -‘Stay but till I arm and I will go with thee,’ answered Paris. But -Hector heeded him not, for he was in haste to find his dear wife -Andromache and their beautiful boy, Skamandriss. By the people the -child was called Astyanax, the City King, for it was his father who -guarded Troy. - -Andromache was not in their house, but on the wall of the city, -watching the battle, fearing lest harm should befall her lord. With her -was her little son, in the arms of his nurse. - -Hector dared not linger to search for his wife, but as he hastened back -to the gates she saw him and ran to bid him farewell ere he returned to -battle. - -Close to his side she pressed, and her tears fell as she cried: - - ‘Too brave! thy valour yet will cause thy death. - Thou hast no pity on thy tender child, - Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be - Thy widow. All the Greeks will rush on thee - To take thy life. A happier lot were mine - If I must lose thee to go down to earth, - For I shall have no hope when thou art gone-- - Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none, - And no dear mother.... - - Hector, thou - Art father and dear mother now to me, - And brother and my youthful spouse besides, - In pity keep within the fortress here, - Nor make thy child an orphan nor thy wife - A widow.’ - -But Hector, though he dearly loved his wife, could not shrink from the -battle. As Andromache ceased to plead with him, he held out his arms -to his little son, but the child drew back in fear of the great plumes -that waved on his father’s shining helmet. - -Then Hector took off his helmet and laid it on the ground, while he -caught his child in his arms and kissed him, praying Zeus and all the -gods to defend him. - -Andromache gazed pitifully at her husband as, at length, he gave the -child to its nurse, and he seeing her great grief, took her hand and -said: - - ‘Sorrow not thus, beloved one, for me. - No living man can send me to the shades - Before my time; no man of woman born, - Coward or brave, can shun his destiny. - But go thou home and tend thy labours there, - The web, the distaff, and command thy maids - To speed the work. The cares of war pertain - To all men born in Troy, and most to me.’ - -Then springing into his chariot, Hector drove swiftly back to the field -of battle. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE HORSES OF ACHILLES - - -Hector and Paris reached the battlefield at the same moment. The -Trojans were encouraged to fight yet more fiercely when they saw the -two princes, and soon so many of the Greeks were slain that Agamemnon -grew afraid. - -‘Zeus hath sent me a deceiving dream,’ he said to his counsellors. ‘If -the gods send not their help we must perish, unless indeed Achilles -will forget his anger and come to our aid. Verily, Zeus loveth -Achilles, seeing that he putteth the Greeks to flight that he may do -him honour. But even as I wronged him in my folly, so will I make -amends and give recompence beyond all telling.’ - -Then, casting aside his pride, the king sent messengers to the tent -of Achilles, to say that he would send back Briseis and give to him -splendid gifts if he would but come to the help of the Greeks, for they -were flying before the enemy. - -But the heart of Achilles was too bitter to be touched by the fair -promises of the king, for had he not taken from him Briseis, the lady -of his love? So he bade the messengers go back to Agamemnon and say -that he would not fight, but he would launch his ships on the morrow -and sail away to his own land. - -When the king heard that Achilles spurned his gifts, and refused -to come to his aid, he was afraid. But his counsellors said, ‘Let -us not heed Achilles, whether he sail or whether he linger by the -loud-sounding sea. When the gods call to him, or when his own heart -bids, he will fight. Let us go once more against the Trojans, and do -thou show thyself, O king, in the forefront of the battle.’ - -Then Agamemnon rallied his men and led them against the foe, yet again -he was driven back. Chief after chief was wounded, and at length the -Hellenes fled to their ships to defend them from the Trojans. But -Patroclus determined to plead with Achilles to save his countrymen from -defeat. When he entered the tent of his friend he was weeping for pity -of the dead and wounded. - -‘Wherefore weepest thou, Patroclus, like a fond little maid that runs -by her mother’s side?’ asked Achilles as he looked up at the entrance -of his friend and saw his tears. - -‘Never may such wrath take hold of me as that thou nursest, thrice -brave, to the hurting of others,’ answered his comrade. ‘The Greeks are -lying wounded and dead. If thou wilt not come to their help, let me -lead thy men so that the enemy may be beaten back....’ - - ‘And give - The armour from thy shoulders. I will wear - Thy mail, and then the Trojans, at the sight, - May think I am Achilles, and may pause - From fighting.’ - -Even as Patroclus pleaded with his friend, a great light flared up -against the sky. The Trojans had set fire to the Greek ships. - -Then, at length, Achilles was roused. He would not go himself to the -help of Agamemnon, but he bade Patroclus put on his armour, while he -called together his brave warriors and commanded them to follow his -friend to battle. - -Quickly Patroclus donned the well-known armour of Achilles, then -calling to Automedon, the chariot driver, he bade him harness Xanthus -and Balius, the immortal horses of his friend, for their speed was -swift as the wind. - -As Patroclus vanished from sight in the chariot drawn by Xanthus and -Balius, Achilles prayed to Zeus. ‘O Zeus,’ he cried, ‘I send my comrade -to this battle. Strengthen his heart within him, and when he has -driven from the ships the war and din of battle, scathless then let him -return to me and my people with him.’ - -Down upon the Trojans swept the warriors led by Patroclus. They, seeing -the armour of Achilles were afraid, and fled from the ships. But ere -long they discovered that it was not Achilles but Patroclus who wore -the well-known armour, and they returned to fight with new courage. And -ever, where the battle raged most fiercely, did Patroclus bid Automedon -drive his chariot. - -Then the gods bade Hector find Patroclus and slay him. Little trouble -had the prince in finding the warrior who wore the armour of Achilles. -Bravely the two heroes fought, but Patroclus was not able to stand -against the great strength of Hector. Moreover, the gods betrayed him, -striking him from behind on the head and shoulders, so that the helmet -of Achilles fell in the dust. Apollo also snatched his shield from his -arm and broke his spear in two. - -When Hector saw that his enemy was disarmed, he took his spear and -struck him so fiercely that Patroclus fell - - ‘With clashing mail, and all the Greeks beheld - His fall with grief.’ - -The friend of Achilles was wounded to death. - -In his triumph Hector was merciless. He mocked at his fallen foe, -saying, ‘Patroclus, surely thou saidst that thou wouldst sack my town, -and from Trojan women take away the day of freedom, and bring them in -ships to thine own dear country. Fool, ... I ward from them the day of -destiny, but thee shall vultures here destroy.’ - -Faint though he was, Patroclus answered, ‘It was not thou, Hector, who -didst slay me, but Apollo, who snatched from me my shield and brake my -sword in twain.’ Then his strength failed and he breathed his last. - -No pity yet showed Hector, for he stripped off the armour of Achilles -from the body of Patroclus that he might wear it himself. But Zeus, as -he looked upon the haughty victor, was displeased. - -‘Ah, hapless man,’ said the god to himself, ‘no thought is in thy heart -of death that yet draweth nigh unto thee; thou doest on thee the divine -armour of a peerless man before whom the rest have terror. His comrade, -gentle and brave, thou hast slain, and unmeetly hast stripped the -armour from his head and shoulders.’ - -The immortal horses of Achilles wept when they knew that Patroclus was -slain. Automedon lashed them, he spoke kindly to them, yet would they -not move. As a pillar on a tomb, so they stood yoked to the chariot. -From their eyes big teardrops fell, their beautiful heads hung down -with grief so that their long manes were trailed in the dust. Thus -sorely did the immortal steeds grieve for the death of Patroclus. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE DEATH OF HECTOR - - -Fierce and long raged the battle around the body of Patroclus. And -while the armies fought, a messenger hastened to the tent of Achilles -to tell him that his comrade was slain and that the Trojans fought for -his body as it lay naked on the ground, stripped of its armour. ‘Thy -armour,’ said the messenger, ‘Hector has taken for himself.’ - -When Achilles heard the bitter tidings he took dust and poured it with -both hands upon his head. ‘As he thought thereon, he shed big tears, -now lying on his side, now on his back, now on his face, and then anon -he would rise upon his feet, and roam wildly beside the beach of the -salt sea.’ As he cried aloud in his grief his mother, Thetis, heard in -her home beneath the sea. Swiftly she sped to her son that she might -learn why he wept. - -Achilles told her all that had befallen Patroclus, and how he himself -cared no longer to live, save only that he might slay Hector who had -killed his friend. - -Thetis bade her son wait but till the morrow before he went to battle, -and she would bring him armour made by the great Fire-god. - -Then she left him and prayed the god Hephaestus, keeper of the forge, -to give her armour for her dear son. - -Hephaestus was pleased to work for so goodly a warrior as Achilles. -Quickly he set his twenty bellows to work, and when the fire blazed in -the forge, he threw into it bronze and silver and gold. Then taking -a great hammer in his hand he fashioned a marvellous shield, more -marvellous than words can tell. Before morning a complete suit of -armour was ready for Achilles. - -Meanwhile Hector had all but captured the body of Patroclus. But the -gods spoke to Achilles, bidding him now succour the body of his friend. -Without armour Achilles could not enter the fray, yet he hastened to -the trenches that the Trojans might see him. - -Around his head gleamed a golden light, placed there by Athene. When -the Trojans saw the flame and heard the mighty cry of Achilles, they -drew back afraid. - -Three times the warrior shouted, and three times the Trojans drew back -in fear. While they hesitated the Greeks rushed forward and carried -away the body of Patroclus, nor did they lay it down until they laid it -in the tent of Achilles. - -On the morrow Thetis came back to her son, bringing with her the armour -made by Hephaestus. She found him weeping over the body of his friend. - -‘My child,’ she said, ‘him who lieth here we must let be, for all our -pain. Arm thyself now and go thy way into the fray.’ - -Then Achilles put on the armour of the god in haste, for he feared lest -another than he should slay Hector. - -With Achilles once again at their head, the Greek warriors attacked -the Trojans with redoubled fury. But it was Hector alone whom Achilles -longed to meet, and soon he saw his enemy near one of the gates of -Troy. Now he would avenge the death of Patroclus. But when Hector saw -the great hate in the eyes of his enemy, lo, he turned and fled. - -‘As a hawk, fastest of all the birds of air, pursues a dove upon the -mountains,’ so did Achilles pursue the prince until he was forced to -stand to take breath. Then Hector, encouraged by the gods, drew near to -him and spoke, ‘Thrice, great Achilles, hast thou pursued me round the -walls of Troy, and I dared not stand up against thee; but now I fear -thee no more. Only do thou promise, if Zeus give thee the victory, to -do no dishonour to my body, as I also will promise to do none to thine -should I slay thee.’ - -But Achilles, remembering Patroclus, cried out in anger that never -would he make a covenant with him who had slain his friend. - -Then with fierce blows each fell upon the other, until at length -Achilles drove his spear through the armour that Hector wore, and the -Trojan prince fell, stricken to the ground. - -Achilles, his anger still burning fiercely, stripped the dead man of -his armour, while many Greek warriors standing near thrust at him with -their spears, saying to one another, ‘Go to, for easier to handle is -Hector now, than when he burnt the ships with blazing fire.’ - -Then Achilles tied the dead man to his chariot with thongs of ox-hide -and drove nine times round the city walls, dragging the fair head of -Hector in the dust. - -From the tower Priam and Hecuba saw the body of their son dragged in -the dust, and bitter was their pain. - -But Andromache knew not yet what had befallen her lord, for she sat -in an inner chamber wearing a purple cloth. Soon she bade her maids -prepare a bath for Hector, for she thought that he would return ere -long from the battle. She knew not yet that Hector would never return, -but as the noise of the wailing of the people reached the room in which -she sat, her heart misgave her. In haste she ran to the wall of the -city, only to see the chariot of Achilles as it dragged Hector down to -the loud-sounding sea. - -Then fainting with grief, Andromache fell to the ground, and the diadem -which Aphrodite had given to her on her wedding morn dropped from her -head, to be worn by her no more. - -Down by the seashore Achilles burned the body of Patroclus with great -honour, and when the funeral rites were ended, he dragged the dead -body of Hector round the tomb, weeping for the loss of his dear comrade. - -But Zeus was angry with Achilles for treating the Trojan prince so -cruelly, and he sent Thetis to bid her son give back Hector’s body to -Priam, who would come to offer for it a ransom. ‘If Zeus decrees it, -whoever brings a ransom shall return with the dead,’ answered Achilles. - -Then Zeus sent a messenger to the house of Priam, where the mother -and the wife of Hector wept, saying, ‘Be of good cheer in thy heart, -O Priam.... I am the messenger of Zeus to thee, who though he be afar -off, hath great care and pity for thee. The Olympian biddeth thee -ransom noble Hector’s body, and carry gifts to Achilles that may -gladden his heart.’ - -So Priam set out alone, save for the driver of the wagon which was to -bring Hector again to Troy, for so had the messenger commanded. But -Hecuba feared to let the old man go alone to the tent of the enemy. -When he reached the camp of the Greeks, Priam hastened to the tent of -Achilles, and entering it before his enemy was aware, the old king fell -at the feet of his enemy and begged for the body of his dear son. - -Achilles could not look upon the grief of the old man unmoved, but -when Priam offered him gifts he frowned and haughtily he answered, -‘Of myself am I minded to give Hector back to thee, for so has Zeus -commanded.’ - -Then a truce for nine days was made between the Greeks and the Trojans, -so that King Priam and his people might mourn for Hector and bury him -undisturbed by fear of the enemy. - -Priam tarried with Achilles until night fell. Then while he and his -warriors slept, the king arose and bade the driver yoke the horses and -mules. When this was done they laid the body of Hector upon the wagon, -and in the silence of the night set out on their homeward journey. - -At the gates of Troy stood Andromache and Hecuba watching until Priam -returned. And when the wagon reached the city the Trojans carried -Hector into his own house. Then Andromache took the head of her dear -husband in her arms and said, ‘Husband, thou art gone young from life -and leavest me a widow in thy halls. And the child is yet but a little -one ... nor methinks shall he grow up to manhood, for ere then shall -this city be utterly destroyed. For thou art verily perished who didst -watch over it and guard it, and keptest safe its noble wives and infant -little ones.’ - -The following morning Priam bade his people go gather wood for the -burial, and after nine days the body of Hector was laid on the pile -and burned. Then his white bones, wrapped in purple cloth, were placed -in a golden chest. Above the chest a great mound was raised, and thus -Hector, the brave prince of Troy, was buried. - -Soon after the burial of Hector Achilles was killed by a poisoned arrow -which Paris aimed at his heel, the one spot of his body that Thetis had -failed to bathe in the magic waters of the river Styx. Paris himself -perished soon after the death of Achilles. - -Troy still remained untaken. Then goodly Odysseus told the Greeks that -although they could not take the city by storm, they might take her by -a stratagem or trick. - -So the Greeks, as he bade them, built a huge wooden horse, which was -hollow within. Here they hid a number of their bravest warriors, and -then the main body of the army marched away, as though they were tired -of trying to take the city. The wooden horse they left as an offering -to Poseidon. Only a slave named Sinon was left behind to persuade the -Trojans to drag the horse into the city. But the Trojans needed little -persuasion. They came out of the city, gazed at the strange horse, half -feared a trick, and then, like children amused with a new toy, they -pulled it within the walls of Troy. - -So glad were the Trojans that the enemy had gone away, that they made -a great feast. While they ate and drank, careless of danger, Sinon -helped the Greek warriors out of the hollow wooden horse. They waited -until it was late and all was quiet, then they slipped down to the -gates and flung them open, while their comrades, who had not marched -far away, rushed in to plunder and burn the city. Thus after many long -years Troy was taken by the counsel of Odysseus. - -One of the first to sail away from the city was Menelaus, with his -beautiful queen safe at his side. After many adventures he reached -Sparta and lived with Helen ‘in peace, comfort, and wealth, and his -palace shone in its splendour like the sun or the moon.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT - - -The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they -set sail for the sunny isles of Greece. But storms overtook some, the -gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land -in safety. - -Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, -suffered greater hardships than any other. For ten years he was either -tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange -countries. Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now. - -When Odysseus and his comrades sailed away from Troy, they were -driven by a fair wind to the shore of Ismarus. Here dwelt a rich and -prosperous people called the Cicones. - -The Greeks wished to take much spoil back with them to their homes, so -they resolved to slay the Cicones and plunder their city. - -Some of the citizens escaped the sword of the adventurers and hastened -to their kinsmen who dwelt farther from the shore. When they had told -their terrible tidings, their comrades armed themselves and sped to the -shore to punish the strangers. - -Odysseus had tried in vain to make his followers go back to their -ships. They had refused to be hurried, and were now sitting on the -seashore eating and drinking, heedless of danger. - -Before they were aware the kinsmen of the Cicones had fallen upon them, -and when the sun went down they had slain six men out of each of the -strangers’ ships. The rest barely escaped with their lives. - -Scarcely had the Greeks reached their vessels and sailed away from -Ismarus, when Zeus sent a north wind against them. For nine days their -ships were driven hither and thither. Their sails were torn to shreds, -when on the tenth day the sailors caught sight of land. It was the land -of the lotus-eaters, where the people fed only on the fruit of the -lotus, a fruit that brought sleep and forgetfulness to the eater. - -Odysseus sent three sailors on shore to find out what manner of people -the lotus-eaters were. No sooner had they landed than the inhabitants -brought them fruit, which they ate with delight. But the honey-sweet -flowers made them forget Odysseus, their comrades, and their ships. -They had no wish save to stay for ever with the lotus-eaters to share -their magic food. - -At length, Odysseus grew tired of waiting for the three sailors to -return, and he himself with a few armed men went on shore to look for -them. He thought that perhaps they had been taken prisoners and had -been bound with chains, but he found them lying on the yellow sand, -dreamy and content. - - ‘And sweet it was to dream of Fatherland, - Of child, and wife, and slave; but evermore - Most weary seem’d the sea, weary the oar, - Weary the wandering fields of barren foam.’ - -When the three sailors saw Odysseus they cried: - - ‘“We will return no more” - And all at once they sang, “Our island home - Is far beyond the wave; we will no longer roam.”’ - -Odysseus and his comrades were offered fruit by the kindly -lotus-eaters, but Odysseus waved it aside and bade his men drag away -the three sailors who had already eaten. The sailors wept sore, for -fain would they have dwelt for ever in the land of dreams. But when -they were once more on their vessels and had put out to sea, the -breezes brought back health to their bodies, vigour to their minds. -Soon they were able to rejoice that they had left the enchanted -lotus-land far behind. - -Westward sailed the fleet of Odysseus, until it reached the island of -Sicily, where the Cyclopes dwelt. The Cyclopes were giants who had each -but one eye, fixed in the middle of his brow. - -Odysseus, taking with him only his own crew, landed on the island, for -he wished to see the Cyclopes. He had walked but a little way when he -came to a great cave, in which stood baskets filled with cheeses and -milkpans filled with milk. In this cave dwelt Polyphemus, one of the -sons of Poseidon, and the fiercest of all the fierce Cyclopes. - -Into this cave went Odysseus and his comrades. Polyphemus was not -within; he was out on the hills with his flocks. - -‘Let us take the cheeses and drive away the lambs and the kids that are -here, before the giant returns,’ said the sailors. But Odysseus would -not do as they wished, for, said he, ‘I greatly wish to see the giant -shepherd who dwells in the cave.’ - -‘Verily,’ said Odysseus, as he told the tale in after days, ‘verily, -his coming was not to be a joy to my company.’ - -Evening drew on apace, and Polyphemus, driving his flocks before him, -reached the cave. When he had driven his flocks in before him, the -giant took a huge rock and placed it in the doorway. - -Odysseus and his comrades had hidden themselves in the dimmest corners -of the cave when Polyphemus entered. The giant lighted a great fire of -pine wood and began to milk the ewes. Soon the flames lighted up every -corner of the cave, and Polyphemus saw his unexpected guests. - -In a voice that struck terror even into the brave hearts of the Greeks, -so gruff, so loud it was, the giant demanded, ‘Strangers, who are ye? -Whence sail ye over the watery ways? On some trading enterprise or at -adventure do ye rove, even as sea-robbers over the brine?’ - -Boldly then answered Odysseus, ‘“_No Man_” is my name. My ship, -Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, broke it to pieces, for he cast it -upon the rocks at the border of your country, and brought it nigh the -headland, and a wind bore it thither from the sea. But I, with these -my men, escaped from utter doom. Give us, we beseech thee, food and -shelter.’ - -As you know, Odysseus had not been shipwrecked, his vessel, safely -anchored, awaited his return, nor was his true name _No Man_. He dared -not tell the giant the truth, lest he should go in search of his -ship and take it for firewood, while he and his companions were kept -prisoners in the cave. - -The giant said not a word when Odysseus ended his tale, but he -stretched out his great hand, seized two of the strangers, and devoured -them before the eyes of their horrified companions. Then, well -satisfied with his meal, he fell fast asleep. - -In the morning the giant finished his breakfast by eating two more of -his guests, then, moving away the stone at the entrance of the cave as -easily as if it had been a feather, he drove his flocks to pasture. He -did not forget to replace the stone in the doorway before he turned -away. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -ODYSSEUS ESCAPES FROM THE CAVE - - -Odysseus was determined that he and his comrades should escape from the -cave of the dread Cyclops. Hour after hour he pondered how he might -persuade the giant to let them go, but at length he thought, ‘I will -not persuade him, I will force him to let us go.’ - -At that moment, his eye fell upon a great staff or club in a corner of -the cave. He bade his companions make a sharp point to it. When this -was done he hardened it in the fire and then hid it from sight. - -The day passed slowly, but at length evening came and Polyphemus -returned to the cave. His guests shrank into the farthest corner as the -giant began his supper, but ere he finished, he again stretched out his -hand, seized two of his prisoners, and devoured them. Then Odysseus -offered him a draught of wine which he had brought with him from -Ismarus. - -Deep drank the giant, and ere he fell into a sound sleep he turned to -Odysseus saying, ‘_No Man_, thee will I eat last in return for thy gift -of wine.’ - -Odysseus waited until he saw that Polyphemus was fast asleep, then he -bade his comrades put the point of the great staff in the fire. When it -was red hot he told them to thrust it deep into the eye of the giant. -So great was the pain that the Cyclops leaped up from his sleep and -hurled away the staff, uttering loud cries of agony. - -The giants who dwelt on the mountains round about heard the voice of -Polyphemus, and together they hastened to the doorway of the cave. - -‘What hath so distressed thee, Polyphemus,’ they cried, ‘that thou -criest thus aloud through the immortal night and makest us sleepless? -Surely no mortal driveth off thy flocks against thy will; surely none -slayeth thyself by force or craft?’ - -‘_No Man_ is slaying me by guile, nor at all by force,’ answered -Polyphemus, proud even in his pain. - -‘If no man is harming thee, it may be that Zeus has sent sickness upon -thee,’ answered the giants. ‘Pray thou then to thy father Poseidon for -aid. As for us, we will go back to our slumbers.’ - -Odysseus laughed to himself as he heard their retreating feet, for now -he was sure that he would be able to save himself and his comrades. - -When morning dawned, Polyphemus, still groaning with pain, groped his -way to the door. Having found it he pushed the stone a little way to -the side to allow his flocks to pass out of the cave. To make sure -that his prisoners did not escape with the animals, he sat down by the -entrance and touched the back of each ram as it passed. But Odysseus -had tied his followers with osier twigs beneath the rams, and so, in -spite of the care of the giant, all his prisoners escaped. Odysseus -himself was the last to leave the cave, holding fast to the fleece of -the largest ram. - -No sooner had Odysseus rejoined his companions than he loosened the -twigs with which he had bound them. Then together they ran to the -shore, driving before them many of the giant’s best sheep. These they -took on board their ship, and then rowed out some way from land. - -Polyphemus soon found that he had been outwitted, and he began to -stumble down toward the sea. - -When Odysseus saw him, he bade his men rest on their oars, while he -spoke to the giant in a loud voice. - -‘Cyclops,’ he cried, ‘so thou wert not to eat the company of a weakling -by main might in thy hollow cave. Thine evil deeds were very sure to -find thee out, thou cruel man, who hadst no shame to eat thy guests -within thy gates, wherefore Zeus hath requited thee and the other gods.’ - -In his rage Polyphemus took a great rock off the top of a mountain and -hurled it in the direction from which the voice came. The rock fell -near to the bow of the ship, so that the waters rose and pushed the -vessel toward the shore. - -But Odysseus seized a pole and swiftly thrust the ship back from the -land. Then he bade the sailors pull for the open sea with might and -main. - -When the ship was once more some distance from the shore, Odysseus -taunted the giant yet again with his evil deeds. - -‘Cyclops,’ he cried, ‘if any one of mortal men shall ask thee of the -unsightly blinding of thine eye, say that it was Odysseus who blinded -it, the Waster of Cities, son of Laertes, whose dwelling is in Ithaca.’ - -Then the giant, in impotent anger, stretched out his hands to the -heavens and cried, ‘Hear me, Poseidon, girdler of the earth, god of -the dark hair, if indeed I be thy son.... Grant that he may never come -to his home, even Odysseus, waster of cities, son of Laertes, whose -dwelling is in Ithaca; yet if he is ordained to see his friends and -come into his well-builded house and his own country, late may he come, -and in evil case, with the loss of all his company, in the ship of -strangers, and find sorrows in his house.’ - -And so it came to pass, even as the Cyclops prayed, for only after many -wanderings did Odysseus reach his home, to find it in the hands of -those who prayed that the king might never return to Ithaca. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -ODYSSEUS RETURNS TO ITHACA - - -The small island of Ithaca, of which Odysseus was king, lay on the -western shore of Greece. His subjects deemed that their king was dead, -for ten years had passed since Troy had been destroyed, and yet he had -not come home. - -But Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, would not believe that her lord was -dead; she clung to the hope that he would yet return. Princes came to -the palace to beg the queen to wed, but in vain did each one urge his -suit, for hope whispered in the heart of Penelope, ‘My lord is still -alive.’ - -Laertes, the father of Odysseus, was too old, her little son Telemachus -was too young, to help the queen, when the princes rudely insisted on -living in the palace and in wasting the goods of Odysseus. Again and -again they entreated her to wed one among them. But the queen grew -angry and rebuked them for their insolence in living in the palace. -From day to day, from week to week, from month to month, even from year -to year, Penelope mocked at the impatience of her suitors. - -For she set up in the hall of the palace a large loom and began to -weave a beautiful robe. ‘Ye princely youths, my wooers,’ she said, ‘now -that Odysseus is dead, as ye declare, do ye abide patiently, how eager -soever on this marriage of mine, till I finish the robe.’ - -The princes agreed to wait until the robe was finished, but little did -they dream how long the queen would take to her task. - -Day after day, day after day, they watched as Penelope sat at her web -weaving, ever weaving. But night after night, night after night, when -the insolent princes had gone to bed, the queen carefully unravelled -the work they had seen her do by day. - -For three long years did Penelope mock her suitors in this way, but -when the fourth year came, and the robe was still incomplete, one of -the queen’s serving-maids betrayed her secret to the princes. - -Then the queen could no longer refuse to wed, yet still she tried to -put off the day as long as might be. So she promised to marry him who -could most easily bend the great bow of Odysseus, and hit the mark on -which she should decide. There was now but a little while until the day -would dawn on which the trial of strength and skill was to take place. - -Telemachus meanwhile had grown into a tall lad, and, guided by Athene, -he left the palace where the princes wasted his wealth to go in search -of his father. It might be that Odysseus was a captive in some distant -land. - -But Odysseus was on his way to Ithaca, sailing in the ship of a king -who had befriended him. - -As the vessel glided into the harbour of the little island, Odysseus -lay asleep on the deck. So the sailors lifted him in a rug on which he -lay and put him down in his own kingdom by the side of the road. - -When he awoke Odysseus did not at first know where he was, for Athene -had covered the land with a thick mist. - -‘O woe is me now, unto what mortals’ land am I now come?’ cried the -king, well-nigh in tears with desire for his own country. - -Even as he spoke, Athene stood by his side disguised as a young man. - -‘What land is this?’ asked Odysseus, not yet knowing that it was the -goddess to whom he spoke, but thinking that it was one of the country -folk. - -‘Thou art witless, stranger, or thou art come from afar, if indeed -thou askest of this land,’ said Athene. ‘Verily it is rough and not -fit for the driving of horses, yet is it not a very sorry isle, though -narrow withal. For herein is corn past telling, and herein, too, wine -is found, and the rain is on it evermore and the fresh dew. And it is -good for feeding goats and feeding kine; all manner of wood is here, -and watering-places unfailing are herein. Wherefore, stranger, the name -of Ithaca hath reached even unto Troyland.’ - -Then Odysseus knew that it was the grey-eyed goddess Athene who spoke -to him, and he answered, ‘Methinks that thou speakest thus to mock me -and beguile my mind. Tell me whether, in very deed, I am come to mine -own dear country?’ - -The goddess did not answer, but silently she scattered the mist that -the king might see that he was indeed in his own kingdom. - -Then Odysseus was glad and stooped to kiss the earth, knowing that at -last his weary wanderings were at an end. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -ARGUS THE HOUND DIES - - -Athene knew that if Odysseus went to the palace, the princes would -pretend that he was not the king, and would perhaps even slay him. So -she bade him go, not to the palace, but to the hut of his swineherd -Eumaeus, who had remained loyal to him and to his house. - -That no one, not even the swineherd, might recognise the king, Athene -changed him into an old beggar man, with dirty, tattered garments. - -In this miserable guise Odysseus reached the hut of Eumaeus. Now -Eumaeus believed that strangers were sent by Zeus, so he welcomed the -beggar and gave him food. - -As he ate, the swineherd sat beside him, bewailing the absence of his -king, who had never returned from the Trojan War. - -‘His name,’ said Eumaeus, ‘even though he is not here, it shameth me to -speak, for he loved me exceedingly, and cared for me at heart; nay, I -call him “worshipful,” albeit he is far from hence.’ - -Much, too, did the swineherd tell of Penelope, of Telemachus, and of -how the insolent suitors lived at the palace and wasted the king’s -goods. As Odysseus listened, he longed to go at once to the palace to -avenge his wrongs. - -That night the king spent in the hut of his swineherd, lying before the -fire, while over him the swineherd flung a covering of goatskins. But -Eumaeus did not sleep. He cast over his shoulders a rough mantle, and -taking with him a sharp sword he went out to guard his herd of swine. -And the king was glad when he saw how well the swineherd cared for the -flocks of his absent lord. - -In the morning, as Eumaeus kindled a fire and prepared breakfast for -the stranger, footsteps were heard without. Telemachus had returned to -Ithaca, having sought for his father in vain. - -Eumaeus hastened to welcome his master’s son and ‘kissed him all over -as one escaped from death.’ Then he set before the prince the best that -his hut could provide. - -When Telemachus had eaten and had drunk sweet wine out of a wooden -goblet, he bade Eumaeus hasten to the palace to tell his mother that he -had come safely home. So the swineherd took his sandals, bound them on -his feet and set out for the city. Odysseus and Telemachus were left -alone. - -Then Athene came to the hut unseen, and changed Odysseus into his own -goodly form, bidding him tell Telemachus who he was. - -At first the prince could not believe that this stranger, so strong, so -fair, was Odysseus. But when at length he knew that it was indeed his -father he embraced him, while tears of joy fell down his cheeks. - -Then Athene bade them determine how the king should make himself known -to Penelope, and how the greedy and insolent suitors should be punished. - -The father and son talked long together and they agreed that on the -morrow Telemachus should go to the palace, but to none, no, not even to -Penelope, was he to tell that Odysseus had returned. - -The arms that hung in the hall of the palace the prince was to hide in -his own room, so that when the time for the king’s revenge should come -the suitors might find neither sword nor shield with which to defend -themselves. Odysseus was to follow his son to the palace when a few -hours had passed, disguised once more as a beggar. - -So, on the morrow, Telemachus set out for the palace. As he entered the -hall the first to see him was his father’s old nurse Eurycleia. She -was busy spreading the skins upon the oaken chairs, but she left her -work and ran to greet the prince, ‘kissing him lovingly on the head and -shoulders.’ - -Penelope, too, coming from her chamber, saw him, and cast her arms -about her dear son and fell a-weeping, and kissed his face and both his -beautiful eyes. ‘Thou art come, Telemachus,’ she said, ‘a sweet light -in the dark. Methought I should never see thee again.’ - -While Telemachus was still telling his lady-mother all that had -befallen him in his search for his father, the beggar, with Eumaeus by -his side, entered the court of the palace. - -In the court lay Argus, the great hound that Odysseus himself had -trained ere he went to Troy. Old was he now and despised, for no longer -could he run in the hunt, swift as the wind. The princes had banished -him from the hall, while by the servants he was spurned. - -As the beggar drew near, Argus raised his head, looked at the stranger, -and began to wag his tail to show his joy. For rags could not hide his -master from the faithful hound. - -Odysseus turned his head away, that Eumaeus might not see his tears. - -‘Surely a hound so noble as this should not lie thus neglected in the -yard,’ he said to the swineherd. - -‘In very truth,’ answered Eumaeus, ‘this is the dog of a man that has -died in a far land. If he were what once he was in limb and in the -feats of the chase, when Odysseus left him to go to Troy, soon wouldst -thou marvel at the sight of his swiftness and his strength. There was -no beast that could flee from him in the deep places of the wood when -he was in pursuit of prey.’ - -As the king and the swineherd passed on into the palace, Argus fell -back content to die, for after watching and waiting for twenty years he -had seen his master once again. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE BOW OF ODYSSEUS - - -In the hall of the palace the suitors sat feasting, as was their -custom. When Eumaeus entered, followed by the beggar, they no sooner -caught sight of him than they began to mock at his rags. But Telemachus -took a loaf and gave it to the stranger, bidding him go to each prince -and beg for himself, for said he, ‘Shame is an ill mate of a needy man.’ - -One haughty suitor, named Antinous, rebuked Eumaeus for bringing a -beggar to the palace. ‘Have we not here vagrants enough,’ he said in -angry tones, ‘killjoys of the feast?’ And he seized a footstool and -struck Odysseus on the shoulder. - -Penelope heard how Antinous had treated the stranger in her halls and -she was angry. Turning to her old nurse Eurycleia she said, ‘Nurse, -they are all enemies, for they all devise evil continually, but of them -all Antinous is the most like to black fate. Some hapless stranger is -roaming about the house, begging alms of the men as his needs bid him; -all the others filled his wallet and gave him somewhat, but Antinous -smote him at the base of the right shoulder with a stool.’ - -Then she summoned Eumaeus and bade him send the stranger to her, for -she wished to know if he had heard aught of Odysseus as he wandered -from place to place. - -So when evening came the old nurse brought a settle, spread over it a -fleece, and placed it near to Penelope. Then the beggar was brought -to the queen’s room, and, sitting on the settle, he told to her many -a tale, and some were true and some were false, for he would not yet -have her know that he himself was her lord Odysseus. - -Penelope wept as she listened to the stories the stranger told. For he -had seen Odysseus, and she thought that her husband might yet return in -time to save her from the suitors whom she despised. - -But at length the queen dried her tears and called to Eurycleia to come -wash the feet of the stranger, who was of the same age as her master. - -The old woman answered, ‘Gladly will I wash his feet, for many -strangers travel-worn have ere now come hither, but I say that I have -never seen any so like another as this stranger is like Odysseus, in -fashion, in voice, and in feet.’ - -Then the king feared lest his old nurse should know him, and he turned -his face from the hearth. But she, as she tended him, saw a scar on the -spot where a boar had wounded him long years before, and she knew her -master had come home. - -Tears well-nigh choked her, yet she touched his chin lightly and said, -‘Yea, verily, thou art Odysseus, my dear child.’ - -But when she would have told the queen, Odysseus bade her be silent, -until he had taken revenge on the princes who were feasting in his -palace. - -As she dismissed the stranger, Penelope told him that on the morrow the -suitors held a feast, when they were to contend for her hand. ‘Him who -shall most easily bend the bow of Odysseus I have promised to wed,’ she -said. ‘Then will I go and forsake this house, this house of my wedlock, -so fair and filled with all livelihood, which methinks I shall yet -remember, aye, in a dream.’ - -Then Odysseus answered, ‘Wife revered of Odysseus, no longer delay this -contest in thy halls; for lo, Odysseus will be here before these men, -for all their handling of this polished bow, shall have strung it and -shot the arrow to the mark.’ - -[Illustration: ‘Yea, verily thou art Odysseus’] - -Penelope scarce heard the stranger’s words, so troubled were her -thoughts. She bade him farewell, then went to her room to weep for her -absent lord until ‘grey-eyed Athene cast sweet sleep upon her eyelids.’ - -On the morrow Odysseus awoke early, and as he thought of all that he -hoped to do that day, he lifted up his hands to Zeus. - -‘O Father Zeus,’ he cried, ‘if thou hast led me to mine own country of -good will, then give me a sign.’ And in answer the god thundered from -Olympus, and Odysseus knew the voice of the god and was glad. - -Penelope too arose early on this fateful day, and when she had put on -her royal robes she came down the wide staircase from her chamber, -carrying in her hand the strong key of her lord’s treasure-chest. - -She unlocked the chest, and taking from it the great bow in its case -she laid it upon her knees and wept over it. Then, drawing the bow from -its case, she carried it into the hall where the suitors were feasting. - -‘Ye suitors,’ she said, as she laid down before them the bow and the -quiver of arrows, ‘Ye suitors, who devour this house, making pretence -that ye wish to wed me, lo! here is a proof of your skill. Here is the -bow of the great Odysseus. Whoso shall bend it easiest in his hands and -shoot an arrow nearest to the mark I set, him will I follow, leaving -this house of my wedlock, so fair which methinks I shall yet remember, -aye, in a dream.’ - -Then each suitor in turn tried to bend the mighty bow, but each tried -in vain. - -‘Give the bow to me,’ cried the beggar, as he saw that the suitors had -failed to bend the mighty bow, ‘give it to me that I may prove that my -hands are strong.’ - -The princes laughed at the words of the stranger. How should the old -man bend the bow which they in their youthful strength were unable to -move? - -But Telemachus gave the bow into the stranger’s hands, for, said he, -‘I would fain see if the wanderer can bend the bow of Odysseus.’ Then -turning to his mother, the prince besought her to go to her daily tasks -until the contest was over, for not for her eyes was the dread revenge -of Odysseus. So Penelope with her maidens went to her room, and as she -spun she mourned for her absent lord. - -In the hall Odysseus stood with his beloved bow in his hand. Carefully -he tested it lest harm had befallen it in his absence. Then taking an -arrow from the quiver he placed it on the bow and drew the string, and -lo! it sped to its mark and reached the wall beyond. - -At once Telemachus, his sharp sword in his hand, sprang to his father’s -side, while Eumaeus, to whom the beggar’s secret had been told, -followed him fast. - -The suitors leaped to their feet in dismay as the arrows of Odysseus -fell swiftly among them. Then they turned to the walls to seek the arms -which usually hung there, but Telemachus had carried them away. - -Not until the proud suitors were slain did Odysseus cease to bend his -mighty bow. But at length all was over and none were left to mock at -the stranger. - -Then Odysseus bade Eurycleia go tell Penelope that her lord had -returned and awaited her in the hall. - -The queen lay on her bed fast asleep when the old nurse broke into her -room, and, all tremulous with joy, told her that Odysseus had come and -slain the suitors. Too good were the tidings for Penelope to believe. - -‘Dear nurse,’ she cried, ‘be not so foolish. Why dost thou mock my -sorrow? It may be that one of the gods hath slain the suitors, but -Odysseus himself hath perished in a strange land.’ - -‘Nay, I mock thee not, dear child,’ answered Eurycleia. ‘The stranger -with whom thou didst talk yesterday is Odysseus.’ - -Yet Penelope could not believe that her lord had returned. She spoke -sadly to the old nurse, telling her that she was deceived and did not -understand the ways of the gods. ‘None the less,’ she added, ‘let us go -to my child, that I may see the suitors dead, and him that slew them.’ - -Down in the hall Odysseus, clothed no longer in rags, but in bright -apparel, awaited his wife. - -Then Penelope as she gazed upon him knew that it was indeed Odysseus, -and she threw her arms around him and kissed him, saying, ‘Be not angry -with me, Odysseus, that I did not know thee when I first saw thee. For -ever I feared lest another than thou should deceive me, saying he was -my husband, but now I know that thou art indeed he.’ So welcome to her -was the sight of her lord, that ‘her white arm she would never quite -let go from his neck.’ - -Thus after twenty years did Odysseus come back to Ithaca. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE LAND OF HELLAS - - -The stories of gods and heroes are not pure history. They are myths or -legends which have grown with the ages, until sometimes they are told -as though they were true. - -Although the tales I have been telling you of the early days of Greece -are myths, yet the Greeks who lived in later times would often speak of -them as though they had actually happened. - -I am going to tell you now, not of gods or heroes, but of the true -deeds of mortal men. And first of all you will wish to hear a little -about the land in which the ancient Greeks lived. - -It was named, as you already know, Hellas, while the inhabitants were -called Hellenes. - -But Hellas and her people had another name given to them by the Romans, -who called Hellas Graecia, and the Hellenes Graeci, from a tribe that -dwelt in a part of the country known as Epirus. Epirus was not a very -important region, but it was well known to the Romans who dwelt in the -south of Italy. We have altered these Roman names a little and call -Hellas Greece, the Hellenes Greeks. - -If you open your atlas at the map of Europe, you will find in the south -the little country of Greece, which although it is so small has yet -flung its influence over all the wide world. - -On three sides Greece is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, and the -country is now usually known as the Balkan Peninsula. - -Greece is a land of great mountains. Of its loftiest summit; Olympus, -which in ancient days was the abode of the gods, you have already read. - -The coast-line is broken up much as is the coast of Scotland, by arms -of the sea which run far inland, so far inland that it is easy to reach -the water from any part of the country. - -Close to the shores of Greece lie the islands of the Ægean Sea. In -these islands many Greeks settled, so that they became an important -part of Greece. The Ægean Sea we now call the Archipelago. - -In the time of Homer all Greeks were called Achaeans. But in later -days, only those Greeks were called Achaeans who lived in the narrow -strip of land in northern Peloponnesus called Achaea. - -The ancient Achaeans dwelt in the valleys, which were cut off from one -another by great spurs of mountains. They were united by an ancient -league, and quarrelled less with one another than did the other peoples -of Greece. - -Besides the Achaeans there were three other great races in Greece. - -The Dorians came from a little country called Doris, near the famous -Pass of Thermopylae, of which you have still to hear. The Ionians dwelt -on the east side of the Ægean Sea, that is, they lived on the coast of -Asia, while the Æolians were scattered here and there throughout Greece. - -All these different tribes were Greeks, and they were proud of their -name, counting all other peoples barbarians, and despising them because -they were not Greeks. Many of them were traders or adventurers from -Asia, and they entered the new country from the north-east, through -Thessaly, and that was not a difficult journey. - -Others crossed over from Asia by sea to search for a new home. But -their galleys were rough, uncomfortable vessels, in which there was -little room for the many who embarked. When storms arose they suffered -great misery, huddled closely together on their small and unseaworthy -boats. Fear, too, took hold of them and the horror of death. - -So the wanderers were glad when they saw the many little islands that -were studded here and there over the Ægean Sea. Some of these islands, -it is true, were mere rocks, desolate and without water. But there were -others where people had already settled and made a home. On these the -strangers landed to fight with the inhabitants, until, by the help of -the gods, they had conquered and taken possession of them. Here they -feasted, glad of heart that the perils of the sea were now at an end. - -In the Heroic Age the kings of the different tribes were believed to -have descended from the gods, and each country or state had its own -king. And so it was when the Heroic Age had passed away. Each tribe or -little nation, living in its own valley or plain, still had its own -separate sovereign, and each soon built for itself a city. The city -might be small, but it was always surrounded by a wall, which was built -for defence. If there was no wall it was not a city but a village, -however large it might be. - -In those days kings were not ashamed to work. They were often to be -seen in the fields at harvest time, not looking idly on, but toiling -side by side with their people. - -Odysseus, King of Ithaca, is said to have built his own bedroom as well -as his own boats. He claimed too to be a skilful ploughman and reaper. -And still, for many years after the age of Odysseus, kings worked as -hard as he had done. - -The queens and princesses were as diligent as the kings. Often they -were to be found, like Penelope, sitting at a loom weaving or working -beautiful embroideries. They even went to the well themselves to fetch -water, and were sometimes to be seen by the riverside, where they -helped to wash the linen of the household. - -In battle the king was always on the field, riding before his army in a -war chariot. - -When peace reigned he often sat in the market-place to judge his -people. Each suppliant told his own tale and brought his own witnesses. -The elders of the city then gave their judgment of the case, after -which the king, taking his sceptre in his hand, stood up to pronounce -sentence. - -But above all else the king was the chief priest of his people, -offering sacrifices for them, while they, with due reverence, looked -upon him as a god. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -LYCURGUS AND HIS LITTLE NEPHEW - - -The Dorians were a brave and sturdy race, braver, perhaps, than any -other of the Greek tribes. Apollo, the Sun-God, one of the noblest of -the Olympians, was the god they held in greatest reverence. - -A band of these Dorians came from the north and settled in the valley -of Laconia, through which flows the river Eurotas. Here they built -villages and called themselves Lacedaemonians. - -Before long five of these villages joined together to form a city, -which was named Sparta. Sparta became the capital or chief city in -Laconia. - -At first the new city was weak, scarcely able to hold her own against -the neighbouring tribes, and much less able to add to her dominion. She -was indeed hardly able to keep order within her own borders. - -Sparta was ruled not by one king but by two, and so you might perhaps -think that she would be governed better than any other city or state, -but this was not so. - -The first kings were twin brothers, for an oracle had bidden the -Spartans ‘to take both as kings, but to give greater honour to the -elder.’ - -Instead of helping each other to improve their country, the two kings -often disagreed, and then spent their days in quarrelling. The people -were content that they should do so, for while the kings quarrelled -they had no time to frame stricter laws or to punish those who -disturbed the peace of the city. - -It soon became clear that if Sparta was to grow great and prosperous a -strong man must be found to guide the kings as well as the people. This -strong man was found in Lycurgus the famous lawgiver. - -History tells little about the life of the lawgiver, but many legends -cluster around his name. It is told that Lycurgus belonged to one of -the royal houses, and that when his elder brother died he became for a -short time one of the kings of Sparta. - -The queen-mother was an ambitious woman, and she wished still to sit -on the throne as she had done while her husband was alive. So she said -to Lycurgus that she would kill her tiny baby boy who would one day be -king, if he would marry her. But the lawgiver was angry, and rebuked -the queen-mother for wishing to do such a wicked deed. - -One night as he sat at supper with the chief men of Sparta, Lycurgus -ordered his little nephew to be brought to him. - -When the child was carried into the room he took him in his arms and -holding him up for all to see, he cried, ‘Men of Sparta, here is a king -born unto us.’ Before them all he placed the babe on the throne, and as -the child had not yet been named, he called him Charilaus, the joy of -the people. - -From that time Lycurgus became the guardian of his little nephew and -the regent of the kingdom. So upright were his ways, so honest his -words, that he was reverenced by the people as greatly as when he was -king. - -Meanwhile the queen-mother had not forgiven Lycurgus for thwarting her -ambition, and she determined to punish him. So she spread a report -among the people that Lycurgus meant to put his nephew to death that he -might again become king. - -Before long the rumour spread by the queen-mother reached the ears -of Lycurgus, and he at once made up his mind to leave Sparta until -Charilaus was old enough to reign. As he journeyed from place to place -Lycurgus studied the laws and manners of the different countries, so -that when he returned to Sparta he might be able to improve the laws of -his own land. - -At Ionia he is said not only to have read the works of Homer, but to -have met the poet himself. So wise were many of the customs described -in the poet’s books that he set to work to reframe those that he -thought would be of most use in his own country. - -Some stories tell that Lycurgus made a copy of part of the poet’s -works, for it is thought that the Greeks at this time (about 800 or -900 B.C.) already knew how to write. It was thus Lycurgus who made the -works of Homer well known to his countrymen. - -But in all his travels what interested Lycurgus most was the way the -soldiers were trained in Egypt. In other countries he had seen men who -ploughed their fields or plied their trade, leave their work to fight -when war broke out, but the Egyptian soldiers were soldiers and nothing -else all the year round. - -Lycurgus determined that he would train the youths of Sparta as -strictly as the soldiers in Egypt were trained. They should be neither -ploughmen nor merchants, but the best soldiers the world had ever seen. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -LYCURGUS RETURNS TO SPARTA - - -While Lycurgus was journeying from country to country, Sparta was ruled -more badly than before. The laws were not obeyed, and no one punished -those who disobeyed them. - -The citizens who cared for the welfare of the State longed for the -return of Lycurgus and even sent messengers to bid him come home. - -‘Kings, indeed, we have,’ they said, ‘who wear the marks and assume the -titles of royalty, but as for the qualities of their minds they have -nothing by which they are to be distinguished from their subjects. You -alone have a nature made to rule and a genius to gain obedience.’ - -Lycurgus was at length persuaded to return to Sparta, but before he -would attempt to reform the laws of his country he went to Delphi to -ask the help and advice of Apollo. - -The oracle encouraged the future lawgiver, for it told him that he was -the beloved of the gods, who heard his prayers, and that his laws would -make Sparta the most famous kingdom in the world. - -Then Lycurgus hesitated no more. He went back to Sparta determined to -spend his life for the good of his country. - -His first act was to call together thirty of the chief men of Sparta -and tell them his plans. When they had promised to support him he bade -them assemble armed, at the market-place at break of day, for he wished -to strike terror into the hearts of those who were ready to resist any -change in the laws of the land. - -On the day appointed, the market-place was crowded with the followers -of Lycurgus and the mob who had come to see what was going to be done. - -King Charilaus hearing the tramp of armed men was so frightened that he -fled to the temple of Athene for sanctuary, or, as we should say, for -safety. He believed that a plot had been formed against him and that -his life was in danger. - -But Lycurgus soon allayed the king’s fears, sending a messenger to tell -him that all he wished to do was to give better laws to the State, so -that it might grow strong and prosperous. - -King Charilaus was a kind and gentle prince. His brother-king, who knew -him well, said, ‘Who can say he is anything but good. He is so even to -the bad.’ - -When he had been reassured by his uncle, Charilaus left the temple of -Athene, and going to the market-place he joined Lycurgus and his thirty -followers. - -Lycurgus began his reforms by limiting the power of the kings, for he -decreed that on all important matters of State they should consult the -Senate or Council of Elders. - -The plans of the Senate were laid before the assembly of the people, -the members saying ‘Yes’ if they agreed to them, ‘No’ if they -disagreed. Nor were they allowed to talk together over the matter -before they gave their answer. - -Long after the death of the lawgiver, five new rulers, called ephors or -overseers, were chosen from the people. - -At first the ephors shared their power with the kings, but little by -little they succeeded in getting more power into their own hands. They -began their duties with this strange order to the people, ‘Shave your -upper lip and obey the laws.’ - -Although the kings lost some of their power through the laws that were -made by Lycurgus, yet they kept their right as priests to offer each -month solemn sacrifices to Apollo for the safety of the city. Before -the army marched to battle it was usual, too, for the kings to pray to -the gods to give them victory. But there were other priests in Sparta -as well as those who belonged to the royal houses. - -The supreme command of the army belonged to the kings, who might go to -war with any country as they pleased. If a noble or one of the people -tried to interfere with their decision, he was punished. A bodyguard of -a hundred always attended the royal commanders. - -But as the years passed, a new law was made declaring that only one of -the kings should go to battle at the head of the army, and that one was -forced to account to the people for the way in which he carried on the -war. - -In still later times the power of the king on the battlefield was -checked by the presence of two ephors. Sometimes a king was glad of -their presence, and would even appeal to them to make the soldiers obey -the royal commands. - -When a king died, no public work was done until ten days after the -funeral. Herodotus, a great Greek historian, tells us how the news of -the royal death was made known. ‘Horsemen carry round the tidings of -the event throughout Laconia, and in the city women go about beating a -caldron. And at this sign, two free persons of each house, a man and a -woman, must put on mourning garb (that is sackcloth and ashes), and if -any fail to do this great pains are imposed.’ - -Lycurgus not only made laws to lessen the power of the kings. He tried -also to alter the extravagant customs of the people. Gold and silver -money was banished from the country, and large bars of iron were used -in its place. These bars were so heavy, and took up so much room, that -it was impossible to hoard them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE TRAINING OF THE SPARTANS - - -Lycurgus had seen the severe discipline which soldiers in Egypt were -forced to undergo. He had made up his mind that his own countrymen -should be trained as thoroughly. - -The Spartans at this time were poor and their numbers were small, -perhaps about ten thousand were fit to bear arms. They were surrounded -by enemies whose attacks they found hard to repulse. - -But Lycurgus thought that if each citizen became a soldier, and that -if each soldier was trained from his childhood to fight and to endure -hardship, Sparta would soon have an army that no other power could -conquer. - -So as soon as a baby boy was born in Sparta he was taken to the Council -of Elders that they might decide if he should live or die. If the child -was strong and healthy he was given back to his parents, if he was weak -and ailing he was left alone on a hillside to die from cold and hunger. - -When he was seven years old, the Spartan boy was taken from his home -to a public training-house. Here the strict discipline commanded by -Lycurgus was begun. - -Shoes and stockings were never worn by the little lads of Sparta, -although the hills and countryside were rough for unshod feet. In -winter they were clad in one garment, just as in summer. - -Their beds were made of rushes, which they had themselves gathered from -the banks of the river Eurotas. This was a hard task, for they were not -allowed to cut them with a knife, but must break them with their hands. -In winter the boys used to scatter thistle-down on the rushes to give -a little warmth to their hard couch. - -Each child, from the age of seven, cooked his own food, which was -scanty and plain. If after their meals the boys were still hungry, so -much the better, said Lycurgus. It would teach them to hunt the more -keenly, that they might add to their daily portion of food. It would -teach them to steal from the neighbouring farm-yards or gardens without -being found out. - -So a hungry Spartan boy would often climb into a garden undiscovered, -or even slip into a stranger’s larder in search of fruit and food. - -If the lads were caught, they were punished, not, I am sorry to tell -you, for stealing, but for being so clumsy as to be found out. - -Once a Spartan boy stole a young fox and hid it under his coat. It soon -began to scratch with its claws, to bite with its teeth, until the lad -was in terrible pain, yet he would have died rather than tell what he -was suffering. Such was the endurance taught to the lads of Sparta. - -If a boy shirked any hardship or flagged at his gymnastic exercises he -was flogged, perhaps even tortured. One test of his endurance was a -terrible scourging, under which he would die rather than utter a cry of -pain. - -In public the boys were trained to be silent, or if they were spoken -to, to answer as shortly as possible. Their short, abrupt way of -talking was called laconic, because the name of their country was -Laconia. We still use the word laconic when we hear any one speak in as -brief a way as possible. - -Hard as the Spartan training was, cruel as it sometimes became, it yet -made boys into strong and hardy soldiers. - -Girls, too, were trained, although not so severely as boys. They ran, -they wrestled, they boxed with one another, while boys and girls -marched together in religious processions and danced on the solemn -feast days. - -When they were twenty years of age, the girls usually married. They -had been taught, as had the boys, that they belonged to the State, -and that they must love their country and serve her with all their -strength. So when Spartan mothers sent their sons forth to war, they -handed them their shields saying, ‘Return either with your shield or -upon it,’ for they feared death less than disgrace or defeat. - -The children were taught to sing in chorus as part of their drill. At -some of the festivals three choirs took part, one of old men, one of -young men, and one of boys. - -When the old men sang a song beginning, ‘We once were young and brave -and strong,’ the young men answered, ‘And we’re so now, come on and -try,’ while the boys’ voices rang out bravely when their turn came, -‘But we’ll be strongest by-and-by.’ - -The Spartan lads were twenty years old before they left the -training-house to which they had been sent when they were seven. They -were then fully-trained soldiers and left the training-house for the -barracks. - -After they married, the men still had to take their meals in the -barracks with their fellow-soldiers. Not until they were sixty years of -age were the Spartans allowed to live and take their meals in their own -house. In this way almost the whole of a Spartan’s life was given to -the State. - -When war actually came and the Spartans were on the field, they were -treated with more kindness than in time of peace. Their food was more -plentiful and pleasant, their discipline less strict. This was done to -make the soldiers look forward to war, and to desire it rather than -peace. - -The younger soldiers, too, were allowed to curl their hair before the -battle began, to wear gayer clothes, and to carry more costly arms. It -is said that Lycurgus thought that ‘a large head of hair added beauty -to a good face and terror to an ugly one.’ - -So famous became the bravery and the endurance of the Spartans, that -even now we call one who suffers hardships without complaint ‘a -Spartan.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE HELOTS - - -When Lycurgus made a law compelling soldiers to eat their meals in the -barracks, some of the wealthier citizens were indignant. - -They did not wish to sit at table with their fellow-soldiers in batches -of fifteen; they would rather have gone to their homes and taken their -meals with their families. - -Nor did they enjoy the plain fare on which Lycurgus insisted, a share -of which each citizen was forced to send to the mess table month by -month. - -The most usual food in Laconia was black broth, which was not a -palatable soup. When some one ventured to grumble at the broth, the -cook answered, ‘It is nothing without the seasoning of fatigue and -hunger.’ This black broth, with barley meal, cheese, and figs, was the -Spartan’s daily fare. Meat was a luxury which they enjoyed only on -special occasions. - -So great was the indignation against Lycurgus that a crowd assembled in -the market-place to complain of his laws, and to speak harshly of his -conduct. - -When they saw the great lawgiver coming toward the market-place they -were so angry that they picked up stones to throw at him, and he was -forced to fly for his life. - -His enemies followed him, but he outstripped them all save one, named -Alexander. As he turned to see who pursued him so closely, Alexander -struck his face with a stick and put out one of his eyes. - -As the others hastened up, Lycurgus showed them what Alexander had -done, and they, ashamed of his violence, told the lawgiver to take the -rash youth and punish him as he would. They then went with him to his -house, to show that they were sorry for what had happened. - -When they reached the door Lycurgus sent them all away save his -prisoner. Then going into his dining-room, he dismissed his attendants -and bade Alexander wait upon him. During the meal he uttered no word of -reproach, although the lad had done him so great an injury. - -Alexander lived with Lycurgus until he learned not only to admire but -to imitate the industry and the gentleness of his host. And so Lycurgus -had the pleasure of seeing a rash and wilful lad become a grave and -sensible citizen. - -Each Spartan had a portion or ‘lot’ of land given to him, on the -produce of which he and his family had to live. But citizen soldiers -had no time to dig the ground, to sow, to reap, for all their days were -spent in drill and military exercises. So their land was cultivated for -them by the Helots, who had owned Laconia before the Spartans conquered -them and took possession of their land. - -The Helots were treated very much as slaves, although they had no -taskmasters to drive them to their work. They were even allowed to own -property. But they had many hardships to endure, and were always ready -to rebel against their masters. - -One of their greatest hardships was that their lives were never safe. -For while the Spartans were being trained, they were often sent into -the country with orders to kill any Helot who was suspected of wishing -to rebel. - -In time of war the Helots fought as light-armed troops. If they showed -themselves brave and loyal in the service of the State, they were -sometimes rewarded by being made free. - -Once during the great Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, -of which you will read in this story, the Spartans believed that the -Helots had plotted to rise against them. They determined that the -rising should never take place, and to prevent it they did a cruel -deed. For they chose two thousand of the bravest Helots, set them free, -and gave them a great feast to celebrate the event. Then when the -feast was over and the Helots had gone away to their homes, suspecting -nothing, the Spartans ordered each of the two thousand freed men to be -put to death. When the bravest were killed, the others were not likely -to rebel. - -The Spartan army became strong as Lycurgus had foreseen it would, -if it were trained according to his strict methods. It conquered -Peloponnesus, and for a time Sparta was the chief city in that land. - -But there was one strange thing about these soldiers. Well as they -had been trained, they could never learn how to attack or to take a -town that was fortified. ‘Wall-fighting,’ as the Greeks called it, was -beyond their power. Even an ordinary wall or fence would stop them in -their victorious course. At sea too they were not nearly so successful -as on land. - -Sparta itself was not, like other Greek cities, surrounded by a wall. -For when the citizens once sent to ask Lycurgus if it were necessary -to enclose their city with a wall, his answer was, ‘The city is well -fortified which hath a wall of men instead of brick.’ - -When, after many years, Lycurgus had finished his code of laws, he -called the people together and told them that he was going to Delphi to -consult the oracle on an important matter which concerned the State. - -Before he set out he begged them, and also the two kings and the -Senate, to take an oath to keep his laws unaltered until his return. -This they gladly promised to do. - -Then Lycurgus journeyed to Delphi, and after offering sacrifices to -Apollo, he asked the god if the laws he had made for his country were -good laws. - -The oracle answered that the laws were good, and that as long as the -people kept them their fame would endure. - -Lycurgus sent this answer in writing to Sparta. Then, that the -Spartans might not be set free from their oath he determined never to -go back to the city. Yet it seemed that he could not live away from -her, and so, for the welfare of the State, as he believed, the lawgiver -starved himself to death. - -The Spartans kept the oath that they had taken, and when they died -their sons and their sons’ sons observed it. For five hundred years, -during the reigns of fourteen kings, the laws of Lycurgus were -unaltered and strictly followed. - -After his death Lycurgus was worshipped as a god, and a temple was -built for him in Sparta, where sacrifices were offered to him every -year. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -ARISTOMENES AND THE FOX - - -The Spartans were eager to fight and to add to their dominions. So they -determined to attack the Messenians, whose country lay west of Laconia, -close to their own borders. - -One day, while the Messenians were feasting and offering sacrifices to -their gods, the Spartans sent three youths disguised as maidens across -the borderland. Beneath their robes the young soldiers carried arms. -They stole quietly in among the Messenians and attacked them in the -midst of their feast. - -But although the Messenians were unarmed they soon captured the three -Spartan lads. They then advanced against the Spartans, and in the -tumult that followed, one of the kings of Sparta was slain. - -The war, which was thus begun in 743 B.C., lasted for many years, and -was known as the First Messenian War. - -No great battle was fought until four years had passed. Even then -neither side could claim a victory, but so many Messenians had fallen -that Aristodemus, their chief, withdrew, with those of his followers -who were left, to a mountain fortress called Ithomé. - -Then, as was their custom, when it was difficult to know what to do -next, the Messenians sent to consult the oracle. The answer filled them -with dismay, for the oracle declared that not until a maiden belonging -to one of their ancient houses was sacrificed to the gods need they -hope to conquer the Spartans. But Aristodemus loved his country so -dearly that he did not hesitate to sacrifice his own daughter to the -gods. - -When the Spartans heard what the brave chief had done, they hastened to -make peace with the Messenians. They could not hope to conquer those -for whom the gods would now fight. - -A few years passed, and then the Spartans determined to attack the -Messenians once again, and to drive them from Ithomé their mountain -fortress. - -Again a great battle was fought, and again neither side could claim the -victory. But the king of the Messenians was killed, and Aristodemus was -chosen to rule in his place. In the fifth year of his reign he defeated -the Spartans and drove them from his dominions. - -The victory brought no happiness to the king, for omens of evil seemed -to pursue him. - -In the temple a brazen shield fell from the hand of the statue of -Artemis the goddess. The daughter of Aristodemus appeared to her father -and bade him lay aside his armour. He obeyed, and she then placed on -his head a crown of gold and clad him in a white robe. These things -meant that the death of the king was near. - -Aristodemus believed that not only he but his country was doomed, and -deeming that he had sacrificed his daughter in vain, he slew himself in -his despair on her tomb. - -For twenty years the war still dragged on, and only then were the -Spartans able to drive the Messenians from Ithomé and raze the fortress -to the ground. - -Many of the conquered people fled, while those who remained were -treated more harshly than were the Helots. For they were compelled to -pay as tribute to the Spartans half the produce of their lands. This -was the end of the First Messenian War. - -For almost thirty years the conquered people bore their cruel lot, then -in 685 B.C. they rebelled, and the Second Messenian War was begun. - -Aristomenes, the leader of the rebels, was a bold and daring foe. -To show how little he feared the Spartans, he secretly crossed the -borderland into the enemy’s country, and one night he succeeded in -entering the city of Sparta itself. He made his way to the temple of -Athene, and walking in boldly he hung up his shield beside the statue -of the goddess, with these words tied to it: ‘Dedicated by Aristomenes -to the goddess from the Spartan spoils.’ - -With a band of his bravest followers, the chief made more than one -successful raid into the heart of the enemy’s country, and plundered -two of their cities. - -As in the first war, so in this second war, no decisive victory was -gained at first by either side. But legend tells that Aristomenes did -many valiant deeds. - -Three times he offered a strange sacrifice to the king of the gods, -which one who had slain in battle a hundred of the foe was alone -permitted to do. The sacrifice was named the Hekatomphonia. - -The Spartans, alarmed at the daring of Aristomenes, sent to consult -the oracle at Delphi. They were told to send to the famous city of -Athens for a leader. Now the Spartans did not wish to do this, for they -were not on good terms with the Athenians. Still, as they dared not -disregard the oracle, they did as they were bid. - -The Athenians did not wish to help the Spartans any more than they -wished to ask for help, yet they too knew they could not ignore the -oracle. So they got out of the difficulty, as they thought, by sending -a lame schoolmaster, named Tyrtaeus. He would not be likely to lead an -army far. - -But although Tyrtaeus was a lame man, he was also a poet. His war-songs -roused the Spartans, and inspired them to fight more bravely than -ever. When they marched again to battle they were singing the songs of -Tyrtaeus and marching to victory. Aristomenes was forced to retreat to -the mountains to a fortress called Ira. - -For eleven years the war lingered on. The Spartans often encamped -at the foot of Ira to keep the enemy in check. But again and again -Aristomenes broke out of the fortress, and with a band of followers -crossed the border and laid waste Laconia. Twice he was taken prisoner -and twice he escaped, but the third time he was captured he was carried -in triumph to the city of Sparta. With fifty of his countrymen he was -flung from Mount Taygetus into a great chasm in the rock below. - -The fifty followers of Aristomenes were killed by the fall, but -Aristomenes was saved by the gods. For, so the legend tells, an eagle -with wings outspread carried him unhurt to the bottom of the pit. - -For three days Aristomenes lay in the cavern surrounded by the dead -bodies of his comrades. To escape seemed impossible. But when no hope -was left in the heart of the brave man, he noticed something move at -the foot of the cave. At once he roused himself to look more closely at -the moving object; it was a fox, prowling about in search of food. - -In an instant hope was alive in the heart of Aristomenes. If an animal -had got into the cave, it was possible for him to get out of it. - -Weak though he was for want of food, Aristomenes managed to seize the -tail of the fox, and to hold it fast when the animal tried to escape. - -Onward the fox struggled, until it reached a narrow hole in the rock. -Then Aristomenes let his deliverer go, while he began at once to -enlarge the hole. - -The next day, to the joy of his countrymen and to the alarm of his -enemies, Aristomenes was again in the Messenian fortress. - -But there was a traitor in the camp of the Messenians, and one night, -soon after the return of their leader, the mountain fortress at Ira was -betrayed into the hands of the Spartans. - -In the battle that followed, Aristomenes was wounded, but gathering -together the bravest of his followers, he made a desperate charge -through the lines of the enemy and escaped. Some time after he died in -Rome, but it is told that two hundred and fifty years later, he was -seen on a battlefield fighting against the Spartans. - -The Second Messenian War ended, as had the first, in the triumph of the -Spartans, who again treated their prisoners as slaves. In 464 B.C. war -again broke out between the Messenians and Sparta. The Spartans were -victorious, and the conquered people were driven from Peloponnesus. But -in 369 B.C. a great Theban leader called Epaminondas restored freedom -to the Messenians, and brought them back again to their own country. - -The history of the Messenian War was written by the poet Tyrtaeus, -whose songs were sung for many years by the Spartans as they marched to -battle. - -Some of these songs we can still read for ourselves. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -THE OLYMPIAN GAMES - - -Greece was made up of many separate States, each independent of the -other. But there were several bonds which united the States. They spoke -the same language, they worshipped the same gods, they kept the same -great festivals. - -The festivals, held by a council called the Amphictyonic Council, were -honoured by all the States. The council was made up of men chosen from -twelve of the most ancient Greek tribes, and met twice each year. - -The temple of Apollo at Delphi was under the care of the Amphictyonic -Council, and it was at Delphi that the spring-tide festival was held. -Another great festival of the Amphictyonic Council was celebrated in -the temple dedicated to Demeter at Thermopylae. - -The Amphictyons, as the members of the council were called, did not -govern Greece as a parliament governs a country. But they often talked -of what could be done for the good of the States, and of how their -interests could be united more closely. - -Of more power to weld the States together than the council, were the -national games, where members of all the different countries of Greece -met together. - -The chief of these games was the Olympian Games, which were believed to -have begun far back in the shadowy past, and to have been revived by -Lycurgus the lawgiver in 776 B.C. - -Olympia, where the games were held, was in the country of Elis in -Peloponnesus. The King of Elis helped Lycurgus to renew the interest of -the Greeks in the ancient games. - -It is said that when Apollo first saw the beautiful valley of Olympia -he exclaimed, ‘Here will I make me a fair temple to be an oracle for -men.’ - -The ancient Stadium, or race-course, was erected in the valley, as -well as a temple to Zeus, in which the victors of the games were given -wreaths of wild olive. These wreaths were valued more than any other -prize or distinction in Greece. Indeed at Olympia no other reward was -given save the simple, wild olive branches, which were plucked from the -sacred grove in the Olympian plain, and twined into a wreath. - -But when the victor returned to his own country, he was loaded with -gifts and honours, for he had gained for his State and for his -relations a glory which all longed to possess. - -In the Olympian temple, in later days, there was a marvellous statue of -Zeus in gold and ivory, wrought by the genius of Pheidias, the greatest -sculptor of Greece. - -The games were open to all, and spectators as well as competitors -flocked to Olympia from every state in Greece. To the Greeks these -games were part of their religion; they were rites pleasing, so they -believed, to the gods. - -Should there be war between any of the Greek States at the time of the -games, all hostile acts were forbidden in Olympia. Until the festival -was over, those who had been in arms, one against another, might meet -in safety and in peace. Twice or thrice an armed force made its way -into the sacred territory of Elis to interfere with the games. This to -the Greeks was sacrilege. - -In the earliest times the games lasted only for one day, and a simple -foot-race was the only event. But soon the festival came to last for -five days, for there were now, not only foot-races, but wrestling, -boxing, racing in armour, and above all else chariot races. In these -races it was not the driver who, if successful, won the wreath of -olive, but the owner of the chariot. - -On the first day of the games, sacrifices were offered to the gods, on -the following three days the races were held, while on the last day the -people marched in procession to the temple and again offered sacrifices -and feasted. - -At the end of every four years the games were celebrated; the time -between the games being called an Olympiad. The year 776 B.C. was -counted as the first Olympiad, the second began in 772 B.C. In ancient -times the Greeks reckoned their dates by the Olympiads, thus an event -was said to take place in a certain year of a certain Olympiad. - -Games were held at many other places as well as at Olympia, but the -three most important celebrations, after the Olympian, were the -Isthmian, the Pythian and the Nemean. - -To these festivals came the poets of Greece, prepared to celebrate in -song the skill of the victors. During the intervals between the games, -great numbers of the people assembled in a hall to listen to the poets -while they recited their poems. - -As the years passed the great Greek dramas or plays came to be acted -also at these festivals. At first the stage was a simple wooden -platform in the open air, but soon wooden buildings were erected. Plays -were performed at Athens in a splendid theatre which was hewn out of -the solid rock of the Acropolis or citadel of the city. Tier after tier -was cut, until the theatre could hold thirty thousand spectators. - -[Illustration: In the earliest times a simple foot-race was the only -event] - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -THE LAST KING OF ATHENS - - -You remember how Cecrops came to Attica and built a city so beautiful -that the gods marvelled, and how Athene made the first olive-tree and -was therefore awarded the honour of naming the city and becoming its -patron. The olive-tree was now said to grow on a rock in the stronghold -or Acropolis of the city. - -In ancient days Sparta was a more important city than the beautiful one -built by Cecrops, but little by little, as the years passed, Athens -became supreme in Greece and the most glorious city of the world. - -At first Athens, like Sparta and the other States, was governed by -kings. But while Sparta continued to be a monarchy, Athens became an -oligarchy--that is, she was governed by a few, and these few were -nobles. - -When Codrus, the last king of Athens, was on the throne, the State was -invaded by the Dorians. An oracle had declared that unless the Athenian -king was slain in the camp of the enemy, Athens would be taken. - -Codrus loved his city and determined to save it from the enemy. So he -disguised himself as a peasant and went to the camp of the Dorians, -where he killed the first soldier he met. The comrades of the dead man -at once fell upon Codrus and, as he had hoped, he was speedily slain. -Then as the oracle had foretold Athens was saved from the enemy. - -The Athenians resolved that they would no longer have kings to rule -over them, because they were sure that they could never find any worthy -to follow Codrus who had died for the sake of his country. This seems -a strange reason for which to overturn the monarchy. In most countries -it is the bad conduct of their kings which makes the people wish to get -rid of them. - -As Athens would not have another king, the son of Codrus was given -neither the power nor the title of royalty. He was named merely archon, -or ruler. An archon ruled only for ten years. - -Soon the Athenians determined to choose nine archons each year, for -they thought it would be well to divide the power among these men -rather than entrust it to one ruler. - -The archons were obliged to consult a council of nobles before they -made a new law, while the council had to lay their plans before the -assembly of the people. - -In this way Athens became before long an oligarchy governed by a few -nobles. The nobles often proved harsh rulers, taking from the people -the rights that had been theirs when Athens was a monarchy. - -At length the people grew so angry that they determined to destroy the -nobles who treated them so cruelly. But as they were helpless without -a leader, they were glad to follow any ambitious noble who would place -himself at their head and lead them to fight against their oppressors. -Too often the deliverer seized the supreme power himself and oppressed -the people more than had the oligarch. - -The usurper was called by the Greeks a tyrant. But the word tyrant did -not mean to them, as it means to us, a cruel man. It meant simply one -who had seized a power to which he had no real right. - -Some of the tyrants were cruel, but others used the power which they -had seized for the good of the State. - -The years 700 B.C. to 500 B.C. are known as the Age of the Tyrants, -because there were few States, save Sparta, which did not fall under -the power of a tyrant during those years. - -Often the people learned to hate a tyrant as greatly as they had hated -the nobles under whose harsh treatment they had groaned. But it was -not easy to get rid of him, for he usually had hired soldiers to help -him to keep the citizens from rebelling. One of the wisest and best of -the tyrants was named Pisistratus, and he was a cousin of Solon, the -great lawgiver of Athens. - -Solon was not a tyrant, although had he wished he might have become -one. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -CYLON FAILS TO MAKE HIMSELF TYRANT - - -The people of Attica were divided into three classes. There were -the men of the Plain, who owned land and were wealthy; the men of -the Shore, who were fisher-folk and traders; the men of the Hill or -Uplanders, who were shepherds and herdsmen. - -These three parties, the Plain, the Shore, the Hill, as they were often -called, were dissatisfied with the way in which they were treated by -the nobles. For, little by little, they were taking possession of the -land and making free men slaves. - -When the harvest failed, or when trade was bad, the poor were forced to -borrow from the rich. And if a poor man could not pay his debt when it -became due, his land and his goods were seized by the rich man. Nor was -that the worst, for if the land and the goods were not enough to cover -the debt, then the poor man himself was taken to be used or sold as a -slave. - -So great was the discontent of the people, that in 632 B.C. a noble -named Cylon determined to put himself at their head, overthrow those -who were in power, and make himself tyrant. But Cylon did not trouble -to gain the goodwill of the people. He succeeded in seizing the -Acropolis, but it was by the aid of soldiers whom he had hired from the -neighbouring city of Megara, not by the help of the people of Athens. -The Athenians were indignant when they saw Megarian soldiers in their -capital, and they looked on coldly and struck no blow for Cylon when -the archons besieged the rebel noble in the citadel. - -Cylon did not stay to see his plans destroyed; he escaped from the city -by night, but his followers held the Acropolis until famine stared -them in the face. Then they gathered for sanctuary around the altar of -Athene and threw open the gates of the citadel. - -Megacles, the chief archon, promised that the lives of the defenders -should be spared, but no sooner had they left the altar than he ordered -that they should be put to death. - -The Athenians punished Megacles for this treacherous deed, for he and -the family to which he belonged were banished from Athens, while their -property was seized by the State. It is told that the city lay under a -curse after the treacherous deed of Megacles, nor was she freed from it -until a priest purified her with solemn religious rites. - -Cylon had neither gained his own ends nor had he helped the people by -his rebellion. - -Poverty and debt were hard to bear, yet these the citizens might now -have suffered in silence, but injustice drove them to demand that the -laws should be reformed. For the archons punished as they pleased those -who disobeyed the law, and at the courts, sentence was often passed in -favour of those who had bribed or befriended the judge. - -When the people rose in 621 B.C. demanding that justice should be done -in the land, the task of reforming the laws was entrusted to one of the -archons named Draco. - -Until now the laws had not been written, and so many of them were -unknown to the people. Draco ordered that the laws should be inscribed -on tablets that they might be read by the people. Sometimes he was -blamed for the severity of these laws, although all he had done was to -make them known. - -But the code of laws which Draco drew up was so severe that in later -days, as the Athenians read them, they exclaimed in horror, ‘The laws -of Draco seem to have been written in blood rather than with ink.’ -And indeed there was cause for dismay when the theft of a cabbage was -punished with death. Draco was thus of little real help to the poor -people of Athens. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - -SOLON FREES THE SLAVES - - -Solon, the wise lawgiver of Athens, was a descendant of King Codrus. -His father had given away most of his wealth to help his city or -his countrymen, so Solon became a merchant, as the sons of noblemen -often did in these days of long ago. To increase his business, Solon -journeyed through many of the states of Greece as well as to Asia. -Wherever he went he studied the laws and manners of the people, just as -Lycurgus the lawgiver of Sparta had done. - -Solon was not only a merchant, he was also a poet, and because he was -both wise and learned he was counted one of the seven sages of Greece. - -When Solon returned from one of his journeys about 593 B.C., he was -made an archon and asked to reform the laws. - -His first act was a great and unexpected one, for he proclaimed that -henceforth no one might be made a slave because he was unable to pay -his debts. And more than that, he said that those who were already -slaves were at once to be set free. - -Hundreds of men were thus delivered from slavery, many hundreds more -were freed from the fear of becoming slaves. As these men ploughed -their own lands and reaped their own harvests they were full of -gratitude to Solon. For this law alone the name of Solon might well be -held in reverence. - -[Illustration: Solon, the wise lawgiver of Athens] - -So great was the joy of the people that the day the law was passed was -kept each year as a festival. But the rich nobles were not pleased -with Solon’s act, for they lost many of their slaves and found it less -easy to add to their wealth. - -The lawgiver also declared that if there was war or strife in the -State, each citizen must take one side or the other. No one was to be -allowed to look on idly, or side now with one party, now with another. - -Solon restored to the assembly of the people the rights that had been -wrested from it, and he did all he could to add to its powers. - -In these ways Solon made Greece less and less of an Oligarchy and more -and more of a Democracy. That is to say, Greece began to be governed by -the many rather than by the few. - -The laws made by Solon, and there were many of which I have not told, -were written on tables of wood and placed in frames that revolved. -These frames were called axones and were numbered. - -When the laws had been written on the tables of wood they were placed -in the public hall that they might be read by all. Other copies were -made on stone pillars and kept in the portico of the king. Each citizen -took an oath that he would keep these laws, which were to remain -unaltered for a hundred years. - -Solon had enemies, as reformers in all ages have had. Some people -complained because his laws were not bold enough, others because they -were too bold. - -Once when he was asked if he believed that he had given to the -Athenians the best possible laws, he answered, ‘The best they could -receive.’ - -The complaints of his enemies did not greatly disturb him. He declared -that neither friend nor foe influenced him as he worked. ‘I threw my -stout shield over both parties,’ he said, and steadfastly refused to -alter his code. - -When he ceased to be archon he left Athens and spent ten years seeing -many strange people and many new places. It is said that during his -absence he met Croesus, King of Lydia, the richest man in the world. -As Solon and Croesus did not live at the same time, it is not possible -that the wise lawgiver and the rich king could have met, but this is -the story that is told. - -When Solon reached Lydia, he went to the court of Croesus. The nobles -were clad in such rich garments and were attended by so many guards -and pages that the Athenian thought that one of them must be the king -himself. But when he actually stood in the presence of the monarch he -must have smiled at his mistake, so gorgeously was the king arrayed in -gold and purple, so plentifully was he bedecked with sparkling jewels. - -Croesus thought that Solon would be filled with awe at the sight of his -grandeur, but he soon found that purple cloth and rare stones had no -great interest for the Athenian. - -There were still his treasure-houses! These could not fail to impress -the stranger. So the king led Solon through gallery after gallery that -he might see his pictures, his statues, and all the wonderful things -that his wealth had brought to him. Then in a glow of pride he turned -to his guest, asking if he did not think that Croesus was the happiest -man in the world. - -‘Nay, O king,’ answered Solon, ‘Tellus, one of my own countrymen, was -happier than thou, for he died bravely on the battlefield in defence of -his country.’ - -Croesus thought Solon was foolish not to count that man happiest who -owned the most gold. But he only said, ‘After Tellus, dost thou count -me the happiest man in the world?’ - -‘Nay,’ again answered the wise man, ‘but two sons who loved their -mother well, and served her with their strength.’ - -Then the king was angry and he said, ‘Dost thou not count me a happy -man?’ - -‘Call no man happy until he dies,’ replied the wise man, ‘for who knows -what pains the gods may yet have in store for him while he lives.’ - -Croesus was yet to learn the truth of what Solon said. For in days to -come Cyrus, King of Persia, seized his city, took him prisoner, and -condemned him to be burned to death. - -As he was being bound to the pyre, Croesus remembered the words of the -Athenian, and he cried aloud three times, ‘O Solon, Solon, Solon.’ - -The King of Persia had never heard of Solon, and he asked on what -strange god his prisoner was calling. - -‘On no god,’ answered the miserable man, ‘but on one whom I would that -all tyrants might meet and converse with.’ He then told Cyrus how Solon -had said no one need count himself happy while he lived, as he could -not know what misfortunes the gods had yet in store for him. - -Already the pyre had been set alight, but Cyrus, struck by the words he -had heard and thinking that he did not know what fate might yet befall -himself, ordered Croesus to be set free. - -But the flames had blazed up fiercely, and no one could quench the -fire. Then Croesus besought Apollo to help him, and lo! the sky -which had been clear grew dark, and a heavy downfall of rain soon -extinguished the flames. - -‘Thus,’ says Plutarch, who tells this story, ‘Solon had the glory by -the same saying to save one king and instruct another.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - -THE ATHENIANS TAKE SALAMIS - - -Salamis, an island lying about a mile from both Athens and Megara, was -in the hands of the Megarians. Its position between the two States -made it an important one. So the Athenians determined to proclaim war -against the Megarians and try to win Salamis for themselves. - -But the war dragged on so long that the Athenians grew weary, and -although the Megarians still held the island they longed for the war -to end. The poor soldiers wished to go home to plough their fields, -the rich wished to escape from the hardships of the camp to their own -comfortable homes. - -So at length peace was made, and a law was passed by the Athenians -forbidding any one either to say or to write, upon pain of death, that -Athens ought still to try to win Salamis. - -There were many citizens both indignant and ashamed that such a law had -been passed, yet lest they should be put to death they did not dare to -say what they thought. - -Solon was away from Athens when this law was passed, and when he came -back from his journey and found that peace had been made while Salamis -was still in the hands of the Megarians, he was much displeased. - -Some time had passed since peace had been made, and Solon knew that the -Megarians were not now as strong as they had been when the Athenians -gave up fighting. So he determined that he would rouse his countrymen -to try again to capture the island. Yet what could he do? He would be -put to death if he defied the law, which said that no one must say or -write that Athens ought still to try to win Salamis. - -At length he hit on a strange plan. He pretended that he was mad, and -persuaded his own family to spread the report that this terrible fate -had befallen him. He then wrote some verses, learned them by heart, and -ran toward the market-place, a cap upon his head. In those days a cap -was worn by a man only if he were ill. - -Solon soon attracted as much attention as he had hoped to do by his -strange gestures and by the words he shouted. - -As the people crowded round him he jumped on to the platform from which -heralds were used to announce important tidings, and began to recite -the verses he had written. - -‘I came myself as a herald from lovely Salamis, but with song on my -lips instead of common speech,’ so began the poem. It then went on to -blame those who wished no longer to fight, and bade them ‘Arise and -come to Salamis to win that fair island and undo our shame.’ - -As the people listened they forgot that they had believed Solon was -mad, and their hearts were stirred by his words. - -From that day so strong became the desire of the people to blot out -their disgrace and win Salamis, that the law which had so displeased -Solon was repealed. No one had thought of punishing the man who had -broken it. - -The Athenian forces were again mustered; Solon himself being made -commander of the troops. His cousin Pisistratus went with him to -battle, and it was he who succeeded in taking the port of Salamis. - -In those days Athens had no fleet. Solon sailed toward Salamis in a -ship, but his army followed him in a number of fishing-boats. - -When the Megarians caught sight of the Athenian ship, they sent one of -their own vessels to find out the strength of the enemy’s fleet. - -Solon managed to capture this ship, and all on board were taken -prisoners. The captured vessel was then manned with Athenians, and the -men were ordered to sail slowly and quietly to the island. - -Solon meanwhile reached the shore and, landing with his army, at once -attacked the Megarians. While the fight still raged, the ship manned -by Athenians sailed unnoticed to the port. The soldiers leaped to -the ground, sped swiftly to the city, and took it almost before the -citizens were aware of the presence of the enemy. - -The island was soon in the hands of the triumphant Athenians, by -whom it was held for many long years, until indeed Philip of Macedon -conquered Greece. - -To celebrate the victory in after years, an Athenian ship used to sail -to the island just as the victorious one had done on the actual battle -day. When it reached the shore, a soldier, armed as though for battle, -jumped to the ground, and with a loud shout ran toward the city, where -he was met and welcomed by his countrymen. - -Close to the spot where Solon won this victory a temple was built and -dedicated to the god of battle. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - -PISISTRATUS BECOMES TYRANT - - -Solon did not expect the laws he made to please each of the three -parties in Attica. So he was not greatly surprised that while the Plain -and the Coast were more or less content, the Hill was dissatisfied and -even rebellious. - -Pisistratus wished to help the Hill folk, who were shepherds and -herdsmen, and he hoped at the same time to fulfil his own ambition, -which was to become tyrant of Athens. - -Solon did not think that it was good for the State to have a tyrant at -its head. He warned the people again and again that Pisistratus would -take away their freedom. But it was in vain that he spoke, no one would -listen to him. - -One day as Pisistratus drove in a chariot to the market-place, the -citizens saw to their horror that he had been wounded. They crowded -round his chariot begging to be told what had happened. This was what -Pisistratus wished. He pointed to his wounds, telling them that the men -of the Plain had attacked him, because he was defending the rights of -the poor Hill folk. But Pisistratus was deceiving the people, for he -had given himself these wounds that he might gain the sympathy of the -people and be voted a bodyguard. - -Lest he should be killed outright by his enemies, the citizens agreed -that he should have a guard of fifty clubsmen. - -At first Pisistratus seemed content with his guard, but after a time he -began to add to its number now one, then another, until he knew that he -was strong enough to defy his enemies. He then seized the Acropolis -and soon made himself master of the State. - -The leaders of the Plain and the Shore were forced to flee, and the -people, in spite of the warnings of Solon, were amazed at the cunning -and the boldness Pisistratus had shown. - -Solon himself felt that all he had done for the State was undone when a -tyrant ruled at Athens. - -Old as he now was, he was brave enough to go to the market-place to -upbraid the citizens for their folly in having allowed Pisistratus -to deceive them, and to beg them not to lose their freedom without a -struggle. ‘You might with ease,’ he said, ‘have crushed the tyrant in -the bud; but nothing now remains but to pluck him up by the roots.’ - -It is said that he even begged the people to take up arms against -Pisistratus, but they were not bold enough to defy the tyrant. - -So Solon went home sadly, gathered together his arms and laid them on -the threshold of his house, saying, ‘I have done my part to maintain my -country and my laws, and I appeal to others to do likewise.’ - -Here is a verse from one of the poems which he wrote at this time-- - - ‘If now you suffer do not blame the Powers, - For they are good and all the fault is ours. - All the strongholds you put into his hands, - And now his slaves must do what he commands.’ - -His friends feared that Pisistratus would punish Solon for his bold -words and actions, perhaps even take his life, so they begged him to -leave the country, but he refused to go. - -When they asked him why he was not afraid, and to what he trusted to -save him from the anger of the tyrant, he answered simply, ‘To my old -age.’ - -And his trust was well founded, for Pisistratus treated Solon with -kindness and with respect. He even asked his advice in matters of -State. - -But the overthrow of his reforms was more than the old lawgiver could -bear, and two years later, when he was eighty years of age, he died. It -is said that by his own wish his ashes were scattered on Salamis, the -island which he had won for Athens. - -Pisistratus was a good tyrant. For five years he ruled, doing all that -he could for the welfare of the State. But his enemies, although they -saw that Athens grew more prosperous under his control, were ever -plotting to get rid of him. At the end of five years the Plain and the -Coast joined together and succeeded in driving Pisistratus from the -city. - -But Megacles, the leader of the Coast, quarrelled with the Plain, and -he then offered to help Pisistratus to return to Athens. - -It was by a strange trick that the Athenians were persuaded once more -to allow the tyrant to rule. - -In one of the villages of Attica, Megacles knew of a woman named Phya, -who was taller and more stately than most Greek women. He ordered Phya -to be clad in armour, such as was worn by the goddess Athene, and then -seating her in his chariot he drove to Athens. Before the chariot went -a herald to proclaim that the goddess Athene was herself coming to bid -them open their gates to Pisistratus and to restore him to power. - -The story tells that the Athenians believed that Phya was indeed the -goddess, and they hastened to obey her behests. Pisistratus was allowed -to enter the city and rule it as before. - -For six years all went well, then the tyrant quarrelled with Megacles, -who again joined the Plain, and Pisistratus was expelled for the second -time. - -But the tyrant was a patient and a persistent man. For ten years he -lived in a province called Thrace, keeping in touch all the time with -the Hill. In 535 B.C. he was back again in Attica, with no goddess to -help him, but with a band of hired soldiers to strengthen his party. - -The Athenian army was sent against the invaders, but Pisistratus -pretended that he did not mean to fight. So the Athenians, thinking -themselves safe, sat down to their midday meal. Then, while they were -eating and drinking, the tyrant fell upon them, scattering them with -but little loss on either side. As the Athenians fled, the sons of -Pisistratus, Hippias and Hipparchus, rode after them, crying aloud that -all who went quietly home would be pardoned. The citizens saw that it -was useless to resist, so Pisistratus entered Athens as tyrant for the -third time. - -During the next eight years Pisistratus devoted himself to making -Athens the most beautiful city of the world. He ordered that a new -feast should be held in honour of the gods, and he began to build a -magnificent temple to Zeus, which he did not live to finish. Many -learned men were invited to Athens, and poets and historians were -encouraged to write and to read their works to the people. It is even -said that Pisistratus collected a library, which he urged the citizens -to use, but of this we cannot be sure. - -Then, thinking perhaps that Athens was strong enough to defy her -enemies, the tyrant ordered the walls of the city to be pulled down. So -that for half a century Athens, like Sparta, was an unwalled town. - -In many of the States where tyrants ruled, Pisistratus had formed -allies, and he even offered his friendship to Sparta, the State that -despised tyrants and would not allow them to rule in Peloponnesus. - -Pisistratus died in 527 B.C., and was succeeded by his two sons, -Hippias and Hipparchus. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - -HARMODIUS AND ARISTOGITON - - -Hippias and Hipparchus were as eager as their father Pisistratus had -been to govern Athens well. Nor did they quarrel as to the way in which -they could best do this, as brother-tyrants might have done. - -But one day Hipparchus quarrelled with a citizen named Harmodius, and -to quarrel with Harmodius meant to make an enemy of his great friend -Aristogiton. - -Harmodius showed that he was angry with Hipparchus, who then used his -power as tyrant to punish the citizen. This was unfair, as the quarrel -was a private one. - -The tyrant even refused to allow the sister of Harmodius to carry a -basket in the procession of the gods, an insult which the citizen could -ill brook. He therefore resolved to revenge himself, and together with -Aristogiton he made a plot to slay not only Hipparchus but his brother -Hippias as well. Only a few friends were told of the plot, which they -hoped to carry out on the day of the procession. As it was usual to -carry arms at the festival, it would arouse no suspicion if the friends -were seen to carry theirs. - -When the day arrived, Harmodius and Aristogiton appeared at the -festival bearing lances, as did the other citizens. But to be the more -certain of carrying out their plan, they also carried daggers concealed -beneath their cloaks. - -The conspirators wished to kill Hippias outside the city gates, while -he was arranging the order of the procession. But when they approached -the tyrant he chanced to be talking to one of those who knew of the -plot, and the conspirators fled, thinking that Hippias had learned -their secret. - -Hippias was saved, but rushing to the market-place the two friends fell -upon Hipparchus and killed him. - -The conspirators expected the citizens to rally round them, but they -stood aloof, while Harmodius was seized by the guards and put to death. -Aristogiton was tortured to make him betray the names of those who knew -of the plot, but he too died, steadfastly refusing to speak. - -Although at first the Athenians paid little attention to what Harmodius -and Aristogiton had done and had suffered, they began ere long to think -of them as heroes who had freed Athens from the rule of one of the -tyrants. Perhaps this was because Hippias, frightened by his brother’s -death, brought hired soldiers into the city, raised the taxes that -he might have money with which to pay his mercenaries, and began to -oppress the citizens in many other ways. - -The discontent of the people encouraged Cleisthenes, the son of -Megacles, to put himself at their head and lead them against Hippias, -but they were soon crushed by the hired soldiers of the tyrant. - -Cleisthenes then tried to do by a trick what he had been unable to -do by force. He knew that he was liked by the priests at Delphi, for -he had given munificent gifts to the temple. So he begged them if a -Spartan came to consult the oracle, no matter about what, to answer -always, ‘Athens must be set free.’ This the priests promised should be -done. - -The Spartans had been friendly with Pisistratus, and they did not wish -to harm his son. But when the oracle’s one answer to all their requests -was ‘Athens must be set free,’ they knew that they must march against -the tyrant if they wished their own affairs to prosper. At first they -were defeated by the mercenaries of Hippias, but one of their kings -then took command of the army and defeated the tyrant, who took refuge -in the Acropolis. - -The citadel would stand a long siege, as Hippias was well aware. But -he was soon forced to surrender, for his children whom he was sending -secretly out of the country were captured by the Spartans. On condition -that their lives should be spared, Hippias promised to leave the state -within five days. - -So the children were released and sailed with Hippias, under a safe -conduct, to Asia, where they lived in a small town which had belonged -to Pisistratus. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - -THE LAW OF OSTRACISM - - -After Cleisthenes had set Athens free from the rule of Hippias, he -began to reform the laws and to make Athens a more democratic State -than she had yet been. - -Until now the Athenians had been divided into four tribes; Cleisthenes -split up the four tribes into ten. Each of the ten tribes he then -arranged in ten parishes or ‘demes.’ - -In each tribe there were demes made up of the Plain, the Shore, and the -Hill. As these demes had to fight together in time of war, the three -different parties grew to be friends instead of enemies. And that was -why Cleisthenes had arranged the tribes in this way, instead of making -one tribe consist of ten demes of Hill men and another of ten demes of -Plain or Coast men. - -Members from the new tribes were sent to the assembly of the people, -and to the assembly Cleisthenes gave new powers. It could choose its -own rulers, and punish those who ruled unjustly. It could impose taxes, -make war, and settle terms of peace. - -But of all the laws which Cleisthenes made, the one which will interest -you most is the one that was called the law of Ostracism. The word -ostracism comes from the Greek _ostrakon_, a shell. - -In Athens there were often two leaders opposed to one another, but each -as powerful as the other. - -Cleisthenes thought that it would be a good plan to be able to get rid -of one of these leaders for a time and so save the city from civil -war, which often threatened to overtake it. So he said that when it -was necessary to banish one of these leaders, the citizens should meet -together, each being given an oyster-shell on which to write the name -of the man of whom he disapproved. - -If six thousand votes were given against one leader he was said to be -ostracised, and was compelled to leave the city within ten days for -five or perhaps even for ten years. His exile was not a disgrace, it -was enforced only for the good of the State. When the five or ten years -had passed, the leader returned to Athens to hold as high a position as -he had held before and to take possession of his property. - -The reforms of Cleisthenes displeased the nobles who wished Athens to -be an oligarchy, and they were angry that so much power had been given -to the assembly of the people. They said the city would soon be ruined, -for how could the people who were unaccustomed to so much power use it -well and wisely. But the fears of the nobles were groundless, for from -this time Athens grew more prosperous as well as more powerful. She -soon had a stronger army, a better fleet, and, as you shall hear, was -victorious over her enemies both by land and by sea. - -Great writers and sculptors too added to the glory of Athens and made -her the most famous city of Greece. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - -THE BRIDGE OF BOATS - - -Along the western shore of Asia Minor there were many Greek colonies. -One of these was called Ionia, and the chief city of the Ionian state -was Miletus. - -The Greeks who lived in these colonies owned, often against their will, -the King of Persia as their overlord. In time of war they were forced -to fight for him. - -In 521 B.C. a great monarch, named Darius, became King of Persia. He -added many kingdoms to his dominions during the first nine years of his -reign. In 512 B.C. he determined to conquer Greece and add it also to -his possessions. - -So he assembled a great army and crossed the Bosphorus, but instead of -going west to Thessaly which lies in the north-east of Greece, Darius -turned first toward the north, and crossing the Balkans, he reached the -river Danube. Beyond the river lay a wild and desolate country, the -home of the Scythians, who wandered up and down the land, settling now -here, now there, as their fancy pleased. - -The ‘great king,’ as the Persian monarchs were often called, bade the -Ionian Greeks, who formed part of his army, throw a bridge of boats -across the river. When this was done he bade them stay to guard the -bridge, while he marched with the main body of his men into the wild -Scythian country. Should he not return in sixty days, Darius told the -Ionians that they might break up the bridge and go back to their homes. - -No sooner had the great king crossed the bridge and marched into -Scythia, than his difficulties began. - -The foe he had come to seek was not to be found. Knowing that they were -not strong enough to face Darius in battle, the Scythians had driven -their herds far into the desert, while they themselves, like shadows, -dogged the steps of the Persian army. - -Two months passed, and still the king had not been able to make the -enemy fight. Their shadowy forms were sometimes seen, but they were -never near enough to be attacked. - -Darius was unwilling to own that his expedition had been useless. Yet -his men were sick from cold, and their provisions were nearly at an -end, so he had almost made up his mind to order the retreat. But while -he still hesitated, the story tells that the Scythians sent one of -their number to the great king, carrying with him as gifts a bird, a -mouse, a frog, and five arrows. - -The Persians demanded the meaning of these strange gifts, but the -messenger had no answer to give. He had been but bidden to give them to -the great king and return to his people. - -Then Darius called together his council to consider what the offering -might betoken. - -The king himself thought that the presents were to show that the -Scythians were ready to surrender their land, for on it the mouse found -its home; their water, for in it dwelt the frog. The bird was a symbol -of their war-steeds, and with the arrows showed that they were willing -to lay down their arms. Darius was satisfied with his own explanation, -but one of his councillors thought that the gifts had quite a different -meaning. - -‘O Persians,’ he cried, ‘listen to my words and be wise. For unless ye -become as birds and fly up into heaven, or go down like mice beneath -the earth, or, becoming frogs, leap into the lake, ye will not escape -being shot by these arrows.’ - -As he listened to these alarming words, the king thought that after all -perhaps this was the true meaning of the gifts, so he determined to -return to the Danube. But the sick men and the beasts of burden were -left behind when the army set out, for they could not march as quickly -as Darius wished. The groanings of these miserable men and the cries of -the animals were heard by the Scythians, who soon discovered what had -happened and set out in pursuit of Darius and his army. - -Now the Ionians in charge of the bridge had long been tired of waiting -for the return of the great king. He had perished, they said one to the -other, and it would be well for them to break up the bridge and return -to their homes. - -Those who longed most to throw off their allegiance to the Persians -muttered that even if the king had not already perished, he would soon -do so, if he reached the Danube without provisions, to find the bridge -was no longer there. - -Miltiades, an Athenian, was strongly in favour of withdrawing, but -Histiaeus, tyrant of Miletus, begged the Ionians to remain, for Darius -would come back, of that he felt certain. Then turning to the other -tyrants, he cried, ‘O ye tyrants, be sure of this, that if we leave -the Persians to perish, the men of our cities will rise up against us, -because it is the king who strengthens us in our power; and if he die, -neither shall I be able to rule in Miletus, nor you in those cities of -which ye are tyrants.’ Then the other tyrants agreed with Histiaeus -that it would be for their own good to wait for the king. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - -DARIUS REWARDS HISTIAEUS - - -Meanwhile a band of Scythians had reached the banks of the Danube. The -Ionians had already loosed some of the boats on the farther side, that -the enemy might think that the bridge was useless. And they, seeing -this, and thinking that it would be impossible for Darius to cross the -river, turned back to meet him. - -But that same night, after a terrible march, the great king reached the -river unnoticed by the Scythians. He saw at once that there were no -boats on his side of the river. Had the Ionians gone home and left him -to fall into the hands of his enemy? - -Then he bade one of his men who was noted for the strength of his voice -to call aloud for Histiaeus of Miletus. No sooner was this done than an -answering shout was heard, and Histiaeus sent in haste to restore the -bridge of boats. When the boats were secure, Darius with his weary army -crossed to the other side, and was greeted with every token of loyalty -by the Greeks. - -The king was grateful to Histiaeus when he heard that it was he who had -persuaded the other tyrants to await his return, after the sixty days -had passed, and he bade him ask for whatever he wished. - -Now the tyrant longed to build a strong city far from the control of -the Persian power. So he asked for land in the country called Thrace, -which stretches north of Macedon to the river Danube, and Darius -granted his request. - -But Megabazus, the general of the great king, did not trust Histiaeus, -and when he came to Sardis, where the king’s court was, he said to -Darius, ‘O king, what hast thou done? Thou hast given to a Greek who -is wise and crafty a city in Thrace, where there is much timber for -building ships and blades for oars, and mines of silver, and round it -there are many people, both Greek and barbarian, who will take him for -a chief and do his will by night and by day. See then that he make not -war against thee in time to come.’ - -Darius feared lest Megabazus was right, and he determined to send for -Histiaeus and keep him at his own court. Yet as Megabazus might have -made a mistake, the message the king sent to the Greek was a kind one. - -‘O Histiaeus,’ said the king, ‘I have pondered it well, and I find -none who is better minded to me and to my kingdom than thou art. This -I know, for I have learnt it, not by words but in deed. And now I -purpose to do great things. Come therefore to me in any wise, that I -may entrust them to thee.’ - -These words pleased Histiaeus. It seemed to him that the great king was -treating him even as one of his counsellors. But when he reached the -king’s court and was told what the commands of Darius were, he was not -so well content. - -‘O Histiaeus,’ said the king, ‘there is nothing more precious than a -wise and kind friend, and I knew that this thou art to me. So now thou -must leave Miletus and the new city which thou hast built, and come -with me to my court at Susa.’ - -The Greek found it hard to hide his anger and disappointment. Rather -would he be tyrant at Miletus, or ruler in his new city, than a -favoured courtier at Susa. - -Aristagoras, the brother-in-law of Histiaeus, was now made tyrant of -Miletus, while Darius appointed his own brother Artaphernes to be ruler -of Sardis. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - -HISTIAEUS SHAVES THE HEAD OF HIS SLAVE - - -For a few years after Histiaeus was summoned to Susa, the Greek cities -in Asia showed no disloyalty. - -But about 500 B.C. the people of Naxos, an island in the Ægean Sea, -rose and expelled the nobles from their city. This was the beginning of -a war between Greece and Asia, known as the Ionian revolt. - -The nobles, when they were turned out of Naxos, went to Aristagoras, -tyrant of Miletus, to beg him to help them to punish the rebels and to -gain possession of the island. - -Aristagoras knew that alone he was not strong enough to regain Naxos -for the nobles, but he said that he would ask Artaphernes, the Persian -ruler in Sardis, to help him. - -So Aristagoras went to Sardis and begged Artaphernes to give him a -hundred ships to sail against Naxos, promising if he would do so to -reward him with money and with gifts. - -Artaphernes offered, if Darius would consent, to give not only a -hundred, but two hundred ships. The great king bade his brother do as -he thought well, so two hundred ships, under the command of Megabates, -were sent from Sardis to join Aristagoras in his expedition against -Naxos. - -The two leaders, Aristagoras and Megabates, had not sailed far together -when they quarrelled, and it was because of this quarrel that the plans -of Aristagoras went awry. - -One night Megabates found that no watch had been set on one of the -ships belonging to Aristagoras. He was so angry with the captain for -being careless that he ordered his head to be placed in one of the -oarholes in the side of the vessel. When this was done the unhappy -man could do nothing to set himself free, but with hanging head he was -forced to gaze into the water. - -When Aristagoras found what Megabates had done he went at once to ask -him to set the culprit free. This Megabates refused to do, and the -tyrant himself released the captain. - -To have his authority flouted in this way made Megabates angry, but -when he would have spoken, Aristagoras proudly bade him be silent, -saying, ‘Did not Artaphernes send you to serve under me?’ - -Perhaps it would have been wiser to allow the Persian to speak, for now -his anger smouldered in his heart, and he resolved to be revenged on -Aristagoras. So he sent a messenger to Naxos to warn the citizens that -an enemy was at hand. - -The Naxians at once strengthened their walls and brought provisions -into their city, so that when Aristagoras arrived, he found to his -astonishment that the citizens had been warned and were ready to resist -an attack. - -For four months the Greeks and Persians besieged Naxos, but all their -efforts to take the city were vain. Then, their money and their -provisions having come to an end, Aristagoras was forced to order the -fleets to withdraw. - -The tyrant was now in great trouble. He had neither gold nor gifts to -give to Artaphernes as he had promised. He had wasted Persian money on -a useless expedition, and he had made Megabates his enemy. What would -Darius say when he heard these things? Aristagoras was afraid that the -king would no longer allow him to be tyrant of Miletus. - -It seemed to Aristagoras that the only way to save himself from -disgrace was to persuade the Greeks in Asia Minor to revolt against -Darius and himself to become their leader. - -Now just at this time Histiaeus was more than ever determined to escape -from the court of Susa. He thought if Aristagoras would but incite the -Greeks to rebel, Darius would send him back to Miletus to restore -order to the city. - -So while Aristagoras was still hesitating about rousing the citizens, -a slave was shown into his presence. He came from Histiaeus, and said -that his master had bidden him tell Aristagoras to shave off his hair -and look at the message that was branded on his head. - -This was a strange way to send a message! But Histiaeus had been unable -to think of any other way to tell Aristagoras what he wished him to do. -So he had himself first shaved the head of his slave, and branded on -it certain signs which meant that the tyrant was to revolt against the -Persians. He had waited only until the slave’s hair had grown again, -when he had at once sent him to Miletus. - -When Aristagoras looked at the slave’s head and learned that Histiaeus -encouraged him to revolt, he hesitated no longer. He determined to -rouse the Ionian Greeks, and he began with his own city Miletus. When -he had assembled the citizens he told them that the time had come to -throw off the Persian yoke. He then gave up his position as tyrant that -Miletus might be made into a democracy. The example of Miletus was -quickly followed by many other cities, and the Greeks were soon in open -rebellion against Darius. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - -SARDIS IS DESTROYED - - -The Ionians knew that they would not be able to throw off the Persian -yoke without help from their kinsfolk in Greece. So Aristagoras was -appointed to go to Sparta to beg king Cleomenes to help the Ionians, -who were of the same race as were he and his people. - -When Aristagoras reached Sparta he tried to tempt the king to help the -Ionians by telling him of the wealth he might gain for himself. After -Artaphernes was conquered at Sardis it would, he said, be an easy -matter to go to Susa and seize the treasures of the great king. He then -showed Cleomenes a thing he had never seen before--a map engraved in -bronze. Aristagoras pointed out to him all the countries he might make -his own if he would aid the Ionians in their revolt. - -The king listened and looked, then he dismissed the Greek, promising to -think over the matter. In three days he sent for Aristagoras and asked -him how long it took to journey from Ionia to Susa. - -‘Three months,’ answered the messenger. - -‘O stranger,’ then said Cleomenes, ‘depart from Sparta before the sun -goes down; thou art no friend to the Lacedaemonians when thou seekest -to lead them three months’ journey from the sea.’ - -In spite of the king’s command, Aristagoras still tarried in Sparta. He -had made up his mind that he would see Cleomenes once again ere he left -the country. - -So one day, taking an olive branch in his hand as a sign of peace, -he went to the king’s house. He found Cleomenes alone with his little -daughter Gorgo, a child about eight years old. - -Aristagoras begged the king to send his daughter away, but Cleomenes -said, ‘Pay no heed to the child.’ - -Then the Greek tried to bribe the king to send help to Ionia. Ten -talents he offered, twenty, thirty, but in vain. Forty, fifty! Surely, -thought Aristagoras, the king would be won by fifty talents. - -But at that moment little Gorgo interfered. ‘Father,’ she cried, ‘the -stranger will corrupt you unless you rise up and go.’ - -Cleomenes listened to the child’s words and knew that they were wise. -He rose and left the room, and Aristagoras knew that he had been beaten -by the little princess. - -But although Sparta would not help, Athens might. So Aristagoras went -to the beautiful city and found that the Athenians were willing to send -twenty ships to the aid of the Ionians. ‘These ships,’ said Herodotus, -‘were the beginnings of evil both to the Greeks and to the barbarians.’ - -In 498 B.C. the Athenian fleet was ready. It sailed across the Ægean -and the troops landed at Ephesus, where they were joined by the -Ionians. Together they marched upon Sardis. - -Artaphernes saw that he could not hope to hold the town against the -force that was approaching. So he left the city to be plundered, while -he with a small band of soldiers took refuge in the Acropolis. - -As they met with little resistance, the Athenians at once began to -pillage the town. One of the soldiers set fire to a house, and as many -of them were made of wickerwork, while all the roofs were thatched, -the flames spread quickly through the city until Sardis was destroyed. -Then the Greeks, loaded with plunder, began to march back to Ephesus, -but on the way they were met by a troop of Persians and defeated. -The Athenians now determined to go home. Aristagoras begged them to -stay, but they paid no heed to his request, and hastening to the shore -they embarked and set sail for Athens. Nor did the Athenians take any -further share in the Ionic revolt. - -But they had already done enough to rouse the anger of Darius. The -great king knew that it would be easy to punish Aristagoras and the -Ionians. As for the strangers who had burned Sardis, one of his capital -towns, they, whoever they were, should suffer most heavily. He was told -that the strangers were the Athenians. - -‘The Athenians--who are they?’ he demanded haughtily. And when he had -been told he sent for a bow and shot an arrow high into the air, saying -as he did so, ‘O Zeus, suffer me to avenge myself on the Athenians.’ He -then bade one of his slaves say to him three times each day as he sat -at dinner, ‘O king, remember the Athenians.’ - -Meanwhile Aristagoras saw that there was little chance of the revolt -being successful against the forces of Darius. So, like a coward rather -than like a brave leader, he deserted those whom he had encouraged to -rebel and fled to Thrace. Here, while besieging a town, he was slain. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - -THE SANDAL SEWN BY HISTIAEUS - - -Now when Darius heard that Sardis had been destroyed, he sent for -Histiaeus and said to him, ‘O Histiaeus, I hear that the man to whom -thou hast given thy city has been doing strange things. He has brought -over men from Europe to help the Ionians whom I shall punish.... How -can all this seem good to thee? And without thy counsels how could such -a thing be done? See that thou bring not thyself into blame afresh.’ - -Histiaeus tried not to think of the slave whose head he had shaved and -whom he had sent to Aristagoras, as he told the king that he had had -nothing to do with the revolt in Ionia. He begged to be allowed to go -to help Artaphernes to put down the rebellion. He would do even more to -show his loyalty; he would seize the rich island of Sardinia to add to -the possessions of the great king. - -‘Yea, I swear by the gods whom the king worshippeth,’ he cried, ‘that I -will not put off the tunic in which I shall go down to Ionia, before I -bring under thy power the mighty island of Sardinia.’ - -It was not difficult to persuade Darius that Histiaeus was innocent, -for since the Greek had tarried for him at the bridge of boats the king -was ever ready to believe in his loyalty. So to his great delight, -Histiaeus was bidden to go to Sardis and help Artaphernes to put down -the revolt. - -But Artaphernes was less easily deceived than the great king. No -sooner had Histiaeus arrived at Sardis than the Persian accused him of -treachery. - -‘Why did the Ionians rebel against the king?’ he asked the Greek in a -stern voice. - -‘I cannot tell,’ answered Histiaeus. ‘I have marvelled at all the -things which have happened.’ - -‘O Histiaeus,’ said Artaphernes, ‘thou hast thus much to do with these -matters. Thou didst sew this sandal and Aristagoras hath put it on.’ - -Then at length Histiaeus was afraid lest his deceit had been -discovered, and lest he should be punished. So when night came he stole -out of the city and went as speedily as might be to the sea. From that -time he became a sea-robber or pirate, seizing any vessel from which he -could hope to get booty, whether it belonged to Greek or to barbarian. - -After a long time he was taken prisoner by the Persians. Artaphernes -ordered that he should be crucified and that his head should be sent to -Darius. - -But the great king was displeased that his general had not sent the -Greek to him alive. - -‘If Histiaeus had been sent away alive to King Darius,’ says Herodotus, -‘he would not, I think, have suffered any harm, but his trespass would -have been forgiven him.’ - -Even as it was, Darius was determined to show what honour was yet -possible to his faithless servant. For he ordered his slaves to ‘wash -the head and adorn it well, and to bury it as the head of one who had -done much good to himself and to the Persians.’ - -In 494 B.C., four years after the Athenians had sailed to the help of -the Ionians, the revolt was crushed. Miletus, where the rebellion had -begun, was punished more severely than the other rebellious cities. - - - - -CHAPTER XL - -DARIUS DEMANDS EARTH AND WATER - - -The Ionic revolt was ended, but Darius had yet to punish the Athenians -for burning the city of Sardis. Eight years had now passed since she -had been destroyed, yet his anger against the Greeks was as fierce as -ever. - -Daily during all these years a slave had said to him as he sat at -dinner, ‘Sire, remember the Athenians,’ and now, at length, his -vengeance was at hand. - -Mardonius, one of the king’s generals, was ordered to invade Greece and -to bring back with him to Susa the Athenians who had dared to destroy -Sardis. - -So Mardonius crossed the Hellespont, and began to march through Thrace -and Macedonia. His fleet, with part of his army, was to meet him later, -beyond the perilous promontory of Mount Athos. - -The country through which Mardonius marched was wild, and inhabited by -rough and savage tribes. These tribes attacked the Persian troops so -fiercely that more than half of them were slain. Meanwhile the fleet -had encountered a terrible storm, and three hundred ships were dashed -to pieces upon the rocks near Mount Athos, while twenty thousand men -were drowned. - -When Mardonius heard of this terrible disaster he knew that his troops -would not now be strong enough to invade Greece. So he went back to -Persia. - -But Darius was as determined as ever to punish the Athenians. He spent -two years in preparations, and then, before he set out for Greece, he -sent heralds to the different states, demanding from each earth and -water. To give earth to the great king was to acknowledge him as ruler -of their land, to give water was to own that he was monarch of the sea. - -Many of the states were afraid to refuse, and sent the earth and water -which Darius demanded, but among these was neither Athens nor Sparta. - -So indignant were these two cities that a barbarian, as they called -Darius, should send such a demand to the free States of Greece, that -they treated his heralds with scant courtesy. The Athenians flung the -messenger who came to their city into a deep pit, while he who went to -Sparta was tossed into a well and told that there he would find the -earth and water that his king desired. - -In the spring of 490 B.C. Darius sent the army and fleet that he had -assembled, across the Ægean Sea to the island of Euboea. Here there was -a city named Eretria, whose inhabitants had shared in the destruction -of Sardis. The Persians plundered the city and took its chief citizens -prisoners, loading them with chains. - -Flushed with victory, the army then crossed over to Attica and landed -near the plain of Marathon. There where - - The mountains look on Marathon, - And Marathon looks on the sea,’ - -a great battle was fought between the Greeks and the Persians. - -Hippias, the tyrant who had fled from Athens many years before, had -been living under the protection of Darius and was now with the Persian -army. It is said that it was he who had advised the enemy to land at -Marathon. - -The army of Darius was much larger than that of the Athenians, for it -was one hundred thousand strong, while the Greeks numbered only about -ten thousand trained soldiers. - -The Greeks were commanded by ten generals. If they did not agree how -to attack the enemy or how to defend themselves, they consulted one of -the archons called the polemarch, or commander-in-chief. The polemarch -at this time was Callimachus. But the glory of the victory of Marathon -belongs not to Callimachus but to the general Miltiades. - -It was Miltiades who had urged the Greeks to break up the bridge of -boats at the Danube and to leave Darius to his fate, and he had ever -rebelled against the lordship of the Persian king. He had done all he -could to encourage the Ionian revolt, and when it was crushed he fled -to Athens, to which city he belonged. - -When the Persians landed at Marathon the ten Greek generals met -together to decide how best they might defend their country. Five of -them, among whom Miltiades was the most urgent, wished to march at once -to Marathon to attack the enemy. But the other five were more timid, -and said that it would be better to wait until they were joined by the -other Greek States before they risked a battle. - -Then Miltiades rose in the council of war to beg Callimachus to give -his vote for war without delay. So sure was he of success that his -eagerness decided the polemarch to give his vote as Miltiades wished. -Thus it was settled that the army should march to Marathon without -delay. - -At this time an army was usually drawn up for battle in three -divisions--the right wing, the left wing, and the centre. - -On the field of Marathon, Miltiades made his wings as deep as possible, -but as his army was small, this left his centre less strong than that -of the enemy. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI - -THE BATTLE OF MARATHON - - -While the council of war was being held, a youth named Philippides was -on his way to Sparta to beg the citizens to hasten to the help of their -country. Philippides was sometimes called by his friends Pheidippides. - -As Philippides sped on his errand a strange adventure befell him, for -it is told that he met the great god Pan: - - ‘There, in the cool of a cleft, sat he--majestical Pan. - Ivy drooped wanton, kissed his head, moss cushioned his hoof, - All the great God was good in the eyes grave-kindly--the curl - Carved on the bearded cheek, amused at a mortal’s awe, - As under the human trunk, the goat thighs grand I saw. - “Halt, Pheidippides!” halt I did, my brain in a whirl; - “Hither to me; why pale in my presence?” he gracious began.’ - -The young Athenian was too amazed to answer, he but gazed at the god in -silence. Then Pan asked why he was no longer worshipped in Athens, and -promised that he would fight among the ranks of the Athenians against -Persia, so that henceforth they would worship him in gratitude for his -help. - - ‘Test Pan, trust me! - Go bid Athens take heart, laugh Persia to scorn; have faith - In the temples and tombs. Go say to Athens, “The Goat-God saith; - When Persia--so much as strews not the soil--is flung under the sea, - Then praise Pan who fought in the ranks with your most and least, - Goat-thigh to greaved-thigh, made one cause with the free and the - bold.”’ - -As a pledge the god then gave to Philippides a handful of a herb called -fennel. - -The youth then sped on as before until he reached Sparta. But although -the Spartans said they were willing to fight, they could not march -until the moon was full, for their religious rites forbade that they -should. - -So Philippides, having done his errand, hastened back to Athens and -told the citizens all that had befallen him. - -Glad that the god had promised his aid the Athenians at once set out -on their march to Marathon. Here they were joined by a force of one -thousand men from the little town of Plataea. They came to show their -gratitude to the Athenians who had sent help to them when they were -attacked by their enemies. - -From their camp on a hill above the plain of Marathon, the Greeks -looked down upon the vast army of the Persians. For several days no -battle was fought, the Persians being unable to attack the Athenians -without danger as they were on the hill. - -At length Miltiades, whom the other nine generals were willing to -follow, resolved to wait no longer. He ordered his men to advance at a -sharp run down the hill and to charge the enemy. - -When they had started, the soldiers could not stop themselves. Quicker -and quicker they ran, until, when they reached the plain, they crashed -into the Persian army with tremendous force. - -The shock was so great that the enemy gave way before it and was driven -by the Athenians toward the sea or toward a small marsh that lay at one -end of the plain. - -But while both wings of the Greek army were victorious, the centre, -which was weak, would have been beaten, had not Miltiades seen the -danger and called back those who were pursuing the scattered Persian -wings. Only after a fierce struggle was the centre of the Persian army -also driven to the shore in utter confusion. - -Those who escaped the sword of the Athenians tried to reach their -ships, but seven of the vessels had been seized by the victors. In the -struggle on the shore, Callimachus the polemarch was slain. - -The battle of Marathon was won, and the glory of the victory was due to -the prowess and skill of Miltiades. - -No sooner was the victory certain, than the whole army cried that -Philippides should race once again, but this time to the Acropolis, to -tell Athens that by the help of Pan she was indeed saved. - - ‘So Pheidippides flung down his shield, - Ran like fire once more; and the space ’twixt the Fennel-field - And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through, - Till in he broke; “Rejoice, we conquer.” Like wine through clay - Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died--the bliss!... - So is Pheidippides happy for ever, the noble, strong man - Who could race like a god, bear the face of a god, whom a god loved - so well. - He saw the land saved he had helped to save and was suffered to tell - Such tidings, yet never decline, but gloriously as he began - So to end gloriously--once to shout, thereafter be mute: - “Athens is saved!” Pheidippides dies in the shout for his meed.’ - -[Illustration: They crashed into the Persian army with tremendous -force] - - - - -CHAPTER XLII - -MILTIADES SAILS TO THE ISLAND OF PAROS - - -Until the Greeks won their great victory at Marathon, in 490 B.C., -they had always feared the Persians. Now their fear was forgotten. -They had still a long struggle before the Persians were banished from -their land, but, inspired by the memory of Marathon, the Greeks fought -bravely and were sure always that they would be the victors. ‘It was as -though on the day of Marathon the gods had said to the Athenians, “Go -on and prosper.”’ - -Among those who fought on this famous field was Themistocles. He was -young then and fought in the ranks, but he was yet to become one of the -greatest men that Athens ever knew. Aristides too was there, of whom -as of Themistocles there are many things to tell; Æschylus, the great -tragic poet, also bore arms at Marathon. - -When the battle was over, it was found that the Athenians had lost only -one hundred and ninety-two men, while of the Persians six thousand -four hundred lay dead upon the field. In spite of this the army of the -Persians was still large enough to attack the unwalled city of Athens. - -Soon after the battle a bright shield was hung on one of the heights -of the city, and it was said that a traitor had signalled to the enemy -that now was the time to attack her. But Miltiades saw the light as -well as the Persians, and guessing what it meant, he took his army back -to Athens by a forced march. He arrived in time to see the fleet of the -enemy as it approached the harbour. - -But when the Persian general saw that he need not hope to take the -city unawares, he did not venture to risk another battle. An army -already flushed with victory would soon scatter his dejected troops. So -he ordered the fleet to sail for Asia. - -While Miltiades was making a forced march back to Athens, Aristides was -left at Marathon with a band of soldiers to guard the prisoners and the -plunder, for his honesty was already well known. - -Neither he himself touched any of the treasures of the Persian camp, -nor did he allow his followers to plunder. Callias, the torchbearer, -‘most cruel and impious of men,’ did, it is true, seize a treasure, -but he did so unknown to Aristides. For one of the Persians, thinking -Callias was of noble rank and hoping to win his favour, fell at his -feet, and then, rising, took his hand and led him to a ditch in which a -large quantity of gold had been hidden. - -Callias seized the treasure, then lest the Persian should tell what had -happened, he slew him. - -The Spartans who had promised to help to fight against their country’s -foe did not forget to march to Marathon when the moon was full. They -even marched one hundred and fifty miles in three days, but in spite of -this they reached the battlefield too late to share in the victory. - -A mound was raised over the Athenians who had perished, about half a -mile from the sea. If you go to where - - ‘The mountains look on Marathon, - And Marathon looks on the sea,’ - -you may see it still. - -After the victory, Miltiades was the hero of Athens. He knew that the -citizens would grant what he chose to ask, so he begged for a fleet of -seventy ships. He knew of a land where gold and treasures were to be -had in abundance. Thither would he sail and return to enrich the city. - -The fleet was entrusted to him, but Miltiades did not sail to the -wonderful land of which he had told, but, so it is said, to the island -of Paros. Here in the capital city, which was also called Paros, -dwelt a citizen with whom the Athenian had a quarrel. To punish him, -Miltiades laid siege to the town, but again and again his attacks were -repulsed. Then one day as he was on his way to the temple of Demeter, -Miltiades was seized with sudden panic. In his haste to leave the -sacred grove he leaped over a fence, and in doing so he hurt his thigh. - -When he returned to Athens he was no longer in favour with the people -whom he had deceived. Wounded as he was, he was carried into court on a -couch and was condemned to pay a heavy fine. But he died before he had -collected the money. - -Meanwhile Darius heard how his army had been defeated at Marathon. In -his wrath he vowed that he would never rest until he had conquered -Greece. - -Three years he spent, preparing once again to invade Europe. His -heralds were sent all over his wide dominions to gather together a -great army. Horses and corn too the king demanded should be sent ‘much -more than before.’ - -But the great king never carried out his plan of again attacking -Greece, for he died in 485 B.C., after having reigned for thirty-six -years. His son Xerxes succeeded to the throne of Persia. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII - -ARISTIDES IS OSTRACISED - - -Four years after the battle of Marathon, Themistocles and Aristides -were the two chief citizens in Athens. - -Themistocles wished to make Athens a great sea-power, for he was sure -that some day the Persians would return. He believed that if the -Athenians were able to destroy the Persian fleet, all would be well. -The land forces of the enemy would be powerless to conquer Greece. - -But if Athens was to have a better fleet, Themistocles knew that she -must first have a better harbour. The one that the Athenians used was -at Phalerum, where the sea almost reached the city. It was only an open -roadstead, a place where ships might ride at anchor, which would be of -little use to protect vessels from an enemy. - -Themistocles knew a better site than Phalerum, where a strong harbour -might be built. This was the rocky peninsula of Piraeus, which was -about four miles from Athens. - -By his advice three harbours were made here, into which the largest -vessels could enter. Yet the opening to all three was such that it -could be closed easily with chains and logs, so as to prevent the -entrance of an enemy. The Piraeus soon grew into a large town, for -those who did not own land flocked to the port in the hope of finding -work. - -Not only did Themistocles persuade the Athenians to fortify the -Piraeus, but he also made Athens a great sea-power. - -At this time there was money to spare in the public treasury, for a -rich bed of silver had been discovered in an old mine. This money was -to be divided among the Athenians. Themistocles was brave enough to -risk the anger of the people by proposing that it should not be given -to them, but should be used to build ships. - -The Athenians were eager to conquer the people of Ægina who for years -had harried their coasts, and they agreed to his proposal more readily -than Themistocles had dared to hope. With the money the State built -two hundred ships, so the people were able to conquer their enemy and -were well content. But it was Themistocles alone who wished to prepare -Greece for a great Persian invasion. Of this the Athenians had no fear. - -When the ships were ready, Themistocles saw that the soldiers must be -trained to manage the vessels, to become indeed good sailors. - -A wise Greek named Plato tells us that Themistocles ‘from steady -soldiers turned the Greeks into mariners and seamen, tossed about the -sea, and gave occasion for the reproach against him, that he took away -from the Athenians the spear and the shield, and bound them to the -bench and the oar.’ - -Aristides and Themistocles were rivals. They were brought up together, -and when they were boys they usually took different sides, just as they -continued to do when they were men. - -If you could have watched the boys in school or in the playground you -would have seen at once how different they were. Themistocles was -impetuous and bold, artful too, if by being so he could gain his own -ends. Aristides was gentle and retiring, honest as the day, in work as -in play. - -Themistocles was not fond of lessons nor yet of games. But he knew a -great deal even as a boy of what was going on in the city and in the -State, and he was eager to know more. - -While Aristides and his comrades were laughing and shouting over their -game of quoits, Themistocles was walking up and down alone in a quiet -corner of the playground. He was rehearsing a speech, which he would -soon begin to recite aloud. - -Sometimes, in more friendly mood, he called his playfellows together -and delivered his speech to the crowd of little critics. It was usually -about the affairs of State--about politics, as we would say. - -His schoolmaster saw that although the lad did not love lessons, he -could be an earnest student if he were interested in a subject. One day -he said to him, ‘You, my boy, will be nothing small, but great, one way -or other, for good or else for bad.’ - -From his boyhood Themistocles was ambitious, and when he grew up he -accepted bribes, if by doing so he thought he could reach a higher -position in the State. - -When he became a judge he showed favour to his friends, even though to -do so was unjust. One of them once said to him that he would be a good -judge, if he would give sentence ‘without respect of persons.’ But in -no way abashed, Themistocles answered, ‘May I never sit upon the seat -of judgment where my friends shall not receive more favour from me than -strangers.’ - -Aristides was in this, as in other things, the opposite of his rival, -for he was an honourable and upright judge. He was ever ready to -please or to help a friend, but to do so he would stoop to no act of -injustice. Once he accused one of his enemies of a crime, and the -people, with whom Aristides was at that time a favourite, wished to -condemn the man without listening to his defence. But this Aristides -would not allow. - -When he himself was judge, two people came before him, one of whom was -an enemy of his own. The other, knowing this, felt sure that he would -win his suit, and instead of telling of what he accused the man, he -began to remind Aristides that it was an enemy of his own who stood -before him. But Aristides bade him be silent. ‘Tell me not,’ he said, -‘what injury he has done to me, but what harm you have suffered from -him, for I am trying your cause and not my own.’ - -Themistocles not only took bribes, but he often tried to make others -accept them. Many of the Greeks did so, for they could not easily -resist gold, but Aristides was never one of those who took money from -Themistocles, or indeed from any one. - -When Themistocles urged the Athenians to increase their fleet, -Aristides opposed him with all his strength. And he did this, not -because he disliked his rival, but because he believed that it would -be better for the State to increase her army rather than to have a -powerful navy. - -About this, as about other important affairs, the two great men -disagreed so often and so long, that the people thought the city would -be governed better if one of the leaders was ostracised. - -So they assembled in the market-place, where each was given an -oyster-shell on which to write the name of the man he wished to be -banished from Athens. - -As the citizens were busy writing on their shells, a rough country -fellow who could not write came up to Aristides and, handing him his -shell, asked him to put down the name of Aristides. The countryman did -not know that he was speaking to Aristides himself. - -‘Has Aristides done you an injury?’ asked the Athenian, as he took the -shell. - -‘None at all,’ answered the fellow, ‘neither know I the man, but I am -tired of everywhere hearing him called the Just.’ Aristides did not -answer the ignorant countryman, but he quietly wrote his own name upon -the shell and handed it back to its owner. - -The necessary number of votes being recorded against him he was -ostracised. As he left the city he lifted up his hands to heaven and -prayed that the Athenians ‘might never have any occasion which should -constrain them to remember Aristides.’ And this he did although it was -a bitter thing to him to leave the city that he loved so well. In his -absence he knew that Themistocles would be able to carry out his plans -unopposed, and this added to his pain. - -But Themistocles was wiser than Aristides when he urged the Athenians -to increase their fleet. For although the great king Darius was dead, -Xerxes his son was preparing to invade Greece as his father had hoped -to do. And without a large and well-equipped fleet, the Athenians would -have been unable to meet the Persians at sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV - -THE DREAM OF XERXES - - -Xerxes, the new ruler of Persia, looked every inch a king. He was tall -and handsome, standing head and shoulders above the great warriors he -led to battle. But although he looked a king among men, in character he -was most unkingly, for he was both weak and foolish. It is true that he -was sometimes good-natured, but it was not wise for his people to trust -his temper, for he was often seized by sudden fits of rage, when he -would do deeds of terrible cruelty. - -In 483 B.C. Xerxes put down a revolt in Egypt. Then his captain and -kinsman, Mardonius, begged the king to go to Greece to avenge the -Persian defeat at Marathon. - -‘O king,’ said Mardonius, ‘it is not seemly that the Athenians, who -have done much wrong to the Persians, should not suffer for their -doings.... And now, will any one dare to face thee, O king, with thy -great army from Asia and all thy ships? Sure I am that the Greeks are -not so desperate. But if I am wrong and in their rash folly they come -out to battle, they will find that of all men we are the bravest.’ - -To tempt Xerxes yet farther to do as he wished, Mardonius told him -how fair a country Europe was, how rich in fruit and trees. ‘Such a -country,’ said the subtle flatterer, ‘should belong to none save to -thee, O king.’ Mardonius hoped that if Greece was made a province of -Persia, he himself would become her ruler. - -But while Mardonius urged one thing, Artabanus the king’s uncle urged -another. - -‘Thou, O king,’ said Artabanus, ‘art going against men ... who are said -to be most brave and strong both by sea and land. And it is right I -should say why we ought to fear them. Thou sayest that thou wilt make a -bridge over the Hellespont and carry thine army through Europe against -Hellas: and so we may be beaten either by land or by sea or by both; -for the men are said to be strong, and it would seem that they are, if -by themselves alone the Athenians destroyed the great host that landed -at Marathon.’ - -Now Xerxes was, as I told you, a timid king. So as he listened now -to one, now to another of his counsellors, he did not know what to -do. First he thought that he would go to Greece, then he thought that -he would not go. One night, while he still hesitated, the king had -a strange dream. In his dream a man fair and tall stood over him, -who said, ‘Dost thou repent, O Persian, from leading an army against -Hellas, when thou hast charged thy people to gather their hosts -together? Thou doest not well in thy change of counsel, neither is -there any one who will forgive thee. Go thou on the road in which thou -didst purpose to walk on the day that is past.’ - -When Xerxes awoke he tried to thrust away the memory of his dream, for -he now wished to follow the advice of Artabanus and stay at home. - -But the next night, as he slept, he saw the same fair, tall man, who -chided him for putting aside his words ‘as though they had never -been spoken.’ ‘But be thou sure,’ he said, ‘that if thou set not out -forthwith, as thou hast become great and mighty in a little while, so -in a little while shalt thou be made low.’ - -The king awoke from this second dream in sudden fear, and springing -from his bed, he bade his servants bring Artabanus to him without delay. - -When his uncle stood before him, Xerxes told his vision in feverish -haste. - -‘Now if it be a god who sends it,’ said the king, ‘and if it must be -that an army go against Hellas, then the same vision will come to thee.’ - -The foolish king then begged Artabanus to put on his clothes, to sit -upon his throne, and afterwards to lie down upon his bed. - -At first Artabanus refused to do as the king wished. For he said, ‘If -the vision must come, it ought to come to me no more if I put on thy -dress than if I wear my own, and if I rest on thy couch than if I sleep -on my own. For that which comes to thee in thy sleep, whatever it be, -is surely not so silly as to think on seeing me that it looks upon -thee, judging by thy vesture.’ - -But at length Artabanus was persuaded to do as the king wished, and lo! -when he had lain down on the royal couch, ‘the dream of Xerxes came -and stood over him, saying, “Neither now nor hereafter shalt thou go -unscathed, if thou seekest to turn aside that which must be.”’ Then the -dream appeared as though it were about to sear out his eyes with hot -irons. - -Artabanus awoke in great fear, and leaping from the couch he told -Xerxes what he had seen and heard. From that night Artabanus was as -ready as Mardonius to urge the king to invade Greece. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV - -XERXES ORDERS THE HELLESPONT TO BE SCOURGED - - -In the autumn of 481 B.C. Xerxes led his vast hosts to Sardis. His -warriors were of many different races, and each was clad in the dress -of the country from which he came. Each, too, was armed with his -own weapon, and each talked his own language. So you can picture to -yourself with what a strange army Xerxes set out to conquer Greece. - -From Sardis he sent heralds, with an interpreter, into Greece, to -demand from the people earth and water, the signs of their subjection -to the great king of Persia. - -Themistocles was so angry with the interpreter, who was a barbarian, -for daring to utter the demands of Xerxes in the Greek language, that -he ordered him to be put to death. - -Another messenger was then sent by Xerxes, and he brought with him gold -to bribe the Athenians to join the Persians. Him also Themistocles -punished. - -Now that danger was near, the Athenians recalled Aristides from exile. -They were afraid lest he should join the Persians, for they knew that -if he did so, many of his friends would go over to the enemy with him. -But it was a needless fear, and the citizens might well have trusted -the exile not to betray his country. Even before he knew that his -banishment was over, Aristides had begun to stir up the Greeks that -were with him to fight against the Persians. - -Themistocles, too, was using all his influence to persuade the -different States to lay aside the quarrels they had with one another -and to fight together against the force that was coming to invade their -land. - -Meanwhile Xerxes, to avoid sailing across the Hellespont with his vast -army, ordered a bridge to be built across it. But soon after the bridge -was finished, a violent storm dashed it into fragments. - -When Xerxes heard of the disaster, his cruel and childish temper -was roused. He ordered the engineers who had planned the bridge to -be beheaded, and that was a cruel act. He also commanded that the -Hellespont should be scourged with three hundred stripes and that a -pair of fetters should be cast into the sea, and these were foolish -acts. ‘He sent branders, too, as some say, to brand the Hellespont; and -he charged them to rebuke the water and cry unto it, “O bitter water, -thus doth the king punish thee, because without wrong from him thou -hast done him harm.”’ - -Before long a new bridge was built, with hedges planted on either side, -so that the horses as they passed across might not be frightened by -seeing the water. - -First of the great host came a thousand gallant Persian troops, -followed by a thousand spearmen. The points of their lances were -turned downward; on the handles, which were held aloft, shone golden -pomegranates. - -Ten sacred horses, with splendid trappings, stepped behind the -spearmen, while after the horses came a chariot, dedicated to Zeus, and -drawn by eight white horses. No driver was allowed to mount the sacred -chariot, he might only walk behind, holding the reins in his hands. - -Xerxes himself was in another chariot, surrounded by a thousand guards, -bearing spears, upon which glistened apples of gold. Ten thousand of -the king’s own bodyguard were named the Immortals, for, if one of their -number was slain or if one died, his place was at once filled, so that -the number of the Immortals might never become less. - -As I told you, the Persian army was made up of many different tribes. - -‘Æthiopians from beyond Egypt were there, clad in leopard skins, and -carrying bows made of the central rib of the palm leaf, while their -arrows were reeds tipped with sharp fragments of stone. They carried as -well spears, pointed with gazelles’ horns or knotted clubs. Half their -body they painted white and half red before going into battle.’ Some -had no arms but only a lasso and a long knife; others bore staves that -had had their points hardened in the fire. - -From Caucasus came wild tribes that had no armour to protect their -bodies, and only wooden hats to guard their heads. - -Xerxes’s army was indeed vast, but with so many half-clad and but -poorly armed barbarians in his ranks, he would, had he been wise, have -feared to face the small but well-armed and well-trained forces of the -Greeks. - -On the shore of the Hellespont a throne of white stone or marble was -placed, and here Xerxes took his seat to watch his army cross the -bridge which led from Asia into Europe. - -But before the vast host began to move ‘Xerxes poured wine from a -golden cup into the sea and prayed to the Sun that no harm might happen -to him, which might prevent him from conquering all Europe. Then he -threw the cup into the Hellespont with a golden goblet and a Persian -dagger.’ - -It is said that the king called himself a happy man as he watched the -countless numbers of his troops crossing the bridge. But soon after -Artabanus was amazed to see him burst into tears. - -‘O king,’ he said, ‘thou doest strange things; even now thou didst call -thyself happy and yet thou weepest.’ - -‘Thought came upon me and sorrow for the shortness of the life of man,’ -answered Xerxes, ‘because after a hundred years, of all this great host -not one shall remain alive.’ - -When the army had crossed the bridge, it marched on toward the plain of -Thessaly, while the fleet, sailing round the south-east point of the -same country, anchored near the promontory of Magnesia. Here it was as -near to the army as it was possible for it to be. Not long after the -fleet had anchored, a sudden storm arose, and for three days did much -damage to the ships. - -The Greeks meanwhile had been preparing to fight the invaders. They had -sent spies to Sardis to find out, not only the numbers of the Persian -host, but its mettle. - -As it chanced, the spies were captured and were on the point of being -put to death, when Xerxes ordered them to be brought before him. - -When they stood in his presence, he demanded why they had ventured into -the camp of the enemy. On hearing the reason he bade an officer show -them the strength of his army and then send them back unharmed to their -own country, ‘For,’ said the king, ‘if the spies had been killed, the -Greeks could not have heard beforehand of all my great might, yet it -would do them but little hurt to slay three men. But now will I have no -trouble by marching against them, when the spies have already told of -my mighty army.’ - -So confident was the king that he would conquer the enemy without -difficulty, that when vessels filled with corn sailed past his fleet on -the way to Athens, he would not allow any of his ships to pursue them. - -‘Whither are they sailing?’ asked Xerxes when the corn ships were -pointed out to him. - -‘To thy enemies, O king, laden with corn,’ answered his anxious -councillors. - -‘Why, we are going thither also,’ said the king. ‘What harm do they do -by taking corn for me?’ - -Now that the Persians were actually at hand the Spartans and Athenians -summoned the Greek states to a council of war to be held at the -Isthmus of Corinth. But some of the states were afraid, and instead of -attending the council they sent earth and water to Xerxes. - -Thessaly, in the north, would be the first to suffer from the invading -army. So a Greek force was sent to the Pass of Tempe, between Mount -Olympus and Mount Ossa, to try to stop the advance of the Persians. - -But there were other ways by which the enemy could slip past the -Greeks, so after a time they determined to withdraw from Thessaly. The -northern people, being thus left defenceless, hastened to submit to -Xerxes while there was still time. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI - -‘THE BRAVEST MEN OF ALL HELLAS’ - - -Through the Pass of Thermopylae lay the entrance from the north to the -south of Greece. It was this pass that the Greeks determined to hold -against the Persians when they withdrew from the Pass of Tempe. - -The Pass of Thermopylae was about a mile long and the narrow road -ran between the mountains and the sea. At each end of the pass the -mountains were sheer cliffs, descending so close to the sea that the -only pathway was a mere strip of sand. - -To enter the pass, at either end, it was necessary to go through a -narrow entrance called Pylae or the Gates. In the road between the -Pylae or Gates there were hot springs. The Greek word for hot is -thermos, and that is how the pass came to be named Thermopylae or -Hot-Gates. - -At the narrowest part of the pass stood an old broken-down wall, and -this wall was repaired by the order of Leonidas, King of Sparta, that -it might form a defence against the enemy. - -A short distance from the mainland lay the island of Euboea, the strait -between being at one place only two and a half miles in breadth. Here -the Greek fleet took up its position under the command of the Spartan -Eurybiades, Themistocles being second in command. Themistocles would -have held the chief command had not some of the States refused to serve -under an Athenian admiral. - -The land army was led by Leonidas, one of the kings of Sparta. But -because this was now the month of June 480 B.C., the time when the -Olympic games were held, many of the Spartans did not march with -Leonidas to Thermopylae. For although the country was in danger, the -games, being also religious rites, must be held as usual, and numbers -of brave soldiers stayed at home to take part in the festival. - -When Leonidas set out on his march to defend the entrance to the south -of Greece, he had with him only three hundred Spartans. On the way to -Thermopylae he was joined by troops from other States, so that when he -reached the pass he was at the head of seven thousand men. - -Now there was only one narrow hill track by which the enemy could reach -the rear of the Spartans, and strangers to the country were little -likely to find it. Yet Leonidas bade the Phocians, who lived in the -district, guard well this narrow footpath. He would leave nothing to -chance. - -When Xerxes with his great army reached Thermopylae, he was told that -it was in the hands of a small band of Spartans, under king Leonidas. -The tidings did not disturb the Persian monarch, he was sure that the -Spartans would soon leave their post, when they saw his great army. - -But the Spartans did not retreat, although they could see plainly the -vast hordes that had come against them. - -By and by Xerxes grew impatient and sent a horseman to reconnoitre. -The horseman could not see the Spartan camp, for it was hidden by the -old wall that had been repaired, but he could see the men themselves -without the wall. Their arms were piled up against it in stacks, as -though no enemy was near. Some of the soldiers were wrestling with each -other, others were combing their hair, as if they were getting ready -for a festival rather than for a battle. - -The Persian was astonished at what he saw. As the Spartans took no -notice of him, he stayed to count their number, and then rode quietly -back to tell Xerxes all that he had seen. - -Xerxes, too, was amazed. Why should soldiers trouble to comb their hair -before fighting? Why should they wrestle with one another as though no -danger lay before them? He thought that they were doing ‘childish and -silly things,’ for he did not understand that this was the Spartans’ -way of getting ready either to die or to slay their enemies. - -In the Persian camp was an exiled King of Sparta, named Demaratus. -Xerxes sent for him to ask why his countrymen wasted their time, -wrestling and combing their long curls. - -‘These men,’ answered Demaratus, ‘are here to fight for the pass; and -when they have to face a mortal danger, their custom is to comb and -deck out their hair. Be sure then, that if thou canst conquer these -and all the rest who remain behind in Sparta, there is no other nation -which shall dare to raise a hand against thee, for now art thou face to -face with the bravest men of all Hellas.’ - -But Xerxes laughed at the thought of a small band of men like the -Spartans daring to fight against his great army. He dismissed Demaratus -and sent to demand that the Spartans should give up their arms. But the -only answer that Leonidas sent back was to bid the king ‘to come and -take them.’ It was plain that the Spartans did not fear the enemy. When -one of them was told that the Persian host was so numerous that ‘the -flight of their arrows would darken the light of the sun,’ he answered -carelessly, ‘So much the better, we shall fight in the shade.’ - -For four days Xerxes waited, expecting the Spartans to flee, but on the -fifth day they were still there, wrestling and combing their hair as -before. - -Then the king sent a band of soldiers to the enemy’s camp, bidding it -take these bold Spartans alive and bring them bound into his presence. - -But the Persians could not push their way through the narrow gates -which were guarded by the enemy. They were not only kept at bay, they -were thrust back again and again, and many of their number were slain -by the long spears of the Spartans. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII - -THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE - - -Xerxes looked on while his soldiers fought at the entrance to the -pass. And they did their best, for they were unwilling that their king -should see them beaten back by men who had spent their days in games or -in bedecking their hair. But they could not stand against the fierce -attacks of the Spartans, and at length, when many of their number had -been slain, they withdrew. - -The king then ordered his own chosen bodyguard, the ten thousand famous -Immortals, to advance against the gallant defenders of the pass. - -Even at the approach of these renowned warriors, the Spartans did not -waver. They pretended to flee, only to turn and slay the barbarians who -had followed them into the pass. At length after a furious conflict, -the Immortals were forced to give way and return to their camp. - -Three times as he watched his Immortals, Xerxes sprang from his throne, -thinking that all was lost. But the next day he sent them against the -foe once more, for now he believed that the Spartans would be too weary -to fight. - -But Leonidas was careful of the little band he commanded. It was easy -to hold the pass with only a small number of men. As each company grew -tired, the king ordered it to withdraw and sent a fresh one to take its -place. Soon the entrance to the pass was choked with the dead bodies of -the barbarians. - -Some of the most valiant of Xerxes’ warriors were next sent against the -enemy. But they were cowed by the bravery of the Spartans, and as they -saw their comrades falling around them, they turned to flee. Then their -officers drove them back with lashes. - -For two days, the terrible slaughter never ceased, and Xerxes was -almost ready to leave the pass to its brave defenders, so hopeless -seemed the task of taking it. - -But that night, a Greek named Ephialtes came to the great king, and for -a large sum of money, he offered to show the Persians a path which led -over the hill down to the pass of Thermopylae. The path was the tiny -track that was guarded by the Phocians. - -The offer of the traitor was at once accepted, and at midnight Xerxes -sent his officer Hydarmes, at the head of his Immortals, to follow -Ephialtes. - -‘All night long they followed the path with the mountains on the right -and on the left. The day was dawning when they reached the peak of -the mountain, and there the thousand Phocians were keeping watch and -guarding the pathway. While the Persians were climbing the hill, the -Phocians knew not of their coming, for the whole hill was covered with -oak trees, but they knew what had happened when the Persians reached -the summit. Not a breath of wind was stirring, and they heard the -trampling of their feet as they trod on the fallen oak leaves.’ - -No sooner had they heard than the arrows of the Immortals were pouring -in upon them. They fell back, leaving the pathway free, while they -hastily put on their armour and prepared to fight to the death. They -did not dream that the Immortals had no wish to fight with them. But -so it was, for the Persians took no more notice of them, but finding -the hill path free, they sped downward to the pass to take the Spartans -in the rear. The Phocians were left alone on the heights almost before -they were aware. - -Leonidas had heard of the treachery of Ephialtes soon after the traitor -left the Persian king. He knew that to try to hold the pass now that he -would be attacked in the rear was certain death. Yet the brave king -did not hesitate, for his orders had been to hold the pass at all costs. - -Nor did he waver as he remembered the ominous words of the oracle, -‘Sparta must be overthrown or one of her kings must perish.’ It seemed -that he was the king who was doomed to die, but what of that if his -country was saved? - -He resolved that to Sparta alone should belong the glory of the defence -of Thermopylae. So while there was still time, he sent away all his -allies, keeping with him only his three hundred Spartans, seven hundred -Thespians who refused to leave him, and four hundred Boeotians, lest -they should join the enemy. - -Then ‘when the sun arose, Xerxes poured out wine to the gods and the -barbarians arose for the onset, and the men of Leonidas knew now that -they must die.’ But they would die fighting, and before they were -attacked in the rear they would do great deeds. - -Fierce and desperate was their defence, and before the fury of their -blows the barbarians fell in heaps. Once again, the Persian officers, -armed with whips, had to drive their men forward to face the small but -undaunted band. - -In the confusion many of the great host of Xerxes were pushed into the -sea, while many more were trampled to death by their comrades. - -So furious was the struggle, that at length the spears of the Spartans -were broken in their hands. In a moment, they had seized their swords -and hundreds of the Persians fell before their terrible thrusts. - -But now the worst that could befall the Spartans happened. Leonidas, -their brave king Leonidas, was slain where he fought in the forefront -of the battle. A terrible struggle at once began for the body of the -king. - -Four times the Spartans drove back the Persians, and then with one -tremendous effort they carried away the body of their king. - -It was at this moment that the Immortals, led by the traitor, -Ephialtes, reached the pass. The Spartans hastily withdrew behind the -wall, which had been repaired by the order of their king. Here, on a -hillock, ‘they defended themselves to the last, such as had swords -using them, and the others resisting with their hands and teeth; till -the barbarians, who had in part pulled down the wall and attacked -them in front, in part had gone round and now encircled them upon -every side, overwhelmed and buried the remnant which was left, beneath -showers of missile weapons.’ - -As you read the story of the brave defence of Thermopylae, you do -not wonder that Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans have won for -themselves immortal fame. - -On the hillock where the little band took their last stand, a stone -lion was placed in honour of king Leonidas, while in the pass itself a -pillar was erected on which were written these words:-- - - ‘Go, tell the Spartans, thou that passest by, - That here obedient to their laws we lie.’ - -When the battle was over, Xerxes ordered his men to search for the body -of Leonidas. When it was found he ordered the head to be cut off and -the body to be hung upon a cross. - -It was the custom of the Persians to honour the bodies of those who had -fallen fighting bravely against them. This unusual and cruel treatment -was but a proof of the fear the brave Spartan had inspired in the heart -of Xerxes. Nor could the king forget that he had been on the point of -leaving the pass in the hands of its brave defenders. - -Demaratus could not look at the slaughter of his countrymen unmoved. He -had seemed to be a friend of the great king, yet now he longed to warn -the Spartans who had stayed at home that the Persians were ready to -march against them. - -But how could he send a message unknown to the Persians. He soon -thought of a strange and less cruel way than had Histiaeus, who, you -remember, branded his secret on the head of his slave. - -The exiled king took a writing tablet and scraped away the wax on which -letters were usually engraved. On the wood beneath he scratched the -message he wished to send. He then poured melted wax on the top of what -he had written, and the tablet looked as any other tablet looked. - -When it reached Sparta, the peopled studied it with amazement. There -was a tablet, but where was the message? They turned it this way and -that, they peered at it now on one side, now on another--nothing was to -be seen. - -Then Gorgo, whom you heard of last as a little maiden of eight years -old, gave the people advice as wise as she had given to her royal -father long before. She was grown up since those days and had been -married to brave king Leonidas. - -‘Scrape off the wax,’ she said to the people, ‘and see if the message -lies on the wood beneath.’ - -And when this was done, there stood the warning words of Demaratus, so -that all might read. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII - -THE BATTLE OF ARTEMISIUM - - -While Leonidas was fighting so bravely on land, Themistocles was with -the fleet at Artemisium. If the Persians passed this point and entered -the Malian Gulf, they would be able to land troops behind Leonidas and -secure the pass of Thermopylae without difficulty. - -But before the Persian fleet reached Artemisium, a sudden storm arose -and dashed some of the ships upon the rocks, some against each other. -For three days the tempest raged, and when at length the sea grew calm, -four hundred ships had been destroyed. - -In spite of this disaster, the Persian fleet was still large enough to -alarm the Greeks. When they saw it sailing off the north of the island -of Euboea, Eurybiades, the Greek admiral, wished to sail away. - -But the inhabitants of the island went to Themistocles to beg him not -to let the fleet desert them. So fearful were they, that they offered -him thirty talents (about £5800) if he would use his influence to -persuade the other admirals to stay and protect their island. - -Themistocles readily took the money, and sent eight talents (about -£1552) to Eurybiades and his colleagues to bribe them to remain at -Euboea. - -The next night another storm arose, and again many of the Persian ships -were scattered or dashed to pieces on the rocks. But when the wind fell -the ships were repaired and the two fleets met in battle. - -The struggle was fierce and long, but though the Persians lost a -greater number of ships than did the Greeks, yet the fleet under -Eurybiades was so heavily damaged that even Themistocles saw that -safety lay in retreat. At the same time tidings reached him of the -defeat of Thermopylae, and he knew that Xerxes would soon be marching -to the south. The fleet must hasten home to protect her own coasts. - -So the Greek fleet set sail down the long Euboean strait and did not -stop until it reached the island of Salamis. But as they sailed, -Themistocles bade the captains of the Athenian fleets send some of -their ships to the rocks where the Persians would search for water. - -On these rocks Themistocles ordered to be cut in large letters these -words, ‘Ye do wrong, O Ionians, by going against your fathers and -bringing Hellas into slavery. If ye can, take our side; if ye cannot, -then fight for neither. But if this also is impossible, at least in the -battle be slack and lazy, remembering that ye are sprung from us and -that we are fighting in a quarrel which ye began.’ - -By these words Themistocles hoped to win the Ionians to his side; or, -if that might not be, he hoped at least to make Xerxes so suspicious of -them that he would be afraid to let them take part in the battles which -had yet to be fought. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX - -THEMISTOCLES URGES EURYBIADES TO STAY AT SALAMIS - - -After Xerxes had secured the pass of Thermopylae, a march of six days -would bring him to Athens. There was no army in his way, for the -Spartans and other tribes in Peloponnesus were now fortifying the -Isthmus of Corinth, so as to protect their cities from the foe. - -If the Athenians wished to save themselves they would have to desert -their city and seek refuge elsewhere, for it was impossible to hold -Athens against the great army that was marching towards her. Yet -even to save their lives how hard it was to leave their homes, their -temples, their gods! - -The oracle at Delphi was consulted, and told them that ‘when all was -lost a wooden wall should still shelter the Athenians.’ Some there were -who believed that the oracle meant that if the Acropolis were fortified -with timber it would not be taken by the Persians, and these shut -themselves up in the citadel and refused to leave the city. - -But Themistocles knew that the only way to save the people was to get -them away from Athens, and he used all his eloquence to make them -willing to go. When it seemed that he had failed, he tried another -way--he began to work upon their superstitious fears. He told them that -Athene, their own goddess, had already deserted the city, and taking -with her her pet snake had gone to the sea. He assured them that the -‘walls of wood,’ of which the oracle had spoken, were the good ships -that were at Salamis, waiting to defeat the Persians and put their -fleet to flight. - -At length his words prevailed, and the old men, women, and children -were sent to the island of Salamis, while the fighting men joined the -fleet. - -In the confusion, many faithful animals were forgotten. These ran along -the shore, while the ships carrying the fugitives sailed away. One -faithful dog leaped into the water and followed his master’s ship until -it reached Salamis. But when he had dragged himself out of the water -the poor creature was so exhausted that he lay down on the shore and -died. - -Meanwhile Xerxes was marching toward Athens. On the way he ordered -a large company to break off to the west to seize Delphi and the -sanctuary of the oracle, in which, as the king knew, vast treasures -were kept. No Greek would have dared to rob the sacred temple. - -When the Delphians heard that the Persians were approaching, they fled -to Parnassus, leaving only sixty men and the priest to defend the -sanctuary. They did not think that the treasures would be stolen, for -the gods would protect their own. - -And as soon as the barbarians were close to the city, strange things -are said to have taken place. The sacred arms, which none might touch, -were mysteriously carried out and placed in front of the temple. The -sky was ablaze with brilliant flashes of lightning, while two great -crags were wrenched from the heights of Mount Parnassus and fell with a -loud crash upon the enemy. At the same time, from the temple of Athene -a shout as of a mighty warrior was heard. - -The barbarians were stricken with terror at these strange sights and -sounds, and they fled, pursued, so they declared, by two Greeks, each -taller and more fearful than any mortal they had ever seen. - -Xerxes had now reached Athens, to find the city deserted, save for the -few who had taken refuge in the citadel. These defended themselves -bravely, and as it was difficult to scale the height on which the -Acropolis stood, they were able for a time to keep the enemy at bay. - -But at length the wooden defences, in which the people had put their -trust, were set on fire by the burning brands of the enemy. At the -same time a band of Persian soldiers discovered a secret path on the -north side of the citadel. Although it was steep, they at once began to -climb, and before long they reached the summit and entered the citadel. -The defenders were slain; the temples were plundered and burned. - -As the Greek fleet lay in the narrow strait between Salamis and the -Attic coast, the Athenians saw smoke and flames rising from the burning -city. They were filled with grief as they gazed upon the destruction of -their homes and their temples, while their wrath burned hot against the -destroyers. - -Themistocles and the Athenians wished to stay where they were to await -the enemy. But the other admirals were anxious to sail to the Isthmus -of Corinth, where they would be within reach of the Peloponnesian army. - -A council of war was called, at which Themistocles urged that they -should stay where they were to fight and to conquer the Persian fleet. -He reminded the other admirals that in the narrow strait of Salamis -the big and heavy ships of the Persians would have no room to move and -would be captured without great difficulty. But no one agreed with the -Athenian general, and the council broke up, after having agreed that -the fleet should sail to the Isthmus of Corinth on the following day. - -Themistocles was so sure that it was a mistake to move, that he went -alone to Eurybiades and earnestly begged him not to withdraw. His -gravity impressed the commander, and he promised to recall the council -to discuss the matter once more. - -No sooner had the admirals again assembled than Themistocles rose, -without waiting until the council was opened in the usual way, and -again explained the urgent reasons why the fleet should stay to fight -at Salamis. - -The Corinthian admiral was angry already because the council had -been reopened; he was angrier still as he listened to the words of -Themistocles. - -At length he could keep silent no longer, and he interrupted the -orator, saying in a harsh voice, ‘Themistocles, at the games they who -start too soon are scourged.’ - -‘True,’ answered the Athenian, ‘but they who loiter are not crowned.’ - -Even Eurybiades lost his temper as Themistocles urged his wish more and -more vehemently, and at length he raised his staff as though he would -strike the persistent orator. - -Themistocles looked calmly at the admiral and said ‘Strike if you will, -but at least hear me.’ His self-control pleased the Spartan commander. -He let his arms drop to his side and listened until Themistocles had -ended his speech. - -But although Eurybiades said nothing, an officer began to taunt -Themistocles, saying that he was the last man who should urge them to -stay at Salamis, for he had now no city to defend, as Athens was in the -hands of the barbarians. - -‘A base fellow art thou to use such a taunt,’ answered Themistocles. -‘True it is that we have left our houses and our walls, for we will -not endure to be made slaves for such things. But in these two hundred -ships here ready to defend you all, we still possess the fairest city -in Greece.’ - -Then turning to Eurybiades he said, ‘By remaining here, thou wilt show -thyself a brave man. By going away, thou wilt destroy all Hellas, for -with the war on land the Athenians have nothing more to do. If thou -wilt not stay, we will sail away with our two hundred ships and build a -city in the west, where the Persians will not trouble us.’ - -Then Eurybiades grew afraid, for he knew that without the help of the -Athenians the Greeks need not hope to conquer the enemy, so he agreed -to stay to fight at Salamis. - - - - -CHAPTER L - -THEMISTOCLES TRICKS THE ADMIRALS - - -Eurybiades had determined that the fleet should stay at Salamis. But -the other admirals were dissatisfied. When great numbers of the Persian -ships were sighted, and when at the same times Xerxes was seen marching -with his vast land forces toward the shore, they were more than -dissatisfied, they were afraid. - -So they called a secret council at which they resolved to retreat to -Corinth, as they had wished to do from the first. To settle the matter -they bade the pilots get ready to sail. - -Themistocles soon heard what had been done, but he was determined to -thwart the plans of his adversaries. He would force them to fight in -the narrow strait of Salamis. - -So he sent a message to the King of Persia, and pretending to be his -friend, he warned him that the Greek fleet had determined to escape. -‘If you wish to win a great victory, O king,’ ran the message, ‘seize -each end of the strait before the Greek fleet sails away.’ - -Xerxes was overjoyed when he heard that the Greeks wished to escape, -for it seemed to him that they must be cowards whom it would be easy to -beat. - -So while Themistocles called together a last council of war and did all -that he could to delay the fleet, Xerxes was busy securing the strait -as Themistocles had bidden him do. - -The pilots were on board the Greek ships, impatient to sail, the -admirals were listening to Themistocles with but scant courtesy, when -the messenger the Athenian was so anxiously awaiting arrived. - -Themistocles hastened from the council to find that it was Aristides, -his old rival, who had brought the tidings, that the Greek fleet was -shut in by the Persian ships. Flight was no longer possible. - -Then Themistocles told Aristides the trick he had played on the Persian -king, and how he had at the same time duped the other admirals. - -Whether Aristides approved or disapproved of what his old rival had -done, he believed that it was well that the battle should be fought -in the straits, and he determined to support Themistocles. He himself -hastened to the council, to tell the admirals that they were surrounded -by the enemy. - -At first the admirals refused to believe such evil news. They did -not guess the truth, but they came so near to it that they said -Themistocles had probably started the rumour, so as to delay their -flight. - -While they still talked, some sailors who had deserted from the -Persians brought the same tale. The Greek admirals were at last -convinced that a battle was inevitable. - - - - -CHAPTER LI - -THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS - - -On the morning of the battle, Xerxes ascended a golden throne which had -been placed for him upon a rock that overlooked the sea. Around him sat -scribes ready to record the events of the battle. That they would all -be to the honour of his fleet Xerxes never doubted. - -Themistocles saw with pleasure that the wind was rising, making it -difficult for the Persians to manage their unwieldy vessels. As he -watched their efforts he urged the Greeks to attack them at once. - -The narrowness of the strait, as well as the force of the wind, added -to the confusion of the enemy and made the number of its ships of -little use. Yet the Persians fought bravely, remembering that the eyes -of the great king were upon them. - -One of the ships was commanded by a queen named Artemisia. She was -fighting fiercely when her ship was attacked by an Athenian vessel at -close quarters. - -Artemisia tried to escape, but as her ship sailed away it was followed -by the enemy. Straight in her path lay one of Xerxes’ vessels. The -queen did not try to avoid it, but pursuing her course struck the ship, -so that her own countrymen who were on board were sent to the bottom. - -When the Athenian captain saw what the queen had done, he thought, as -perhaps she meant him to do, that she had deserted her own side and -was now fighting for the Greeks, so he turned back and followed her no -more. - -From his golden throne, Xerxes too saw what Artemisia had done, and he -supposed it was a Greek vessel that she had run down. In his delight -he exclaimed, ‘My men are become women, my women men.’ This was a hard -thing to say of his soldiers who were fighting gallantly for their king. - -Meantime the Persian ships were driven into the narrow strait. Ship -dashed against ship till the Persian dead strewed the deep ‘like -flowers.’ When evening fell, two hundred Persian ships had been -destroyed and the Greeks had won the great sea-battle of Salamis. The -glory of the victory was due to Themistocles. There might indeed have -been no battle at Salamis had he not tricked both the Persian king and -the Greek admirals. - -The Athenian was proud of his success, and he now determined by another -crafty message to Xerxes to drive him out of Greece. - -But first he sent for Aristides, and to test his wisdom he told him -that he thought they should sail to the Hellespont to destroy the -bridge by which Xerxes had crossed into Europe and by which he could -return to Asia. - -‘Rather than break down the bridge,’ answered Aristides, ‘we should -build another, if by so doing we may hasten his departure.’ - -Now this was what Themistocles himself really wished--to hasten the -king’s retreat. So although he did not mean to destroy the bridge, -he sent once again to Xerxes, and this is what he said: ‘O king, the -Greeks are hastening to the Hellespont to destroy the bridge by which -alone thou canst return to Asia. Hasten then to reach the bridge, while -I delay the Greek fleet, lest evil overtake thee.’ - -Once more the king fell into the trap Themistocles had prepared for -him. For he set out in haste with the main body of his army for the -Hellespont, leaving Mardonius with a large force to carry on the war as -well as he could. - -[Illustration: Ship dashed against ship, till the Persian dead strewed -the deep ‘like flowers’] - -The march to the Hellespont was a terrible one, for Xerxes had himself -laid waste the land when he advanced upon Athens, and now there was -neither food nor shelter for his army. The soldiers who were starving -ate plants, grass, the bark of trees--anything to satisfy their hunger. - -In their weakness they were attacked by plague, and hundreds perished -long before the Hellespont was in sight. Even when at length the gleam -of water gladdened the hearts of the soldiers, they were soon stricken -again with fear, for where was the bridge? - -The Greeks had not outstripped them, so this was not their doing. A -storm had destroyed the bridge. Weak and hungry as they were, the -soldiers had to rebuild it before they could cross over to Asia, where -food and shelter awaited them. - -When the Greeks saw that the Persians were marching to the Hellespont, -they were eager to follow them. But Themistocles persuaded them to go -back to Athens to rebuild the city. - -Then he sent yet another message to Xerxes, saying, ‘Themistocles, the -leader of the Athenians and the best and wisest of the Greeks, has out -of goodwill to thee held back the allies from chasing thy ships and -breaking up the bridge at the Hellespont. So go thy way in peace.’ - -Although Themistocles sent these proud words to the great king, -he really believed it was wiser for the Greeks not to pursue the -retreating army. But he also wished to make Xerxes his friend, so that -if at any time he was ostracised by the Athenians, he would find a -welcome at the Persian court. - -Greece was full of rejoicing when she heard of the victory of Salamis. -The generals of the different states met at Corinth to propose a reward -for the bravest and wisest among themselves. - -Each general wrote on a tablet the names of two whom he believed to be -worthy of a prize. They were not very modest, these brave soldiers of -Greece, for each general wrote his own name first, though nearly all -added beneath, the name of Themistocles. - -The Spartans gave their meed of honour to the great Athenian, for a -crown of olive was placed upon his head and he was presented with the -most magnificent chariot that Sparta had ever produced. - -Æschylus, one of the great Greek poets, wrote a tragedy on the fall -of Xerxes, called _The Persians_, which was acted in 472 B.C., eight -years after the battle of Salamis. Sculptors too wrought statues to -commemorate the war, which were placed in the temple of Athene. - - - - -CHAPTER LII - -THE BATTLE OF PLATAEA - - -Mardonius stayed with his troops in Thessaly during the winter months. -But in the spring of 479 B.C. he determined to win Athens from the -league which she had formed with the other Greek states, or if he -failed to do this, to drive the citizens once again away from their -city and occupy it himself. - -So he sent an ambassador to the Athenians to offer, in the name of -Xerxes, not only to repair all the harm that the Persians had done to -Athens and to the country round about the city, but to give them new -lands and to treat them as independent allies, if they would make a -treaty with the great king. - -The Spartans were afraid that the Athenians would accept so generous -an offer, and they knew that alone they could not hope to conquer the -large Persian army which Mardonius commanded. So they sent to the -Athenians to beg them to be true to the league, promising that if -they were so, Spartan soldiers would be sent to help them against the -attacks of the enemy. - -But the Athenians did not need to be entreated to refuse the offer of -the great king, for they loved their city and their liberty. - -‘Tell Mardonius,’ they said to the ambassador whom the Persian general -had sent, ‘so long as the sun moves in his present course we will never -come to terms with Xerxes.’ - -After receiving this defiant message, Mardonius marched with his army -against Athens. The Spartans, in spite of their promises, sent no -troops to defend the city, and the Athenians were forced once again to -take refuge at Salamis. - -Then they reproached the Spartans, and in bitter anger they declared -that if an army was not sent at once to Attica to attack Mardonius, -they would be forced to make an alliance with the enemy. - -Again the Spartans grew alarmed for their own safety. Without further -delay they sent a force of five thousand citizens, each attended by -seven helots. Other troops soon followed, and all were under the -command of Pausanias, who was a relation of Leonidas, the hero of -Thermopylae. - -The Persians had reached the province of Boeotia and were encamped on -the plain of Plataea, while the Athenians and the Spartans set up their -camp on a hill above the enemy. - -Masistius, the favourite and most famous officer of the Persians, led -his cavalry against the cavalry of the enemy and soon a fierce conflict -was raging. Only after their leader fell wounded from his horse and was -slain, were the Persians repulsed. The armour of Masistius could not be -pierced by any weapon, but a spear which was thrust into his eye caused -his death. In vain the soldiers tried to recover the body of their -general, again and again they were driven back. - -‘Then there was a great mourning throughout the army of the Persians, -for all lamented for Masistius, shaving themselves and their horses, -and their beasts of burden. And there was a great cry through all the -host, and the sound of it went through all Boeotia, as for the death of -one who next to Mardonius was of most note among the Persians and with -the king.’ - -As for the Greeks, after having driven the Persian cavalry from the -field, they ‘became much more bold and cheerful, and putting the dead -body of Masistius on a car, they drew it along their ranks; and so -wonderful was it for its stature and its beauty, that the men left -their places and came forward to look upon Masistius.’ - -Pausanias now determined to lead his troops down to the plain. Here -he encamped, opposite the Persians, with only the little river Asopus -between the two armies. - -The oracles had foretold that the side which began the attack would be -conquered; so day after day passed, neither army daring to move. - -But although the Persians dared not attack the Greeks, they did them -all the harm that they could, for they filled up the springs to which -the enemy went for water, and cut off several convoys with provisions. - -Pausanias was in despair when the water supply was stopped, and he -determined to withdraw and take up a position nearer to Plataea, where -both food and water would be secure. - -Discipline had grown slack in the Greek camp, and the retreat, which -began at night, was carried out in a disorderly manner. - -One company set off in haste, but did not halt where Pausanias had -arranged that it should. The Spartans refused to move at all. One of -their captains, ‘lifting a piece of rock with both hands and flinging -it at the feet of Pausanias, cried, “Thus do I cast my vote against -the counsel of flying from the strangers.”’ Only when the retreat was -nearly ended did the Spartans tardily obey the order to withdraw. This -was how it happened that, when morning dawned, the Persians found that -the enemy had disappeared, all but the Spartans, whose captain had -delayed to follow the orders of Pausanias. - -When Mardonius caught sight of the loiterers he ordered his men to set -out in pursuit of them, and before the Spartans could get into position -the Persians were upon them. But Pausanias soon learned what was taking -place in his rear, and he hastened back with the troops that were with -him to aid the disobedient Spartans. - -The Persians had thrust their shields into the ground to form a rough -barrier between them and the Spartans, while they sent shower after -shower of arrows upon the loiterers. The Spartans soon tore down the -breastwork of shields, and with their swords in their hands advanced -upon the enemy. - -Mardonius did all he could to encourage his men, but they had no armour -to protect them from the blows of the Spartans, and they were forced -back toward the river, throwing into confusion those of their own army -who were still advancing. - -In the thick of the battle Mardonius rode on a white horse, surrounded -by ten thousand chosen Persians. He was easily known by his white -charger, and many were the spears that were aimed at him by the angry -Spartans. At length one smote him so that he fell dead to the ground. -‘Thus,’ says Herodotus, ‘Mardonius paid the recompence for the murder -of Leonidas.’ - -No sooner was their leader slain than the Persians fled in utter -confusion, all but forty thousand who were led off the field by one -of the generals, and these marching north reached the Hellespont and -crossed over to Asia in safety. - -Those who fled from the field took refuge in their camp, where the -Spartans attacked them. But the barricades were strong, and the camp -was not taken until the Athenians had returned and joined in the -assault. - -As the Greeks swarmed into the camp they slaughtered the enemy without -mercy. So severe was the defeat of Plataea that the Persians were -utterly crushed. - -The spoil in the camp was enormous. Gold and silver dishes were there -in abundance, rich carpets too, and weapons inlaid with precious -stones. Horses, camels, mules were captured in great numbers. - -It is told that the great king had left his own magnificent war camp -for Mardonius to use. - -When Pausanias saw it ‘all blazing with gold and silver and -embroidered hangings, he commanded the cooks and bakers to make ready -for him a banquet, as they had been used to do for Mardonius. - -When all was ready, he saw couches and tables of gold and silver, all -fairly spread and a banquet splendidly set forth; and then, marvelling -at this magnificence and glory, he charged his own servants, by way of -mockery, to prepare a Spartan feast. - -So the meal was made ready, but it looked not much like the other, -and Pausanias laughed, and sending for the generals of the Greeks, -pointed to the two banquets, saying, ‘Men of Hellas, I have brought -you together that ye may see the madness of the Medes, who faring thus -sumptuously came to rob us of our sorry food.’ - -While the battle of Plataea was being fought, the Greek fleet was lying -at Delos, an island in the Ægean Sea. The Persian fleet was near Samos, -which is not far from the coast of Africa, while close at hand, at Cape -Mycale, the Persian land forces were encamped. - -The Samians were afraid when they saw the Persian army, and begged -the Greeks to come to their aid. This they readily agreed to do, and -sailing to Cape Mycale they landed and attacked and burned the Persian -camp. The victory would have been harder to win had not the Ionian -Greeks who were with the Persians deserted and fought with those of -their own race. - -Both the victory of Plataea and that of Mycale were said to have been -gained on the same day in August 479 B.C. - -Bands of Persians had still to be driven from some of the islands of -the Ægean and from some of the Greek cities in Asia. But the victory -of Mycale freed the Ionians from the rule of the great king, ended the -Persian war, and laid the foundations of the Athenian Empire. - - - - -CHAPTER LIII - -THE DELIAN LEAGUE - - -For at least forty years Sparta was the chief city in Greece, and she -was the head of the league which bound the cities of Peloponnesus -together. It was her brave king Leonidas who had fallen gloriously at -Thermopylae, it was her admirals who had been the chief commanders at -Salamis and at Mycale. The decisive victory of Plataea had been won by -the Spartan Pausanias. - -But after the Persian war was ended, the power of Sparta grew less and -less, while that of Athens increased by leaps and bounds, until it was -she who held the first place among all the cities of Greece. - -One reason for this was that Athens, owing to the foresight of -Themistocles, owned a well-equipped navy and could therefore rule the -islands of the Ægean which had been wrested from the Persians. - -Sparta had no navy, nor had she any great statesman to tell her that -she must become a great sea-power if she wished still to hold the -chief place among the cities of Greece. Sparta was content to drill -her soldiers as she had been taught to do by Lycurgus, and she looked -with contempt or with suspicion on what was new or unusual. It was -only after Athens had far surpassed her in glory and in empire that -her ambition was at length aroused, and she determined to win fame for -herself by destroying her rival. Of Sparta’s efforts to conquer Greece -you will read when I tell you about the Peloponnesian wars. - -After the battle of Plataea, Sparta soon lost the command of the -allied fleet, through the folly and treachery of Pausanias. - -The admiral was sent to drive the Persians from some of the Greek -cities in the east. His success at Plataea had made him haughty and -proud, and he treated his officers with contempt. He flogged his -men for small offences or made them stand with an anchor on their -shoulders. If food or water were scarce, he forbade them to help -themselves until his own Spartan troops had been fed. - -Aristides and another admiral named Cimon, who treated their officers -with courtesy and their men with kindness, went to Pausanias to beg -him to behave more justly. But the Spartan would not listen to the -remonstrances of the Athenians. ‘I have no time to hear complaints,’ -was his sorry excuse. - -When Pausanias succeeded in taking Byzantium, which we now know as -Constantinople, his pride and ambition increased, and he determined to -play into the hands of the Persian king. - -So he sent for some of the prisoners, and, setting them free, he bade -them carry letters to Xerxes their king. In these letters he offered, -as only a traitor could do, to subdue Sparta and the other states of -Greece, and to hold them for the Persian monarch. He asked Xerxes to -grant him money to carry on the war, and as a reward for his services -he requested the hand of his daughter. Pausanias hoped in this way to -gain his great ambition and become tyrant of all Greece. - -Xerxes was pleased with the Spartan’s letter, nor did he stay to wonder -if so disloyal a citizen would be a faithful ally. He sent a letter -to bid the traitor ‘work on night and day to accomplish his purpose, -without letting himself be held back by lack of gold or silver, or want -of troops, for all should be at his command.’ - -When Pausanias held the king’s letter in his hand, and saw the king’s -money at his disposal, he began to behave as though he was already -the son-in-law of the great king. He clad himself as a Persian prince, -he journeyed from place to place in royal state, attended by Persian -guards. The Spartan simplicity in which he had been trained was -forgotten, and he lived in as great luxury as did his new friends. - -Rumours of the strange way in which Pausanias was behaving soon reached -Sparta. When it was found that the rumours were true, Pausanias was -ordered to come home, and another commander, named Dorcis, was sent to -take his place. - -But before Dorcis reached Byzantium, the fleet had refused to obey -Pausanias and had placed itself under Aristides, the admiral of the -Athenian ships. - -A league, called the Delian League, was then formed, to enable Greece -to carry on the war against Persia. It was named the Delian League -because its treasures were kept in the temple of Apollo, on the sacred -island of Delos. - -Athens became the head of the league, Aristides its leader, and so -greatly was he trusted that he was asked to arrange the sum of money -or the number of ships which each city belonging to the league should -provide. - -Most of the Greek cities in the Ægean islands joined the Delian League, -as well as those on the north and east coasts of the Ægean Sea. Those -who joined took solemn oaths to be true to the demands of the league, -and their oaths were ratified by sinking masses of iron in the sea. Not -until these reappeared might the people be set free from the vows which -they had taken. - -Pausanias had now returned to Sparta, where he was thrown into prison. -But though there was abundant proof of his foolish conduct there was -none of his treachery, and he was soon set free. - -The traitor continued to send letters to Xerxes by his slaves, and -those who carried them never returned, for Pausanias feared lest they -should betray him. - -One of his slaves noticed that those who carried letters to the great -king never came back. He made up his mind that when his turn came -to go to Xerxes, he would find out what was in the letter he carried -before he delivered it. - -So when one day he was bidden to hasten with a letter to the Persian -king, he no sooner left the presence of his master than he broke the -seal, opened the letter, and found among other things an order for his -death. This was what he expected, and he at once carried the letter to -the ephors. It contained proof of the traitor’s guilt. - -But, so it is told, the ephors wished to hear that Pausanias was guilty -from his own lips, so they laid a trap for him. - -The slave was sent to take refuge in a hut that stood in a sacred -grove. Pausanias soon heard of the strange conduct of his slave, and, -as the ephors had foreseen, he at once hastened to the hut to demand -why his servant had not sped on his master’s errand. - -Two of the ephors were hidden behind the hut and could hear all that -Pausanias said to his slave. - -In his anger the admiral forgot to be prudent, and exclaimed that he -meant to subdue Greece and deliver her into the hands of Xerxes. The -ephors had heard what they wished. They hastened home and at once -ordered that the traitor should be seized. - -But either Pausanias was warned or he was filled with sudden -foreboding, for he fled to the temple of Athene for sanctuary. It was -forbidden to drag a fugitive out the temple, so the ephors ordered that -the door should be built up, that he might starve to death. - -His mother, in bitter anger because her son had wished to betray his -country, herself placed the first stone at the door of the temple. - -When hunger had all but done its work, Pausanias was carried out of the -sacred place to breathe his last, lest the temple should be polluted by -the death of a traitor. - - - - -CHAPTER LIV - -THEMISTOCLES DECEIVES THE SPARTANS - - -After the battle of Plataea, the Athenians brought their wives and -children back to the city, which the Persians had again left in ruins. -Not only were the temples and the houses burned, but of the city wall -scarce a trace was to be found. - -Themistocles encouraged the citizens to rebuild the city, and this they -did with good will. More beautiful temples, better houses, soon sprang -up under the eager hands of the citizens. - -The wall they determined to make so strong and so high that they -would be able to defend their city against any attack rather than be -compelled again to forsake her. - -But Sparta was alarmed at her neighbour’s industry; she was more than -alarmed, she was suspicious and angry. Athens was making herself too -strong, the Spartans murmured in ungenerous mood. - -The wall had risen but a little way from the ground when the Spartans -sent to ask the Athenians not to go on with their work. The reason they -gave was a selfish one, for they said, ‘If the Persians return and -take a strongly walled town so near to Peloponnesus, our cities will -not be safe.’ They then promised to offer shelter to the Athenians, -should they again be forced to leave their city, but only on condition -that they would stop building a wall round Athens. They even asked the -Athenians to help them to destroy the walls that already surrounded the -other cities of Greece. - -The Athenians were in a dilemma. They were determined to finish the -wall, yet they dared not anger the Spartans, lest they attacked their -city while the wall was still unfinished. - -In their perplexity they turned to Themistocles, who had before now -saved them by craft when open defiance threatened to ruin them. - -Themistocles was not long in solving the difficulty. He said that -he would go as an ambassador to Sparta to talk over the matter. -Other ambassadors were to follow him only when the walls were nearly -complete, and meanwhile men, women and children, all must work day and -night, so that the wall might grow apace. - -When Themistocles reached Sparta, he at once said to the council that -he could do nothing until his fellow ambassadors arrived, and he -pretended that he expected them every day. - -He refused to attend the council alone, and when the Spartans grumbled, -he assured them that the Athenians were not going on with the wall. -When they grew impatient he amused them so well by his clever speeches -that they forgot for a little while to be angry with him. - -But when day after day passed and still the other ambassadors did not -come, the Spartans did not hide their suspicion that they were being -deceived. When a rumour reached them that the Athenians had never -ceased to build the wall, which was now nearly complete, they were -angry indeed, and going to Themistocles they demanded that he should -tell them the truth. - -He still denied that the citizens had been building the wall in his -absence, but if they doubted his word, he bade them send ambassadors -to Athens, that they might see for themselves whether he was deceiving -them or not. - -So the Spartans sent ambassadors to Athens, and then Themistocles bade -his colleagues join him, for he knew that now both he and they would be -safe. The Spartan ambassadors would be hostages for their lives. - -The first thing the Spartans saw as they approached Athens was a high, -strong wall. Then they knew that they had been deceived, and they sent -a messenger to tell their countrymen that Themistocles had played them -false. - -Themistocles was no coward. He went into the council and boldly told -the Spartans that it was true he had deceived them, so that the walls -of Athens might be built before they could interfere. - -Indignant as the Spartans were and ashamed of their own folly in being -deceived by the crafty Athenian, they dared not harm the ambassadors -lest their own messengers should not return in safety. - -So they sent them away, and Themistocles and his fellows returned in -triumph to Athens. - -Soon after this the city wall was finished, and Themistocles then urged -the people to build another great wall round the Piraeus. When this was -done, Athens had the largest and safest harbour in Greece. - -The other states now appointed her to be the head of the allied fleet, -and no one was more proud of this than Themistocles. For it was he -who had first persuaded the Athenians to make themselves into a great -sea-power. - - - - -CHAPTER LV - -THEMISTOCLES IS OSTRACISED - - -For many years Themistocles had been a favourite with the Athenians. -But soon after the walls of the city were complete he began to grow -less popular. - -Perhaps this was his own fault, for he tired the people by boasting -continually of the good he had done to the city. It was known too that -he did not hesitate to take bribes, and the citizens were indignant -that he should have grown rich in this dishonourable way. - -One day, as he was talking in public with Aristides, he said, ‘The -chief excellence of a statesman is to be able to prove and frustrate -the designs of public enemies.’ Aristides answered, ‘Another very -excellent and necessary quality in a statesman is to have clean hands.’ -And those who listened applauded Aristides the Just, for they knew well -that he had never soiled his hands with the gold of his country’s foes. - -In 471 B.C., the people determined to ostracise Themistocles, so weary -had they grown of the claims he made upon their gratitude. At the time -of Pausanias’ death he was living at Argos, which city lies south of -Corinth. When the papers of the traitor were read it was found that -Themistocles had written to him. There was nothing in his letters to -show that he had meant to help Pausanias to betray his country, yet he -was accused of treason. - -When he heard of the charge that was brought against him, he wrote to -the council at Athens, ‘I, Themistocles, who was born to command and -not to serve others, could not sell myself, and Greece with me, into -servitude to the enemy.’ - -These proud words only angered the Athenians the more, and the council -sent men to arrest him. But Themistocles did not wait to be captured. -He fled from Greece to Epirus, where he hoped that King Admetus, whom -he had once befriended, would shelter him from his foes. - -Admetus was not at home when the exile reached the palace, so he threw -himself upon the mercy of the queen. - -She bade him take her little son in his arms and go sit by the hearth -until her lord returned. - -Then, when the king arrived, Themistocles arose, and begged Admetus to -protect him, while the little prince stretched out suppliant arms to -his royal father. - -This was the most sacred way to proffer a request, and according to the -custom of his country the king was pleased to do as Themistocles asked. -He refused to give him up to the Athenians, and sent him in safety to -the Persian court, where Artaxerxes now reigned. - -Themistocles begged one of the officers to take him to Artaxerxes, -saying that he was a Greek who had come to see the king on important -matters. - -‘If you will promise to prostrate yourself before the monarch, as is -the custom in my country, I will do as you wish,’ answered the Persian. - -Some Greeks would have refused to prostrate themselves before any king, -but it was easy for Themistocles to conform to the customs of the -country in which he found himself. - -‘I that come hither,’ he said, ‘to increase the power and glory of the -king, will not only submit myself to his laws, but will also cause many -more to be worshippers and adorers of the king.’ - -‘Who shall we tell him you are?’ asked the officer, ‘for your words -signify you to be no ordinary person.’ - -‘No man,’ replied Themistocles, ‘must be informed of this before the -king himself.’ - -So at length the Athenian was brought into the presence of Artaxerxes, -and after having prostrated himself he stood silent before the king. - -‘Who art thou?’ asked Artaxerxes. - -‘O king,’ answered the exile, ‘I am Themistocles the Athenian, driven -into banishment by the Greeks. I come with a mind suited to my present -calamities; prepared alike for favours and for anger. If you save me -you will save your suppliant; if otherwise, you will destroy an enemy -of the Greeks.’ - -Artaxerxes liked the courage the exile showed, but he gave him no -answer that day. At night, in his sleep, he was heard to cry aloud for -joy three times, ‘I have Themistocles the Athenian.’ - -In the morning he commanded his courtiers and captains to assemble in -the hall, while the stranger was brought before him. - -As the Athenian passed close to the captains, one of them whispered to -him, ‘You subtle Greek serpent, the king’s good genius hath brought -thee hither.’ - -Themistocles thought these were ominous words, but to his surprise the -king greeted him kindly. - -A reward had been offered to whoever should bring the famous Athenian -to the court of the great king. This reward Artaxerxes now declared -should be given to Themistocles himself. - -The Greek besought the king to grant him a year in which to learn the -Persian language. He promised that when he could speak without an -interpreter he would tell Artaxerxes the best way to subdue Greece. - -Artaxerxes not only granted his request, but showed him great kindness. -For he gave to him three cities, and ordered the inhabitants to supply -him with bread, meat, wine and whatever else he might need for himself -and his family. - -In Magnesia, one of these cities, the Athenian lived content for many -years. But at length Artaxerxes assembled an army to invade Greece, -and he sent for the Greek to come to lead it into his own country. - -But whatever promises he had made to ensure his own safety, -Themistocles had never really meant to harm the land he loved so well. - -So when the message of Artaxerxes reached him, the Athenian invited -his friends to a feast, and after bidding them farewell he offered -sacrifices to the gods. He then took poison and soon after died. - -Artaxerxes respected the Athenian, because he had died rather than -betray his country, and he ordered his family to be treated with -kindness. - -Themistocles was buried without the walls of Magnesia, and the -Magnesians erected a statue to him in their market place, because he -had been the ‘Saviour of Greece.’ - -In 464 B.C., three years after the death of Themistocles, Aristides -died. The Athenians, both rich and poor, mourned for his loss, because -his rare justice, his true patriotism, had made him to be loved and -honoured by all who knew him. - -[Illustration: He stood silent before the king] - - - - -CHAPTER LVI - -THE ELOQUENCE OF PERICLES - - -After the death of Aristides, Cimon became commander-in-chief of the -allied fleet. - -Cimon was beloved by the Athenians, for he showed them great kindness. -Every day he invited some of the poorer citizens to supper. When he -walked through the city he ordered several well-dressed slaves to -follow him. Then, if he met a citizen clad in shabby or threadbare -garments, he would order one of his slaves to exchange clothes with him. - -The allied fleet gained many victories while Cimon was at its head. - -In 470 B.C., he sailed to an island named Scyrus, in which dwelt a -race of pirates, who had for many years fallen upon and captured the -merchant vessels of Greece. The island of Scyrus lay between Athens and -Thrace. - -The Greek traders were pleased when Cimon banished the pirates, as -he was soon able to do. A number of Athenians were sent to settle in -Scyrus, which from that time belonged to Attica. - -Now there was a legend which said that in this island there was a grave -where lay the bones of Theseus, one of the old heroes of Hellas. - -It may be that Cimon ordered his men to search for the spot where the -hero was said to be buried; in any case a grave was found in which lay -the body of a giant warrior. No one doubted that this was the body of -Theseus, and, as the oracle had commanded, the bones were brought to -Athens and placed in a temple which was henceforth called Theseum. The -Athenians were loud in the praise of Cimon because he had obeyed the -commands of the oracle, and had brought the bones of the hero to Attica. - -Four years later Cimon gained two great victories over the Persians, -by which those Greek cities which had been left under the yoke of the -great king were set free. They then hastened to join the Delian League. - -Cimon was now at the height of his power, but his friendship with -Sparta, on which the Athenians had always looked with dislike, soon led -to his downfall. - -In 464 B.C. there was an earthquake in Peloponnesus. Chasms yawned in -the valleys, landslips changed the face of the mountains. The loss of -life in Sparta itself was terrible, while both houses and temples were -destroyed. The Helots, who were always ready to revolt, did so now that -their masters were overwhelmed by this great calamity. - -Cimon begged the Athenians to forget their old grudge against the -Spartans and to send to her help, remembering only how they had shared -in the glory of the Persian war. - -‘Do not let Greece be lamed of one foot,’ he urged, ‘and Athens herself -be left to draw without her yoke-fellow.’ - -An Athenian, named Pericles, who was now one of the chief citizens, -did all he could to make the people refuse to send help to Sparta, but -Cimon’s entreaties were successful. He was himself sent at the head of -the Athenian troops to help the Spartans to subdue the Helots. - -The rebels had taken refuge in a fortress, and Cimon tried in vain to -expel them from their stronghold. - -Always ready to suspect an Athenian, the Spartans began to think that -Cimon did not really wish to dislodge the Helots. They accused him of -treachery, and roughly bade him return with his troops to Athens, as -they no longer wished for his help. - -During Cimon’s absence, Pericles and a statesman named Ephialtes had -made several changes in the ancient courts of Athens. These changes -did not meet with the approval of Cimon, and he tried to restore the -old customs. - -The citizens soon grew angry with the two leaders because each tried to -govern Athens in a different way, and, instead of peace, discord ruled -in the city. They determined that one of them should be ostracised. - -In 461 B.C. it was resolved to put the matter to the vote. The citizens -assembled in the market place, and shells were given to them on which -to write the name of the leader they wished to be banished. When the -names were counted it was found that Cimon was ostracised. - -Soon after Cimon left Athens, Ephialtes was slain in his own house, and -it was believed that this cruel deed had been done by the order of some -of Cimon’s friends, in revenge for the ostracism of their chief. - -Pericles was now left alone to govern Athens. - -He was not rich, so he could not himself do all that Cimon had done for -the people, but he used the public money for the good of the citizens. -And he pleased them by taking from the court of the Areopagus most of -its ancient power, and giving it to the popular assembly. - -Tickets, too, were given by his orders to the poorer folk in Athens, -so that they might be able to go to the theatres and other places -of public amusement. By these and other acts, Pericles soon won the -goodwill of the people. - -When he was a boy Pericles had been trained by a philosopher named -Anaxagoras, who had taught him much wisdom. When storms arose they -seemed unable to disturb the calm of the philosopher’s pupil. - -One day, as he was busy in the market place with affairs of State, a -rude fellow never ceased to mock and to speak ill of him. - -Pericles heard all that the man said, but he took no notice, and -when he had finished his task he set out for home. The rough fellow -followed, throwing at him, not stones, but cruel, wicked words. - -It was dark when Pericles reached his house. Turning to one of his -servants he bade him take a light and see that the man reached home in -safety. And this he did although he had been treated so badly. - -Because he was a great orator, Pericles was named the Olympian, but -by some it was said that he was so called because of the beautiful -buildings with which he adorned Athens. - -At this time comedies were acted on the stage, and in these comedies -great statesmen were often ridiculed; that is, fun was made both of -themselves and of their actions. - -Those who wrote these plays were allowed to use their wit on any one -or anything that they chose. It was soon seen that the Athenians could -laugh heartily at themselves, and that is a good thing that some people -can never learn to do. - -Pericles was too well known to be left alone by the writers of comedy. -Sometimes hard words were spoken of him, as when a writer said that -he had a ‘dreadful thunderbolt in his tongue.’ But he who said this -knew that the eloquence of Pericles was a great power, and that the -orator could make people believe almost anything that he wished them to -believe. - -It is said that one of the kings of Sparta once asked a noble citizen, -named Thucydides, if he or Pericles were the stronger wrestler. - -‘When I,’ answered Thucydides, ‘have thrown him and given him a fair -fall, by persisting that he had no fall he gets the better of me, -and makes the bystanders, in spite of their own eyes, believe him.’ -Thucydides said this in jest, to show what wonders Pericles could work -by his eloquence. - -But although others might make fun of Pericles’ great gift of speech, -he himself thought of it with reverence. ‘He was very careful what -and how he was to speak, insomuch that, whenever he went up to the -hustings, he prayed the gods that no one word might unawares slip from -him, unsuitable to the matter and the occasion.’ - -Pericles encouraged the Athenians to war against many of the Greek -States, and when they had subdued them, he bade these States pay -tribute to Athens. Year by year, under his guidance, the city grew more -powerful. - -In 449 B.C., Cimon, who had been recalled from exile, sailed with a -fleet of two hundred ships to Cyprus, where several cities still owned -Artaxerxes, the Persian king, as their master. He laid siege to the -town of Citium, but before it was taken he fell ill. Although he was -forced to stay in bed, he still sent orders to his men, which helped -them to gain two brilliant victories. - -Cimon did not recover from his illness, and after the death of its -commander the fleet returned to Athens. - - - - -CHAPTER LVII - -PERICLES AND ELPINICE - - -Athens was at first the leader of the Delian League; she soon became -its ruler. - -Many of the allied cities offered to send, as their contribution to the -league, money instead of ships. To this Athens agreed gladly, and with -the money she added ship after ship to her own fleet. So the navy of -Athens continued to grow while that of the other states dwindled until -they possessed only a few vessels. - -The treasury of the league, which had been kept in the small but sacred -island of Delos, was moved to Athens with the consent of the allies. - -But after a time the other cities grew discontented. They complained -that the money they sent to the league was not spent on ships alone. -Some of it, at least, was used to build beautiful temples for the city -of Athens. - -So dissatisfied were they that they declared that they would leave the -league. But they soon found that it would be difficult to carry out -their threat, for Athens was too anxious to receive their contributions -of money to let them go. - -When the people who lived on the island of Samos revolted, Pericles -went with an army to besiege their capital town, and after nine months -the Samians were forced to surrender. The walls of the city were -pulled down, the ships belonging to the island were seized, and the -inhabitants were forced to pay a heavy fine. - -On his return to Athens, Pericles was welcomed by his own party, but -Elpinice, the sister of Cimon, was indignant that the citizens should -rejoice at a victory gained over their own countrymen. - -One day, soon after his triumphant return, Elpinice waylaid Pericles -as he was walking along the streets, and said to him, ‘These are brave -deeds, Pericles, that you have done, and such as deserve our chaplets, -who have lost us many a worthy citizen, not in a war with Phoenicians -or Medes, like my brother Cimon, but for the overthrow of an allied and -kindred city.’ - -Elpinice hoped to make Pericles ashamed that he had fought with people -of his own race. - -And now for two years, from 447 B.C. to 445 B.C., loss after loss -befell Athens. While she was struggling with her other enemies, the -king of Sparta marched into Attica with an army. Athens herself was in -danger. - -But before the army reached the city, it was ordered to halt, and soon -after it withdrew from Attica. - -No one knew what had made the Spartans spare Athens, but it was said -that Pericles had paid their king a large sum of money on condition -that he took his army back to his own country. - -In 445 B.C. Athens signed a Thirty Years’ Truce with Sparta, and at the -same time peace was made with Persia. - -Pericles was now able to devote himself to the work which was his -greatest pleasure. He spent fourteen years in making Athens so -beautiful that it became the wonder city of the world. - - - - -CHAPTER LVIII - -THE CITY OF ATHENS - - -When the Persians entered Athens they destroyed her temples. Some of -these temples had been hastily repaired, others had been hastily built, -when the Athenians returned to their own city. - -But now that peace had been made with the Persians, Athens determined -to show her gratitude to the gods by building in the city, temples, -‘exceeding magnifical,’ more beautiful indeed than any that had yet -been built. - -The most famous of these temples was the Parthenon or Temple of the -Virgin, built on the Acropolis, and sacred to the virgin goddess Athene. - -This marvellous temple was planned by a great architect named Ictinus, -and adorned by a yet greater sculptor called Pheidias. - -The architecture of the Parthenon was Doric, which was the oldest, the -strongest as well as the most simple, of the four kinds of Grecian -buildings. There were two rooms in the Parthenon with no entrance from -one to the other. - -The figure of the goddess, fashioned by the magic hands of the sculptor -Pheidias, was a colossal one. Calm, majestic, with a smile upon her -face, she stood in her wondrous temple, clad in a robe of gold. - -On her head she wore a helmet, in her right hand she held fast a little -golden figure of the goddess of victory, while her left lay upon her -shield. At her feet a snake lay coiled. - -[Illustration: The figure of the goddess was a colossal one] - -Neither of marble nor of bronze was the statue, but of ivory and -pure gold, ivory being used for the flesh, gold for the robe and -armour, which was studded with precious stones. - -Nowhere was there so marvellous a statue as this of the goddess Athene -wrought by Pheidias, save perchance the Zeus at Olympia, which was also -moulded by the famous sculptor. - -The statue of Zeus had a strange power over those who gazed upon it. - -‘Let a man sick and weary in his soul, who has passed through many -distresses and sorrows, whose pillow is unvisited by kindly sleep, -stand in front of this image; he will, I deem, forget all the terrors -and troubles of human life.’ - -Close to the Parthenon was an older temple, built not in the Doric but -in the Ionic style of architecture. It, too, was sacred to Athene and -also to Poseidon. - -This temple, which was called the Erechtheum, was held in awe and -reverence by the Athenians, for in it was kept an ancient wooden image -of the goddess. So ancient was this ‘most holy idol’ of the people that -it looked more like a rough block of wood than a carved figure. The -holy olive tree, too, was there, which the Persians had cut down, but -which they had been unable to kill, as well as the living snake, the -symbol of the presence of the goddess. - -The Erechtheum was to the Athenians a shrine, in which lay hidden the -story of their past, the Parthenon was to them a sign of the power and -the splendour of the age of Pericles. - -On the western side of the Acropolis rose a magnificent marble wall -called the Propylaea. The marble had been pierced at intervals to make -five great gateways, the centre one being for chariots, those on either -side leading by steps to the Parthenon. Through these gateways the -Athenians marched in solemn procession on their feast days. - -A great theatre, sacred to the god Dionysus, was finished in the age -of Pericles, and an Odeon or great hall of music was added to it, -where contests of song and music were held. The roof of the Odeon was -pointed like a tent, and was made of the masts of ships that had been -captured from the Persians. - -This pointed roof was said by the wits of Athens to be like the helmet -of Pericles, whose head was curiously formed, and who often wore a -helmet to conceal its strange shape. - -‘Here comes Pericles,’ says a comic poet of those days, ‘with the Odeon -set on his crown.’ - -Another great statue of Athene, called Athene Promachos, or Athena -Foremost in Battle, stood just within the Propylaea. It was wrought -in bronze and showed Athene in armour, holding shield and spear -outstretched. This statue, also by Pheidias, was fifty feet high and -stood on a pedestal that raised it twenty feet higher, so that it -towered above the roofs of the temples. The golden plume on the helmet -of the goddess was seen by sailors far out at sea. - -With these and many other great works of art, Pericles adorned the city -of his love. The Acropolis he said should be no longer a fortress, but -a sanctuary. - -Some of the Athenians, among them Thucydides, grumbled because Pericles -spent the public money on these beautiful buildings. - -Pericles heard that the citizens were discontented, and in the open -assembly he rose and bade them tell him if they thought he used more -money than he ought, to adorn the city. - -‘Too much a great deal,’ was the speedy retort. - -‘Then,’ said Pericles, ‘since it is so, let the cost not go to your -account but to mine, and let the inscriptions upon the buildings stand -in my name.’ - -But the people, surprised at his generosity, and perhaps wishing to -share in the glory of his work, were ashamed that they had complained. -They bade him spend as much of the public money as he deemed right and -‘spare no cost until all was finished.’ - -In 479 B.C. the Persians had reduced Athens to ruins. Fifty years -later she had been built anew and adorned with temples and statues that -made her the wonder of the world. - -Marble was found in Attica, gold and ivory were bought with money out -of the treasury, but without the magic hand of Pheidias, marble, gold, -and ivory had been bought in vain. - - - - -CHAPTER LIX - -GREAT MEN OF ATHENS - - -Athens, in the age of Pericles, was the home of literary men as well as -of sculptors and architects. - -Æschylus, one of the greatest men of the age, was a diligent writer -of tragedies or serious plays. You will think that he was diligent -indeed, when I tell you that he wrote ninety plays, although only seven -are known to us now. His tragedies were acted in the great theatre of -Dionysus. The _Persae_, his first play, was written eight years after -the great sea-fight at Salamis, to tell of the victory the Athenians -had won over the Persians. - -Just as races were run, and music was written by competitors to win -renown and gain prizes at the festival of Dionysus, so plays were -written and prizes were awarded to the successful author at this great -feast. These plays might be about the things that were taking place in -Greece at that very time, or the plot might be taken from the old-world -stories of Troy. Proud and dauntless were the men and women whom -Æschylus made to live upon the stage of Athens. Of many of these you -will some day read yourself. - -Sophocles and Euripides also wrote tragedies, and Euripides is known, -too, for the beauty of his songs. He was a magician who made all that -he touched radiant with beauty. Many people loved Euripides because of -the wonderful songs and plays which he wrote, but some hated him. - -Aristophanes, the writer of comedies or amusing plays that made -the Athenians laugh with uncontrollable glee, was one of those -who disliked Euripides and held up some of his works to scorn. But -Socrates, a greater man than he, loved Euripides and called him his -favourite poet. - -Herodotus was the first great Greek historian. He was not born in -Attica, but he lived some years in Athens. He wrote the story of the -Persian wars, while Thucydides wrote that of the Peloponnesian war. - -Some of the greatest teachers in Greece at this time were called -Sophists. A Sophist meant, at first, one who was clever in any -special art. It did not matter what the art was; it might be cooking, -gardening, teaching. - -Protagoras was one of the most famous Sophists, but the Athenians did -not treat him well. For he wrote a book which displeased them, so -that they condemned it and accused him of writing against the gods of -Greece. So angry were his enemies that Protagoras knew that he could no -longer live safely in Athens. He fled from the city and set sail for -Sicily, but he was drowned before he reached the island. - -It was of his dead friend Protagoras that Euripides was thinking when -he wrote in one of his plays, ‘Ye have slain, O Greeks, ye have slain -the nightingale of the muses, the wizard bird that did no wrong.’ - -These are a few of the great men who, with Ictinus, Pheidias, and -many another of whom I have not told, made the glory of Greece known -throughout the wide world. - - - - -CHAPTER LX - -THE THEBANS ATTACK THE PLATAEANS - - -The cause of the Peloponnesian War was jealousy--jealousy between -Athens and Sparta. Each wished to be the chief State in Greece, and the -only way to settle the dispute in those days was by an appeal to arms. - -Athens had a great navy and much wealth. She was at the head of an -empire, but the States which she had subdued, and which she had forced -to pay tribute, were discontented and unlikely to prove useful allies. - -Sparta was the head of the Peloponnesian States. She had a strong army, -but she had not money with which to carry on war, nor had she, or any -of her allies save Corinth, a fleet that would be of any use against -the large, well-equipped fleet of Athens. - -As long as Athens could keep the mastery of the sea, she would be -able to defy the enemy. Famine would soon subdue her if she lost this -mastery, for much of her corn supply came from abroad, and if the corn -ships did not reach the Piraeus with their precious freight, the people -would starve. - -On land Athens could not hope to hold her own against Sparta. Pericles -knew this well, and so he urged the Athenians to place their trust in -their ships. - -‘Let us give up lands and houses,’ he said, ‘but keep a watch over the -city and the sea. We should not, under any irritation at the loss of -our property, give battle to the Peloponnesians, who far outnumber us. -Mourn not for houses or lands, but for men; men may give these, but -these will not give men. If I thought that you would listen to me, I -would say to you, “Go yourselves and destroy them, and thereby prove -to the Peloponnesians that none of these things move you.” Such is the -power which the empire of the sea gives.’ - -The Peloponnesian War began in the early spring of 431 B.C. when the -citizens of the little town of Thebes made a treacherous attack upon -the town of Plataea. - -Thebes belonged to the Boeotian League, which was on good terms with -Sparta, upon bad terms with Athens. - -Plataea was in alliance with Athens, but there were traitors among the -citizens, and these determined to betray their city into the hands of -the Thebans. - -One dark, stormy night the gates of the city were opened to admit a -band of three hundred Thebans. The main body of the Theban force was -still some distance off. At midnight the citizens of Plataea were -awakened by the sound of trumpets. They dressed in haste, and then -rushing to the market place found it in the hands of the Thebans, -who were calling upon the citizens to forsake Athens and to join the -Boeotian League. - -At first the Plataeans thought it would be useless to resist the enemy, -but before long they found that there was only a small band of Thebans -in the market place. Heavy rains had made the river Asopus rise, and -the main body of the enemy was still on the farther side of the river, -looking in vain for a ford. - -So the Plataeans shut their gates, barricaded their streets with -wagons, and then boldly attacked the enemy. - -The Thebans were soon separated from one another and lost their way -in the unknown and dusky streets. To add to their confusion, from -windows and roofs, heavy missiles were hurled down upon them by the -angry Plataean women. A few scaled the city wall and escaped, but the -greater number, rushing through a large door which they mistook for -one of the city gates, found themselves in a granary from which there -was no escape save by the door through which they had entered. It was -already held by the Plataeans, and the Thebans were taken prisoners and -commanded to lay down their arms. - -Meanwhile the main body of the Thebans had reached the city gates to -find them guarded by the inhabitants. A herald was sent to bid them -withdraw, after releasing the prisoners whom they had taken on their -march to the city. Unless this was done without delay, the Plataeans -threatened to put to death the Thebans whom they had captured. - -It was plain that their plot had failed; so, to save their comrades, -as they believed, the Thebans released their prisoners, recrossed the -Asopus, and went back to their own city. Then the Plataeans did a -cruel and treacherous deed, for they slew two hundred of their Theban -prisoners. - -The Plataeans sent to Athens to ask for help when the Theban army -appeared without their walls, but the danger was over before help could -reach them. - -Yet, lest the Thebans should return, the women and children were taken -to Athens for safety, while eighty Athenians were sent to garrison the -walls of Plataea. - - - - -CHAPTER LXI - -ATTICA IS INVADED BY THE SPARTANS - - -In the month of May 431 B.C. Attica itself was invaded by a large -Spartan army, under king Archidamus. - -Before he crossed the border into Attica the king bade his army halt, -while he sent an ambassador named Melesippus to the Athenians, to offer -them terms if they would submit to him. But Pericles persuaded the -council to refuse even to listen to Melesippus, who had been told to -return to his own army before the setting of the sun. As he turned away -from the council, Melesippus said to the Athenians, ‘This day will be -the beginning of many woes to the Greeks.’ - -Pericles knew that the Spartans would march into Attica, as soon as -their ambassador had returned, so he ordered the country folk to hasten -within the strong walls of Athens for safety. Their cattle he bade them -send to the island of Euboea. - -The Spartans found the Attic farms deserted, but they destroyed and -burned them, while they trampled down the cornfields and spoiled the -olive groves and orchards. - -As the invading army drew nearer to Athens, the people within the city -walls could mark its progress by the smoke that rose from burning farms -and villas. The men rushed to the gates, eager to go to attack the -enemy, and it was all but beyond the power of Pericles to restrain them. - -As winter drew near, Archidamus was forced to retreat, for he had -neither money nor food to keep his troops longer in the country of the -enemy. - -Then Pericles, knowing that the way was clear, sailed from Athens with -thirteen thousand men, and surprised many villages on the Peloponnesian -coast. He also burned the farms and houses in the district of Megara. - -When Pericles returned from Megara, a public burial was given, as was -the custom, to those who had been slain in battle. - -A cedar box, in which were placed the bones of the fallen, was carried -without the walls of the city and buried. For those whose bodies had -not been recovered, there was an empty bed covered with a pall. The -funeral oration, or Panegyric as it was named, was spoken by Pericles. - -Here are a few of the sentences which Thucydides, the historian, heard, -as he stood among the people and listened to the Panegyric. - -‘Our city is equally admirable in peace and in war. For we are lovers -of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes, and we cultivate the -mind without loss of manliness. Wealth we employ, not for talk and -ostentation, but when there is real use for it. To avow poverty is with -us no disgrace; the true disgrace is in doing nothing to avoid it. - -‘An Athenian citizen does not neglect the State because he takes care -of his own household; and even those of us who are engaged in business -have a very fair idea of politics. We alone regard a man who takes -no interest in public affairs, not as harmless, but as a useless -character.... - -‘I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of -Athens until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are -impressed with the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has -been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it -... they freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which -they could present at her feast. The whole earth is the sepulchre of -famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions -in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an -unwritten memorial of them, graven, not on stone, but in the hearts of -men. Make them your example.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXII - -THE LAST WORDS OF PERICLES - - -When the Spartans marched out of Attica, the country folk left the -sheltering walls of Athens to go back to their fields, to dig, to -plough, to sow. - -They hoped in due time to reap a plenteous harvest, for their last -year’s crops had been destroyed by the enemy. But before the corn was -ripe they knew their hopes were vain. The Spartans had come back, and -once again the people were forced to leave their fields and take refuge -within the walls of the capital. - -But in the city itself an enemy appeared, an enemy that worked more -dreadful havoc than even the Spartan army. The plague had come to -Athens. It spread rapidly, for the people were crowded together, some -in sheds, some in tents, and these rough shelters were not kept clean. -Squalor and lack of room added to the misery of the sick folk. - -Thousands of those who had fled for safety to the city were stricken by -the plague, and at first few recovered. For fear seized upon those whom -the plague spared and they left the sick untended, to die, tortured by -thirst, and alone. - -At length even the Spartans grew afraid, lest upon them too the plague -should fall, and they again withdrew from Attica. - -Then Pericles sailed to Peloponnesus and attacked the enemy in its -own country, but with little or no success. But in Thrace, the town -of Potidaea, which had been besieged by the Athenians for a year, was -forced to surrender. - -No breach had been made in the walls, but the famine-stricken people -could no longer bear the pangs of hunger, nor had they strength left to -defend their city. - -The Athenians allowed the miserable inhabitants to leave Potidaea, but -the men were forbidden to take anything with them save one garment, -while the women were permitted to take two. Before long Athenian -families were sent to settle in Potidaea, which then became a colony -belonging to Athens. - -During the war the popularity of Pericles began to wane. It was he who -had advised the Athenians to carry on war with the Spartans, and they -now accused him of causing all the misery which they had to endure. - -While he was absent with the fleet in 430 B.C., Cleon, the head of -those who were opposed to Pericles, tried to make peace with the enemy, -but his efforts were in vain. - -Cleon was determined, if it were possible, to cause the downfall of -Pericles. So when he returned to Athens, he accused him of using public -money for his own ends. - -When the public accounts were examined a small sum was missing and -Pericles was fined by the law courts, but no stain was left on his -character. - -The Athenians were a fickle people, and before long they forgot their -anger and Pericles found himself as popular as ever. They were even -eager to carry on the war with Sparta. - -Once before Pericles had been attacked by his enemies. He was accused, -along with Pheidias the sculptor, of having kept some of the gold which -was intended to adorn the statue of Athene in the Parthenon. But it was -easy to prove that the charge was false, for the gold had been fixed to -the statue in such a way that it could be easily detached. - -Pericles demanded that this should be done, so that the gold might be -weighed. His enemies could not refuse the test. So the gold was taken -off the statue, weighed, and found to be correct. - -Against Pheidias there were other charges, one being that in the frieze -of the Parthenon there were sculptured portraits of himself and -Pericles. In 432 B.C. the great sculptor was thrown into prison, where -he died before the day fixed for his trial. - -The plague, which had disappeared for a year, broke out again in 429 -B.C. with new violence. - -Pericles had already lost two sons through the terrible scourge. When -Paralus, his favourite child, died, he placed a garland upon his body, -and shut himself in his house to mourn. Nor could he be persuaded -afterward to take much interest in the affairs of the State. - -A year later, he was himself stricken by the plague. He recovered, but -was soon after attacked by fever which he was too weak to resist. - -As he lay dying, his friends gathered around his bed. Thinking that he -did not hear what they said, they began to speak to one another of the -great things he had done during his life. - -But Pericles heard, and interrupting them said, ‘What you praise in me -is partly the result of good fortune, and, at all events, common to -me with many other commanders. What I am most proud of, you have not -noticed. No Athenian ever put on mourning for an act of mine!’ These -were his last words. - -Plutarch tells us that ‘Pericles was indeed a character deserving our -high admiration, not only for his equitable and mild temper, but also -for the high spirit and feeling which made him regard it the noblest of -all his honours, that, in the exercise of such immense power, he never -had treated any enemy as irreconcilably opposed to him. And it appears -to me,’ says Plutarch, ‘that this one thing gives that otherwise -childish and arrogant title a fitting and becoming significance; so -dispassionate a temper, a life so pure and unblemished, might well -be called Olympian, in accordance with our conceptions of the divine -beings to whom, as the natural authors of all good and of nothing evil, -we ascribe the rule and government of the world.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXIII - -THE SIEGE OF PLATAEA - - -The Peloponnesian War began with an attack upon the little town of -Plataea. Two years later, in the early summer of 429 B.C., Plataea was -again attacked, this time by the Spartans, who were led by their king -Archidamus. The town, small though it was, was an Athenian fortress, so -the Spartans were eager to raze it to the ground. - -But Plataea stood on sacred territory; for Pausanias, after his great -victory over the Persians, had declared that in time of war it should -ever be left undisturbed. - -The Plataeans reminded the king of the promise of the Spartan general, -and begged him to withdraw his troops. - -Archidamus would not lead his army away, but he promised to do the -Plataeans no harm if they would become allies of Sparta, or if they -would give up their alliance with Athens and fight on neither side. But -the Plataeans would not agree to either of these plans. - -Then the king offered to let them leave the town. He promised that -their homes, their orchards, their fields would be kept in good order -as long as the war lasted, and that they would be given back to them -when peace was made. - -It was a generous offer, and the Plataeans begged to be allowed to send -to Athens to ask her advice. Her answer speedily settled the matter. - -‘Athens,’ so ran the message, ‘never deserted her allies, and would -not now neglect the Plataeans, but succour them with all her might. -Wherefore the alliance must stand and the attack of the Spartans be -withstood.’ - -When Archidamus heard what Athens had said to the Plataeans, he -determined to besiege the town. The Thebans who were with the Spartan -army rejoiced that war was to begin, for they were ever bitter enemies -of the Plataeans. - -The little town prepared to defend herself against the enemy, sending -away the women and children to a place of safety. A hundred women -slaves only were kept to cook and wash for the garrison, which was -small. Yet few in number as they were, the doughty citizens withstood -the attacks of the Spartans for two years. - -When Archidamus ordered his men to raise a mound as high as the -wall around the town, the Plataeans at once added to the height of -their defences. They also dug beneath the mound of the enemy, and so -undermined it that it was continually sliding down. - -Then lest the walls should at length be scaled by the enemy, the -citizens built an inner wall to protect the city yet more strongly. - -Often the little garrison looked wistfully for the help that Athens had -assured them would be sent, but month after month passed and no help -came from the plague-stricken city. Yet the Plataeans did not dream of -surrender. - -Archidamus was in despair, for he knew that his soldiers were seldom -able to take a walled town. His pride was hurt at the thought of -being beaten by a mere handful of men. He had with him the whole -Peloponnesian army, yet a garrison of five hundred had been able to -defy all his efforts to capture the city. - -The king determined, since he could not take the town by assault, -to starve it into submission. So he now ordered two great walls to -be built round the city, placing on them here and there towers or -battlements. The walls were a certain space apart, and this space was -covered over, so that the soldiers could live in it as in a camp, while -armed sentinels paced up and down on the roof. - -When the second year of the siege began, food grew scarce in Plataea. -Either the little garrison must force its way out or die of hunger. To -escape, the soldiers would have to scale the wall, without attracting -the attention of the sentinels, and reach the ground on the other side. - -More than half the garrison resolved to stay where it was, but about -two hundred determined to make the perilous attempt. - -So one cold, dark night in the month of December, when the sentinels -had retreated into the towers for shelter, the brave two hundred stole -out of the town, carrying ladders on their backs. They wore little -clothing, that they might climb and run the easier. That they might -step the more quietly their right feet were bare, while on the left -each wore a shoe to keep him from slipping in the mud. - -Stealthily they made their way across a ditch and reached the wall -unseen, unheard. Twelve of the bravest scaled the wall and killed the -sleepy sentinels, who had sought shelter in the towers from a storm of -wind and rain. - -The others then mounted the wall, fixed their ladders on the farther -side and reached the ground in safety, while the twelve, who had waited -to the last, began to descend. - -All would have been well, had not one man slipped and knocked a tile -off the top of the wall. It rattled and fell to the ground with a noise -that roused the Spartans, who scrambled up the wall in great haste. But -the darkness was so dense that they could see nothing. - -Those of the garrison who had stayed in the city did all that they -could to perplex the enemy, by making a sally on the side of the town -farthest from that by which their friends had fled. And when the -Spartans lit torches and flashed danger signals to the Thebans whose -city was not far off, the Plataeans lit beacons, so that the signals -were confused. - -Meanwhile the fugitives, having reached the ground in safety, were met -by a band of three hundred Spartans. These were carrying lights, so the -Plataeans were able to send a shower of arrows among them with sure -and deadly aim. In the confusion that followed, all save one archer -succeeded in crossing a ditch, covered with ice, but too thin to bear -the weight of the fugitives. They struggled through the icy water, and -after many narrow escapes two hundred and twelve weary men reached -Athens in safety. - -Plataea held out gallantly until the summer of 427 B.C., when famine at -length forced her to surrender. - -Five judges were sent from Sparta to decide the fate of the prisoners. -But the trial was a mere form, for the Thebans had already persuaded -the Spartans how to treat the unfortunate men. - -Each prisoner as he was brought before the judges was asked if he -had helped the Spartans in their war against Athens. As each one -answered ‘No,’ he was led out and put to death. In this way two hundred -Plataeans and twenty-five Athenians lost their lives, while the city -they had so bravely defended was razed to the ground. - - - - -CHAPTER LXIV - -THE SENTENCE OF DEATH - - -In the fourth year of the Peloponnesian War the city of Mytilene threw -off the yoke of Athens. Mytilene was the capital of Lesbos, an island -near the coast of Asia. The city had belonged to the Delian league, and -when the league became the empire of Athens, the city remained faithful -to the empire. But as time passed the Mytileneans became afraid lest -Athens should treat them as she had treated the Samians, and should -make them subjects instead of allies. - -While Athens was at war with Sparta she would have little time, thought -the Mytileneans, to trouble about their small island, so they revolted -and asked the Spartans to support them, if that should be necessary. -The Spartans promised to help the Mytileneans if the Athenians should -punish their disloyalty, but, as so often happened, they did not -attempt to keep their promise until it was too late. - -Athens was angry when she heard of the revolt at Mytilene. Although -she could ill spare the men, she sent an army under a general named -Paches to blockade the town by sea and by land and so to starve her -into submission. At all costs Mytilene must not fall into the hands of -Sparta. - -Before long, so strict was the blockade, food began to run short in -the hapless island, and the Spartans failed to send the help they had -promised. - -But when the citizens were desperate with hunger, a messenger from -Sparta reached the town. He had passed the Athenian army unnoticed and -had entered Mytilene, to the delight of the starving people. When he -assured them that ships laden with corn were on the way and would reach -them soon, their joy was unbounded. - -Day after day, week after week passed, but the Spartan ships did not -come, and hope began to die out of the hearts of the Mytileneans. It -was plain that they must either surrender or starve to death; so they -determined to surrender. - -They sent for Paches, and agreed to give up the city, and to leave -their fate to be decided by the Athenian assembly. In the meantime -about one thousand of the inhabitants were sent as prisoners to Athens. - -The Athenians had been bitterly angry with the Mytileneans for -revolting when their hands were already full with war at home and with -the misery caused by the plague. They were in no mood now to deal -mercifully with them. - -Cleon, a leather-merchant, who by his own efforts had risen to a high -position in the State, roused the temper of the people by his rough and -noisy eloquence, and Pericles was no longer alive to restrain it, as he -had so often done, by his wiser, calmer speech. - -When the assembly met, it was Cleon who proposed that all those able -to bear arms should be put to death, and that the women and children -should be sold as slaves. In its angry mood the assembly voted as Cleon -wished. - -No sooner was the sentence of death passed, than a ship was despatched -to the island to bid Paches, the Athenian general, carry out the -terrible decision of the assembly. - -But a little later, when the assembly broke up and escaped from the -influence of Cleon’s eloquence, the members began to be ashamed of -their cold-blooded sentence. - -Ambassadors from Mytilene had come to Athens to plead the cause of -their people. When they saw that the Athenians were uneasy, they -persuaded them to call another meeting of the assembly the following -morning, to reconsider the sentence that they had passed. - -Cleon had felt no regret at the fate of the rebels, and he was -indignant that the assembly should dream of revoking its decree. When -it met on the following day he spoke even more vehemently than before, -urging the members to see that the sentence was carried out. - -But Diodotus, a noble Athenian, whose name has never been forgotten, -spoke as well as Cleon. So wise were his words that those who had -already wished to alter the sentence for pity’s sake, were now sure -that wisdom also demanded that the Mytileneans should be spared. -Diodotus won the day, for Cleon was defeated by a small majority. - -No sooner was the sentence revoked than in hot haste a ship was manned, -and the crew was bidden to do its utmost to overtake the vessel -which was carrying the sentence of doom to Mytilene. Already it was -twenty-four hours since the ship had left Athens. Was it possible to -carry the good news in time? - -The ambassadors promised large rewards to the oarsmen if they reached -the city before the terrible sentence had been carried out. In their -anxiety they provided barley, wine, oil for the crew. - -There was no lack of zeal on the part of the sailors. They rowed with -all their strength, taking but scant rest, and eating the barley, which -had been soaked in wine and oil and made into cakes, as they sat at -their oars. They knew that on their speed depended the life or death of -thousands. - -Swifter and swifter flashed the oars of the second ship. In the first -vessel the sailors pulled slowly, for they were in no haste to deliver -the dread tidings which they carried. And it was well that they had no -heart for their task, for with every muscle strained to the utmost the -crew of the second boat reached Mytilene only just in time. - -The death sentence had already reached Paches, and he was preparing to -carry it out, when with a glad, triumphant shout the second boat swung -into the harbour, and the Mytileneans were saved. - -But even so they paid heavily for their rebellion, for about thirty -of their leading citizens were executed, their fleet was taken by the -Athenians, and the walls of their city were destroyed. - - - - -CHAPTER LXV - -BRASIDAS LOSES HIS SHIELD - - -In 425 B.C., the seventh year of the war, an Athenian fleet of about -forty ships, under an admiral named Eurymedon, was forced by stormy -weather to seek shelter on the promontory of Pylos in Messenia. Pylos -stood on the Bay of Pylos, which you now know as the Bay of Navarino. - -To give the men something to do until the storm allowed them to sail, -Demosthenes, an officer on board one of the ships, bade them begin to -build a fort. But it was not only to employ the men that he did this, -but because he believed that Pylos would make a good fortress from -which to attack the western shore of Peloponnesus. - -At first the men took little interest in the work, for they expected -each day to leave Pylos. But as the storm continued, they began to work -with a will, and soon a fortress that looked fit to defy an enemy was -finished. - -It had not been easy work, for the men had no iron tools. They could -not cut stones, but were forced to pick out those that fitted into each -other. - -When mortar was needed they had to carry it on their backs, bending -forward that it might not fall, and clasping their hands behind to help -to keep it in place. - -At length the storm was over and the fleet sailed away, leaving -Demosthenes with five ships to hold the new fortress. Now the entrance -to the Bay of Pylos was almost blocked by a narrow, thickly wooded -island called Sphacteria. - -The Spartans soon heard that the Athenians had taken possession of -Pylos, which was on their territory. They determined to expel them, -and an army under Epitadas was at once sent out and took possession -of the wooded island of Sphacteria, while a Spartan fleet sailed into -the Bay of Pylos. On board one of the ships was a famous Spartan named -Brasidas. - -Demosthenes had just time to send to Eurymedon to beg him to return -with his forty ships, when the Spartans sailed up to the promontory, -meaning to attack and capture the fort. - -But it proved impossible to land. Again and again the Spartan admiral -made the attempt, but each time he was forced to withdraw, lest his -ships should be dashed upon the rocks. - -Brasidas refused to give in, and he bade his men wreck their vessels -rather than be beaten back. ‘Be not sparing of timber,’ he cried, ‘for -the enemy has built a fortress in your country. Perish the ships and -force a landing.’ - -Spurred on by his words, the men drove their ship upon the beach, while -Brasidas stood fearlessly on the gangway ready to leap upon the shore. -But the Athenians saw the bold figure too well, and he became a target -for every arrow. - -As he fell back wounded, his left arm hung helpless over the side of -the vessel and his shield slipped off and fell into the water. The -waves washed it toward the shore, whereupon the enemy dashed down to -the edge of the water and drew it in triumph up to the beach. - -After a desperate struggle the Spartans were forced to withdraw, and -the Athenians celebrated their victory by erecting a trophy of their -spoils, placing, where every eye could see it, the shield of Brasidas. - -For two days the Spartans still fought to gain the fortress, but in -vain. On the third day, Eurymedon returned with the Athenian fleet, and -as the Spartan ships did not come to meet him he sailed in at the two -entrances to the bay of Pylos: for the openings had not been secured by -the enemy. - -A desperate battle took place. Many of the Spartan ships were empty, -as their crews were on shore. The Athenians tried to drag away these -empty vessels, so that the enemy would have no way of escaping from -Sphacteria. - -But the Spartans knew that they must save their vessels at all costs, -so they fought with redoubled fury and succeeded in rescuing most of -the deserted ships. Yet their efforts proved of little use in the end, -for though only five ships were captured, the rest of the fleet was so -damaged that the Athenians were left in possession of the bay. They at -once began to blockade Epitadas and his army in Sphacteria. - -[Illustration: He became a target for every arrow] - - - - -CHAPTER LXVI - -THE SPARTANS SURRENDER - - -When Epitadas found that he was shut up on the island of Sphacteria, -he sent a messenger to Sparta to tell what had befallen him. The -ephors were so disturbed by his tidings that they at once sent some of -their number to the Bay of Pylos to see what could be done to set free -Epitadas and his men. - -They soon saw that it would be too difficult a task to relieve the -island, so they begged Eurymedon to grant a truce until they sent -ambassadors to Athens to sue for peace. - -Their request was granted, and the Spartan ambassadors at once set sail -for Athens. - -When they entered the assembly, Athens, had she but known it, might -have ended the war with honour. But Pericles was no longer there to -tell her that to do so would be well. Cleon still ruled the assembly -with his rough eloquence. Nicias, the leader of those who desired -peace, although he bitterly disliked Cleon, was not strong enough to -overthrow him. - -The assembly, urged by its leader, offered the Spartan ambassadors -terms which it knew they would not accept. After rejecting them, as the -Athenians expected, the ambassadors returned indignant to Pylos, and -the truce was at an end. But Sphacteria was not taken so easily as the -Athenians had dreamed. In spite of the strict blockade, food was taken -to the island, so that the Spartans were in no danger of starving. - -Sometimes swimmers carrying with them linseed, poppy seeds and honey, -reached the island. Sometimes Helots, tempted by promise of freedom, -would manage, when the sky was dark and the sea stormy, to sail past -the enemy’s ships, taking cheese, meal and even wine to the Spartans. - -In Athens, the people were growing impatient of the long blockade. When -Demosthenes sent messengers to the city to ask for reinforcements, they -began to be sorry that they had not offered more reasonable terms to -the ambassadors. They looked darkly at Cleon, and began to whisper that -but for his counsel peace would certainly have been made. - -A meeting of the assembly was called, and Cleon, losing his temper when -Nicias urged that peace should be arranged without delay, said, ‘It -would be easy enough to take Sphacteria if our generals were men. If I -were general I would do it at once.’ - -Nicias was a quiet man, but these scornful words roused him to anger, -and he retorted that if Cleon thought he was able to take the island it -would be well that he should go and do so. He was himself a general, -while Cleon was only a leather-merchant, but he was willing to resign -in his favour. - -At first Cleon thought that Nicias was but jesting, and he pretended -that he really wished to go to the help of Demosthenes. But when he -found that his opponent was in earnest, he declined the honour, saying -that while Nicias was a general, he himself had no training in military -affairs. - -But the people were not willing to let the leather-merchant escape the -consequences of his rash words. They shouted that he must go and prove -that he could do as he had said. - -When Cleon saw that there was no escape he grew reckless, and boasted -that he would not only go to Sphacteria, but that he would take the -island within twenty days, and either kill all the Spartans on it or -bring them prisoners to Athens. - -Some there were who mocked at his words, others laughed. But all were -glad that the merchant should go, for they were tired of his rough -ways and rougher speech. If he went he might return with his promise -unfulfilled and his power with the people would then be lost. If he -came back in triumph, the Spartans would have been defeated. - -Before long, Cleon set out at the head of an army for Pylos. When he -arrived he found Demosthenes already prepared to attack the island. - -A large part of the forest on Sphacteria had just been burned down -by some Athenian soldiers. They had been sent to the island to -reconnoitre, and while making a fire to cook their dinner the trees -were accidentally set alight. - -The wood had sheltered the Spartans from the enemy, and the fire -spoiled their chief defence, so that they were the less prepared to -face the army of nearly fourteen thousand Athenians, which, led by -Cleon and Demosthenes, now landed on the island. - -Outnumbered as the Spartans were, for their army consisted of only -about four hundred and twenty soldiers and the same number of Helots, -they fought bravely as was their custom. - -But the arrows of the Athenians soon greatly reduced their number, -while to add to the distress of the wounded, as well as of those who -had escaped, the ground over which they marched was hot with still -smouldering ashes of burnt wood. - -At length Epitadas, the Spartan general, was slain, and the few -soldiers who were still able to fight retreated to a hill on which was -an old ruined fort. Here they took their stand, determined to keep the -enemy at bay. And they did so until the Athenians found a path up a -steep crag, from the top of which they could command the Spartan fort. - -Unseen by the brave defenders, the enemy scaled the almost precipitous -path, and when they reached the top they at once began to shoot arrows -down upon the startled soldiers. - -But soon Cleon bade them stay their arrows while he sent a herald to -the Spartans to bid them surrender. - -Spartan troops had never yet yielded to a foe. Ever they had conquered -or fought to the death. Cleon believed that now, as their brave fellows -at Thermopylae had done, they would rather die than yield. - -But the Spartans dropped their shields and waved their hands above -their heads to show that they would cease to fight. They begged to -be allowed to ask the advice of their friends on the mainland. Their -request was granted, and their friends bade them ‘to take counsel for -themselves, but to do nothing disgraceful.’ - -Two hundred and ninety-two Spartans, who were all that were still -alive on Sphacteria, then surrendered, one hundred and twenty of these -belonging to the noblest families in Sparta. Never after this surrender -were the Spartans considered invincible. - -Cleon was now able to return to Athens, which he reached within twenty -days from the time he left the city, bringing with him, as he had -boasted that he would do, his Spartan prisoners. - -The Athenians rejoiced at the success of their army, but they laughed -as they thought of the strange general who had led it to victory. - -As for the prisoners, they were glad to hold them as hostages. The -Spartans would be less likely to invade Attica while their comrades -were in Athens. - - - - -CHAPTER LXVII - -BRASIDAS THE SPARTAN - - -The Athenians were encouraged by the victory they had gained at -Sphacteria to hope for still greater success to their arms, and in 424 -B.C. they marched boldly into the country of Boeotia. At Delium they -seized and fortified a temple, sacred to Apollo. - -Now the Boeotians were indignant with the Athenians for invading their -land, but they were still more angry that they had dared to enter their -temple. They at once marched against the enemy and defeated them with -great loss, but the temple was still left in the hands of the Athenians. - -As was the custom in those days, the defeated generals asked the -victors to allow them to bury their comrades who had fallen on the -battlefield. But the Boeotians answered ‘When you give us back our -temple you shall bury your dead.’ - -The Athenians refused to do this, saying that Delium, the site on which -the temple stood, belonged to Attica, and they had a right to stay in -their own land. - -‘If you are in your own land,’ retorted the Boeotians, ‘do as you wish -without asking our consent.’ It was easy to say this, for they knew -that the defeated army was not strong enough to defy them. - -When the invaders still refused to leave the temple, the Boeotians -determined to drive them away by setting fire to the wooden barricades -with which the Athenians had fortified the temple. - -So they took a large beam of wood, and scooping out the centre made -it into a hollow tube. To one end they fastened, by an iron chain, a -huge caldron. In the caldron they placed charcoal and sulphur, while to -the other end of the tube they tied bellows, by which a strong current -of air could be blown through to the other end. When this was done the -charcoal and the sulphur in the caldron were fanned into a great blaze, -and the fortifications of the temple were soon on fire. - -The Athenians tried to quench the flames in vain, and at length they -were forced to flee, leaving the temple to the triumphant Boeotians, -who no longer refused to let them bury their comrades. - -The defeat of Delium was followed by many other disasters, and was the -beginning of the downfall of the empire of Athens. - -Meanwhile Brasidas had recovered from the wound that he had received at -Pylos. - -Never had there been so strange a Spartan as Brasidas. His countrymen -spoke as little as possible, and what they did say they said in a -brief, concise manner. In later days such short, pithy speech was -termed laconic. This name was used because Sparta was also called -Laconia. But Brasidas was not laconic, he spoke quickly and with ease, -and while his comrades liked to do things in the way their fathers had -done, Brasidas loved new ways and bold adventures. - -Spartans were seldom liked by strangers, for they were rough, often -even discourteous in their manner; but Brasidas had winning ways, and -wherever he went he made friends. He was not only pleasant, he was also -just, and strangers soon learned that his word could be trusted. - -This was the man who was now sent with an army through Thessaly. The -country was for the most part loyal to Athens, yet the Spartans reached -Macedon unhindered. - -Brasidas had been told that the city of Acanthus was ready to fling -open her gates to him, but he found them guarded. He asked to be -allowed to enter that he might tell the people why he had come to their -city, and they, won by his kind and simple manner, admitted him. - -His first words pleased them, for he told them that he knew how -powerful they were, and that if they refused to throw off their -allegiance to Athens many other cities would be encouraged by their -example. - -If they would trust themselves to Sparta, he promised that their city -should be free. ‘But should you refuse,’ and his voice grew stern, ‘and -say that I have no right to force an alliance on a people against its -will, I will ravage your land, and force you to consent. And for two -reasons will I do this. The tribute you pay to Athens injures Sparta by -making her foe stronger, and your example will make other cities resist -the claims of Sparta.’ - -The Acanthians were afraid that Brasidas would fulfil his threat and -destroy their fields, and trample on their grapes which were now ripe -and ready to pluck, so they determined to trust Sparta and throw off -their allegiance to Athens. - -Brasidas was pleased, for, as he had foreseen, other cities quickly -followed the example of Acanthus. - -Encouraged by his success the Spartan general now determined to attack -Amphipolis, an important town in Thrace, standing on the bank of the -river Strymon. - - - - -CHAPTER LXVIII - -AMPHIPOLIS SURRENDERS TO BRASIDAS - - -Amphipolis belonged to the Athenians, who had sent Thucydides and -Eucles to guard the city lest it should be attacked by the Spartans. -Thucydides had not only the city but a large district also to protect, -and he was at this time stationed with his troops at some distance from -Amphipolis, while Eucles was in the city itself. - -The bridge over the Strymon, which led to the city, was carelessly -guarded. So when, on a cold and wintry day, Brasidas reached the -river, he took the bridge without difficulty, making prisoners the few -soldiers who held it. - -Messengers were at once sent to Thucydides to tell him that the -Spartans had seized the bridge, and to beg him to come as quickly as -possible to protect the city. Before the day was over, Thucydides had -reached Eion, at the mouth of the Strymon. But his speed was of no -avail, for Amphipolis had already surrendered, tempted by the easy -terms that Brasidas had offered. - -When the Athenians heard that the city was lost, they were indignant -with Thucydides, and chiefly through the influence of Cleon, who -disliked him, he was sent into exile. - -The punishment was severe, but Thucydides was not idle during his -banishment. He travelled from place to place, and everywhere he went -he paid great attention to the ways of the people and to the manner -in which their cities were governed. He himself wrote, ‘Associating -with both sides, with the Peloponnesians quite as much as with the -Athenians, because of my exile, I was thus enabled to watch quietly the -course of events.’ - -After having studied the ‘course of events,’ Thucydides began to write -about the Peloponnesian war, and he became the greatest of all the -historians of Greece. - -After the surrender of Amphipolis in 424 B.C., city after city forsook -its allegiance to Athens. Scione did not even wait for the Spartans -to demand admission, they opened their gates and begged Brasidas to -enter. His presence pleased the people well, and when he had spoken to -them their enthusiasm knew no bounds. They sent for a crown of gold -and placed it on his head, calling him the ‘liberator of Hellas.’ Many -of the people, too, cast garlands over him as they were used to do to -victors at a race. - -Until now Brasidas had fought loyally for the sake of his country, but -after the crown of gold had rested on his head he grew more ambitious -to win fame for himself than glory for his country. It was his ambition -that made him now do all that he could to keep Sparta from making peace -with Athens, as she wished to do. - -Cleon, too, was eager that the war should continue, not in order to win -renown for himself, but rather that Athens might regain the empire that -Brasidas was snatching from her grasp. - -Two years after the surrender of Amphipolis, Cleon urged the Athenians -to make an effort to retake the city. His rough eloquence persuaded -them to undertake the task. He was himself appointed general, and was -sent to Thrace at the head of a large army. - -As he marched through the country he took several towns before he -reached Eion, at the mouth of the river Strymon. - -Here he halted, meaning to wait for reinforcements. But his soldiers -had little respect for their general. Was he not after all only a -leather-merchant? What could he know about war? And they clamoured to -be led at once against the enemy. Cleon did not dare to refuse to do -as his army wished, and he ordered his whole force to march toward -Amphipolis to find out the strength of the enemy. - -Brasidas was encamped with his army on the top of a hill, near to the -city, from which he could watch every movement of the enemy. - -When he saw the Athenians approaching, he ordered his men to march into -the town where the Spartan Clearidas was now governor. - -Cleon at once supposed that Brasidas had taken shelter within the walls -of Amphipolis so as to avoid a battle. Feeling no longer anxious, he -left his army near the city, but not drawn up ready for battle, and -himself rode carelessly forward to look at the surrounding country. - -Meanwhile some Athenian soldiers heard the restless movement of men and -horses within the walls, others looking under the gates saw many feet -gathering together. It was clear that preparations were being made by -the Spartans to sally out and attack them. - -A messenger was sent in haste to find Cleon. The general no sooner -heard the report than he hurried back to his army, and commanded it at -once to retreat toward Eion. To do this the Athenians had to march past -Amphipolis with their right sides unprotected, for their shields were -carried always on their left arm, which was now the farthest from the -walls of the city. - -The men had no confidence in their general, and they began to retreat -in disorder. From within the city, Brasidas was watching with keen eyes -the movements of the enemy. Suddenly he cried, ‘These men will never -withstand our onset. Look at their quivering spears and nodding heads. -Men who are going to fight never march in such a fashion as this. Open -the gates at once that I may rush on them forthwith.’ - -So the gates of the city were flung open and out dashed Brasidas -followed by his men, as he charged right into the centre of the -Athenian army. The left wing, seized with panic, fled. Clearidas -meanwhile led a body of men against the right wing, and a fierce -struggle followed. - -Cleon, less at home on a battlefield than in the assembly at Athens, -grew frightened at the unusual sights and sounds, and fled, leaving his -army without a leader. As he fled an arrow pierced him and he fell to -the ground, wounded to death. - -Brasidas also, as he turned to go to the help of Clearidas, was -wounded. His followers carried him within the walls of the city. He -lived long enough to know that the Athenians were utterly defeated. - -The people of Amphipolis had learned to love Brasidas, and he was -buried with great splendour in the market-place. A temple was built to -his honour, and every year sacrifices were offered and games were held -in memory of the brave soldier. - -So deep was the affection of the people that they determined to forget -that their city had been founded by an Athenian, and henceforth to -count Brasidas the Spartan the true founder of Amphipolis. - -As Cleon and Brasidas were both dead, the peace party, with Nicias at -its head, was able to arrange terms with the king of Sparta, and in -spring, 421 B.C., the Peace of Nicias was signed. The first part of the -Peloponnesian War, which had begun ten years before, was ended. - - - - -CHAPTER LXIX - -ALCIBIADES THE FAVOURITE OF ATHENS - - -The Peace of Nicias, which was made for fifty years, did not last more -than six. Thucydides tells us that it did not really last even so long. -For although for six years neither Spartans nor Athenians invaded each -other’s land, yet they did as much harm as they could to one another. - -‘So that,’ says the wise historian, ‘if any one objects to consider it -a time of war, he will not be estimating it rightly.’ - -Almost as soon as peace was signed, Sparta and the State of Argos -quarrelled. Each wished to get help from Athens, so each sent -ambassadors to her. The Argives boldly begged Athens to join them -against Sparta; the Spartans were content to remind her that she had -signed the Peace of Nicias. - -In Athens at this time there was a rich young noble named Alcibiades, -who wished the Athenians to make an alliance with the Argives. - -But the Spartan ambassadors had already been welcomed by the Athenians, -because they had come with full power to arrange fair terms. Alcibiades -was as determined as he was angry. To gain what he wished he resolved -to play a trick on the Spartan ambassadors. So he went to them in -secret, and told them how foolish they had been to tell the Athenians -what great powers they had, for the assembly would certainly wrest from -them more than they wished to give. - -‘When the assembly meets, tell the people,’ said Alcibiades, ‘that you -have no power, but that you will send their demands to the Spartan -council. I will support you and all will be well, for you will have -time to think over their wishes.’ - -The ambassadors thought that the young noble knew better than they -how his countrymen should be treated, and they promised to follow his -advice. - -So when the assembly met the next day, the Spartans declared that they -had come only to report what the Athenians should say, that they had no -power to arrange terms until they had heard from their own council. - -No sooner had they spoken than Alcibiades jumped to his feet, and to -the dismay of the ambassadors he pointed to them with scorn, saying, -‘These men say one thing one day, and another thing the next day; they -are not to be trusted. Let us refuse to have anything more to do with -them.’ - -The Athenians at once agreed with Alcibiades that it was useless to -treat with such unreliable ambassadors, and they then made an alliance -with the Argives. - -When the Spartans reached their own country they told how they had -been deceived by Alcibiades, and how rudely they had been treated by -the assembly. And this, as well as the alliance which the Athenians -had made with the Argives, was the cause of the second part of the -Peloponnesian War. - -The Spartans were thirsting to avenge the battle of Sphacteria, and to -wipe out the memory of their surrender. When they met the Athenians in -418 B.C. at Mantinea they fought with the courage and the fierceness -that had made them invincible until the fatal day of Sphacteria. - -Alcibiades, whose trick had been the cause of so much mischief, was the -son of an Athenian, named Clinias. - -While Alcibiades was still young his father died, and Pericles became -one of his guardians. He was a beautiful baby, a handsome boy, and when -he grew to be a man he was so brave and so winning in his ways that he -made friends very easily. - -But he made enemies as well as friends, for he was wild and wayward, -while his pride often made him behave with scant courtesy even to those -whom he should have treated with reverence and respect. - -Staid, sensible folk were shocked at his careless, extravagant ways. -Nicias distrusted him. But the citizens loved him and forgave him much, -for he spent his wealth freely among them, and often entertained them -with public shows. - -‘They love and hate and cannot do without him,’ wrote Aristophanes, as -he watched the Athenians now cherishing, now chiding, their favourite. - -One day, he was a mere lad at the time, he was wrestling with a -playmate, when, thinking he was going to be thrown, he suddenly bit his -companion’s hand with all his strength. His friend quickly let go his -hold, crying, ‘You bite, Alcibiades, like a woman.’ - -‘No,’ answered the boy, ‘like a lion.’ - -Another day he was throwing dice in the street with his playmates, when -a wagon pulled by two horses approached. It was the turn of Alcibiades -to throw, and he shouted to the driver to stop, but the man paid no -heed to the boy and drove on. The other children scampered out of the -way, but the wilful little noble flung himself down in front of the -horses and cried to the driver to go on now if he pleased. - -Afraid lest he should hurt the boy the man at once pulled up his -horses, while those who had been looking on in terror rushed forward -and dragged the foolish little fellow out of danger. But Alcibiades had -made the driver pull up and he was content. - -His want of self-control became greater as he grew older. When he was -at a grammar school he one day asked the schoolmaster to lend him one -of Homer’s books. The master said that he did not possess it, whereupon -the rude boy struck him and then turned and walked away. Some years -later he struck a citizen whose talent in the theatre had outshone his -own. - -When he was a young man he walked into the assembly with a pet quail -hidden under his cloak. This would have raised a storm of indignation -had it been done by anyone else. - -In the law court one of Alcibiades’ friends was accused, when the -favourite at once seized the writ and tore it in pieces before the face -of the judge. - -The young nobleman was rich, and much of his wealth he spent on horses. -He sent seven chariots to the Olympic games, and once, to the great -delight of the Athenians, their favourite won the first, second, and -third prizes. - -Euripides, the poet, sang of the triumph of Alcibiades in these lines: - - ‘But my song to you, - Son of Clinias, is due. - Victory is noble; how much more - To do as never Greek before; - To obtain in the great chariot race - The first, the second, and third place; - With easy step advanced to fame, - To bid the herald three times claim - The olive for one victor’s name.’ - -At one time Alcibiades owned a very large, handsome dog, for which he -had paid an enormous price. He ordered his tail, which Plutarch tells -us was ‘his principal ornament,’ to be cut off. - -His friends said that it was a stupid deed, and told him that every -one in Athens was angry that he had spoiled the noble appearance of -his dog. But Alcibiades only laughed, saying, ‘Just what I wanted has -happened then. I wished the Athenians to talk about this, that they -might not say something worse of me.’ - -It was natural that so reckless and generous a youth should be -surrounded by a crowd of flatterers, ready to applaud his foolish and -sometimes insolent acts. - -But Alcibiades had no love for these careless admirers, although he -would spend hours with them at feasts and revels. His affection he gave -to one whom you would scarcely have expected the gay young nobleman to -notice--to Socrates, the great philosopher and teacher of Athens. - - - - -CHAPTER LXX - -SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER - - -Socrates was born in 469 B.C. He was not a noble like Alcibiades, but -a man of humble birth. Nor was he handsome as was his disciple, but -plain, even ugly, the people said. He was small, too, and dressed with -little care. - -If anyone wished to find the philosopher, he knew that he had only to -go to the market-place or into the streets. Here, from early morning -until late at night, Socrates was to be seen, and always he was -talking, talking to all who were willing to listen. And there were ever -many who were not only willing but eager to hear what the teacher had -to say, for his words were so wise, his conversations so strange. - -Socrates believed that the gods had sent him to teach the Athenians. -From his boyhood he had heard a voice within him, bidding him to do -this, not to do that. He often spoke of this voice to those who became -his disciples. It became known as the dæmon of Socrates. - -The philosopher was a soldier as well as a teacher, and his philosophy -taught him how to endure hardship as well as or even better than could -the ordinary Athenian. - -In heat or in cold he wore the same clothing, and in all weathers he -walked with bare feet. He ate little and drank less whether he was in -the camp or in the city. - -Xanthippe, the wife of Socrates, had not a good temper, and she would -often scold the philosopher. That may have been because while he was -teaching wisdom in the market-place, Xanthippe was at home wondering -how to provide food for her husband and their children with the few -coins she possessed. Socrates was never paid by his disciples, and so -it often happened that Xanthippe found it difficult to get food and -clothing for her household. - -The philosopher taught for many years, but at length, in 399 B.C., his -enemies accused him of speaking against the gods of Athens. He had -even dared, so they said, to speak of new gods whom the people should -worship, and that was a crime worthy of death. - -Socrates took little trouble to defend himself against the accusations -of his enemies. His dæmon, he said, would not allow him to plead for -his life. So he was condemned to death, but only by a majority of five -or six votes out of six hundred. - -For thirty days Socrates was in prison, and he spent the time -in talking to his friends just as he had been used to do in the -market-place. - -One of his disciples, named Crito, bribed the jailer to allow his -prisoner to escape, but Socrates refused to flee. He did not fear -death, but faced it calmly as he had faced life. - -On the day before the sentence was carried out, he talked quietly to -his disciples of the life to which he was going, for he believed that -his soul, which was his real self, would live after he had laid aside -his body as a garment. - -When the cup of hemlock, a poisoned draught, was brought to him, his -friends wept, but he took the cup in his hand, and drank the contents -as though it were a draught of wine. - -His last words to Crito were to remind him to pay a debt. ‘Crito, we -owe a cock to Asclepius,’ he said. ‘Discharge the debt and by no means -omit it.’ Asclepius was the god of medicine, and in this way Socrates -showed his reverence for the religious customs of his country. - -[Illustration: He drank the contents as though it were a draught of -wine] - -This was the man who found in Alcibiades, despite his wild ways, a -noble mind and a kind heart. These he determined to educate. And -his pupil was quick to see that Socrates spoke truth to him. He soon -learned to appreciate his kindness and to stand in awe of his virtue. -Sometimes, indeed, the words of his master ‘overcame him so much as to -draw tears from his eyes, and to disturb his very soul.’ - -So dear did the philosopher become to Alcibiades that he often lived -in the same tent with him and shared his simple meals. Yet sometimes -he was tempted by his flatterers when they begged him to come to spend -the days in pleasure and the nights in feasting. Then he would yield to -their entreaties and for a while desert and even avoid his master. - -But the philosopher did not leave his pupil unchecked to do as he -wished. He ‘would pursue him as if he had been a fugitive slave.... He -reduced and corrected him by his addresses, and made him humble and -modest, by showing him in how many things he was deficient, and how -very far from perfection in virtue.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXI - -ALCIBIADES PRAISES SOCRATES - - -One of the most famous disciples of Socrates was Plato. He loved his -master well, and wrote down many of his conversations, so that his -words may still be read. - -In a book, named the _Symposium_, Plato tells us that Socrates and his -friends met at a banquet one day and spoke to each other in praise of -love. - -When it came to Alcibiades’ turn to speak, he was eager to tell of the -love he had for Socrates. He began by begging the others not to laugh -if he said first of all that Socrates was like the images of the god -Silenus, which they had often seen in the shops of Athens. - -Now Silenus was a satyr, a strange figure that was half man, half goat. -In his mouth were pipes and flutes upon which he played, while his -images were made to open, and within each might be seen the figure of a -god. - -As the gay company thought of the uncouth figure of the satyr, at which -they had often stared in shop windows, they could not but laugh at -Alcibiades for comparing his master to such an image. - -But when the young nobleman went on to speak of the god that was hidden -in Socrates, just as the image of one was concealed in the body of the -satyr, it may be that the laughter of the gay company was hushed. For -in truth the disciple could say no greater thing about the master he -loved than this, that within him he bore the likeness of a god. - -But Silenus was not the only satyr that reminded Alcibiades of his -master. Marsyas, a wonderful flute-player also made him think of -Socrates. For, said Alcibiades, ‘Are you not a flute-player, Socrates? -That you are, and a far more wonderful performer than Marsyas. He -indeed with instruments used to charm the souls of men by the power of -his breath. But you produce the same effect with your voice only, and -do not require the flute; that is the difference between you and him.’ - -Pericles, and other great Athenian orators, Alcibiades had heard, he -said, unmoved, while Socrates’ words, ‘even at second hand and however -imperfectly repeated, amaze and possess the souls of every man, woman -and child who comes within hearing of them.’ - -Alcibiades then told his astonished listeners how his master’s -eloquence held him as with chains of gold. - -‘This Marsyas,’ he says, ‘has often brought me to such a pass that I -have felt as if I could hardly endure the life which I am leading ... -and I am conscious that if I did not shut my ears against him, and -fly from the voice of the siren, he would detain me until I grew old, -sitting at his feet. For he makes me confess that I ought not to live -as I do, neglecting the wants of my own soul, and busying myself with -the concerns of the Athenians; therefore I hold my ears and tear myself -away from him.’ - -So greatly did the words of Socrates disturb Alcibiades that sometimes -he even wished that his master were dead and could trouble him no more, -and ‘yet I know,’ he adds quickly, ‘that I should be much more sorry -than glad if he were to die; so that I am at my wit’s end.’ - -But it was not only his master’s eloquence that Alcibiades praised -before the gay company of revellers, it was his deeds as well. - -During the Peloponnesian War both Socrates and Alcibiades were present -at the siege of Potidæa. - -‘There we messed together,’ said Alcibiades, ‘and I had the opportunity -of observing his extraordinary power of sustaining fatigue and going -without food. In the faculty of endurance he was superior not only to -me, but to everybody; there was no one to be compared to him, yet at a -festival he was the only person who had any real power of enjoyment.’ - -‘Cold, too,’ Alcibiades said, ‘Socrates could bear without flinching. -The winter at Potidæa was severe, the frost intense. The Athenian -soldiers stayed indoors when they could; when they were forced to be -out they put on as many extra clothes as they could find, their feet -they swathed in felt and fleeces.’ - -But Socrates, ‘with his bare feet on the ice and in his ordinary dress, -marched better than the other soldiers who had shoes, and they looked -daggers at him, because he seemed to despise them.’ - -Yet another tale of his endurance Alcibiades told to the listening -company. - -‘One morning,’ he said, ‘Socrates was thinking about something which he -could not resolve; he would not give it up, but continued thinking from -early dawn until noon--there he stood, fixed in thought; and at noon -attention was drawn to him, and the rumour ran through the wondering -crowd that Socrates had been standing and thinking about something ever -since the break of day. At last, in the evening, after supper, some -Ionians out of curiosity (it was now summer) brought out their mats -and slept in the open air that they might watch him, and see whether -he would stand all night. There he stood all night until the following -morning, and with the return of light he offered up a prayer to the sun -and went his way.’ - -Not even yet had Alcibiades exhausted the praises of his master, and -the gay company listened spell-bound and bewildered to the young noble. -They had not guessed how well he loved, how gravely he had studied the -words and ways of Socrates. Now it was of the courage of his master -that he wished to tell, for Socrates had saved his life in battle. - -‘This was,’ said Alcibiades, ‘the engagement in which I received the -prize of valour; for I was wounded and he would not leave me, but he -rescued me and my arms; and he ought to have received the prize of -valour which the generals wanted to confer on me, partly on account of -my rank, and I told them so (this Socrates will not impeach or deny), -but he was more eager than the general that I and not he should have -the prize.’ - -When the Athenians fled after the defeat of Delium, the young nobleman -was on horseback, and being himself safe, he watched Socrates, who was -among the foot-soldiers. - -‘There you might see him,’ said Alcibiades, ‘just as he is in the -streets of Athens, stalking like a pelican, and rolling his eyes, -calmly contemplating enemies as well as friends, and making very -intelligible to anybody even from a distance that whoever attacked him -would be likely to meet with a stout resistance; and in this way he and -his companions escaped.’ - -With one more tribute to his master, Alcibiades ended his discourse on -love: - -‘His absolute unlikeness to any human being that is or ever has been is -perfectly astonishing. His are the only words which have a meaning in -them, and also the most divine, ... extending to the whole duty of a -good and honourable man. This, friends, is my praise of Socrates.’ - -You will be glad to know that Socrates valued the love of his disciple -and returned it. - -‘I only love you,’ said the philosopher, ‘whereas other men love what -belongs to you; and your beauty, which is not you, is fading away, just -as your true self is beginning to bloom. And I will never desert you, -if you are not spoiled and deformed by the Athenian people: for the -danger which I most fear is that you will become a lover of the people, -and will be spoiled by them. Many a noble Athenian has been ruined in -this way.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXII - -THE IMAGES OF HERMES ARE DESTROYED - - -In the island of Sicily there were many different states. In some -of these dwelt Greeks who owned Corinth as their mother-city. Trade -between Sicily and Corinth was good, and because of this Corinth was -growing more powerful than Athens liked. - -War broke out in 416 B.C. between Segesta and Selinus, two cities in -the west of Sicily. When Selinus was joined by another town named -Syracuse, the Segestans in dismay sent to the Athenians to ask for -their help. - -It had long been the ambition of Alcibiades to conquer Sicily. He -believed, too, that it would add to the glory of Athens if the island -became part of the Athenian empire. - -So he now urged the assembly to send a fleet to Sicily, reminding them -that if it could conquer Syracuse, it would then be in its power to -ruin the trade of Corinth with Sicily. - -He did not tell the Athenians how great his ambitions were, but he told -them enough to make them wish to help the Segestans, that they might in -this way gain new territory for Athens. - -The assembly made up its mind to send ambassadors to Segesta, to find -out if the town was able, as she said she was, to provide money to -carry on the war, if the Athenians provided soldiers. - -When the ambassadors returned in the spring of 415 B.C. they brought -back with them a sum of money from the grateful Segestans. They -reported, too, that the wealth of the city was far greater than they -had dreamed. But although the ambassadors did not know until too late, -they had been deceived by the townsfolk. - -For the rich plate and splendid ornaments with which the Segestans had -adorned each feast to which the ambassadors had been invited, were -taken secretly from house to house. So that the gold and silver dishes -that dazzled the eyes of the Athenians were always the same, although -they believed that each of their hosts owned the splendid dishes with -which his table was laden. - -The sacred treasures of their temples, too, the Segestans pretended -were of gold, while in reality they were of silver. - -But the ambassadors were convinced that the people they had visited -were rich, and their report made the Athenians ready to do as -Alcibiades and his party wished. So it was agreed that sixty vessels -should be sent to the help of Segesta. - -Nicias, bent as ever on peace, did all he could to hinder the -expedition. But when, in spite of all he could say, the assembly still -determined to send a fleet to Sicily, he persuaded it at least to -increase the number of ships from sixty to a hundred. Nicias himself, -along with Lamachus and Alcibiades, was appointed commander of the -expedition. - -But the night before the fleet was to sail a strange event took place. - -All over the city, at the corner of streets, in some niche of a public -building, in front of the houses of the citizens, stood statues or -busts of the god Hermes, on short pedestals or pillars. - -These figures were reverenced by the Athenians, just as the image -of the Madonna by the roadside or in villages and towns abroad is -worshipped by Roman Catholics. - -On the night before the expedition the statues of Hermes were chipped -and broken, so that the god could no longer be recognised. - -In the morning as the Athenians went along the streets of the city, -bent on their usual business, these poor defaced images stared them -in the face. Little groups gathered at street corners, before public -buildings, wherever they had been used to see the statues of Hermes. At -first they gazed at their mutilated god in fear, but fear soon changed -to anger. - -Who had dared to do this impious thing, they asked one another. -It would surely bring down the wrath of the gods on the Sicilian -expedition. - -It was perhaps natural that the people should suspect their favourite -Alcibiades. Was he not often reckless and ever a mischief maker? They -were too excited to remember that he was not likely to do anything to -delay the expedition on which his heart was set. - -When he heard that the people thought that he had defaced the images, -Alcibiades demanded to be brought to trial. But no proof had yet been -found of his guilt, and it was decided that the fleet should sail, and -that Alcibiades should go with it. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIII - -ALCIBIADES ESCAPES TO SPARTA - - -A great crowd gathered at the Piræeus to see the fleet set sail for -Sicily. Groups clustered together, talking eagerly of the new empire -that was to be won in the West, and the glory that Athens would gain -from her conquests. It was a noisy, happy crowd. - -Suddenly the heralds called for silence, and a hush fell upon the -light-hearted folk as the priests prayed to the gods for the success of -the expedition. Sacrifices, too, were offered by officers and sailors -alike. Then to the strain of a hymn, in which the crowd of onlookers -joined, the anchors were raised and the fleet sailed slowly away. - -When the ships reached Sicily each commander had a different plan to -propose. - -Nicias, having learned how the ambassadors had been deceived, wished -to sail homewards, without helping the Segestans. Lamachus, a brave, -blunt soldier, wished to sail at once to Syracuse, and take the city -by a sudden attack. Alcibiades proposed that they should do nothing -until they had made allies of those cities that were not friendly to -Syracuse, and to this plan the other commanders at length agreed. - -Meanwhile two ships from Athens had followed Alcibiades to Sicily, for -the assembly had determined to arrest him, and bring him home to be -tried for the destruction of the images of Hermes. - -Alcibiades went quietly on board one of the ships, but he knew that if -he went back to Athens he would be condemned to death. So daring a deed -as the spoiling of their god was more than the Athenians could forgive -even to their favourite. And there were many who believed he was guilty. - -So when the ship reached a seaport town in Italy, Alcibiades slipped -on shore and escaped from his enemies. In his absence the Athenians -condemned him to death and confiscated his property, while the curses -of the gods were called down upon his head. - -Alcibiades was very angry when he heard what his countrymen had done, -and in his wrath he cried, ‘I will make them feel that I am alive.’ -And he fulfilled his threat. For he went at once to the Spartans, the -enemies of his own country, and told them the plans of the Athenian -generals. He bade them send a clever general, named Gylippus, with an -army to Syracuse, to help the city to withstand the attacks of the -Athenians. He also advised them to build a fort at Decelea, a town in -Attica, and to send troops there to harass the Athenians as much as -possible. - -To betray his country in this way would have been an unworthy deed for -any Athenian; it was the more unworthy in Alcibiades, because he had -learned from Socrates the true meaning of honour and righteousness. - -The Spartans were eager to profit by the advice of the traitor, and -they saw for themselves the wisdom of his words. But in their hearts -they did not trust the man who had betrayed his country. - -Alcibiades stayed in Sparta for some time, and while he was there he -tried to win the confidence of the people by doing as they did. - -‘People who saw him wearing his hair cut close, bathing in cold water, -eating coarse meal and dining on black broth, doubted or rather could -not believe that he had ever had a cook in his house, or had even seen -a perfumer or had worn a mantle of purple.’ - -It was said that Alcibiades was like a chameleon; because just as it -can change its colour as it chooses, so could the Athenian change his -dress and his customs as he willed. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIV - -THE SIEGE OF SYRACUSE - - -Nicias and Lamachus now determined to attack Syracuse without delay. - -They succeeded in seizing the high ground which joined the town to the -mainland of Sicily. Across this ground they began to build a wall, -meaning to cut the Syracusans off from help by land. The Athenian fleet -then sailed into the harbour of Syracuse, that so no help might reach -the city by sea. - -But before the wall was finished, two things had happened to frustrate -the plans of the Athenians. - -The Syracusans did not mean to let the enemy finish the wall if they -could prevent it, so they sailed out of the city to drive them away. In -the struggle which followed Lamachus was killed, and Nicias was left -alone to carry on the siege. - -But what was perhaps even worse for the Athenians than the death of -their general, was the arrival of Gylippus the Spartan commander. - -Almost before the Athenians were aware, Gylippus, at the head of his -troops, marched into Syracuse. Nor did he rest until he had driven them -from the hill on which they were encamped, and forced them to take up -their position close to the harbour. - -Nicias was ill, and his illness made him more hopeless than perhaps he -would otherwise have been. He wrote to the assembly to tell it that the -Spartans had wrested from the Athenians all that they had gained, and -that they were now themselves in danger of being besieged. - -The fleet, he said, had been drawn up on the beach for months, and -would have to be repaired before it was seaworthy. Even then it would -be difficult to man the vessels, for many of the crew had died and many -more were out of practice. - -So faint of heart was the Athenian general that, at the end of his -gloomy report, he urged that the whole enterprise should be given up, -or if not, that at least a new fleet might be sent out without loss of -time. For himself he begged that he might be recalled, as he was ill -and unfit for his duties. - -The assembly refused this last request, but it sent a new fleet to his -help, commanded by Eurymedon and Demosthenes. - -Meanwhile Gylippus was not idle. He attacked the Athenians both by land -and sea. By land he was victorious, but at sea he was defeated. - -Undaunted, he at once ordered that the bows of the Spartan vessels -should be made heavier and shorter. When this had been done he again -attacked the enemy’s fleet, and when the battle ended Gylippus held the -entrance to the harbour. - -The Athenians were now in great peril, for they were besieged both by -land and sea. They could not leave the harbour unless they cut their -way through the fleet of the victorious Syracusans, and this they had -no courage to attempt. - -But on the day after the battle which had seemed to seal their fate, -hope awoke once more in the Athenian ranks, for the new fleet, under -Eurymedon and Demosthenes, came in sight. - -The new commanders at once determined that the hill above Syracuse -must be retaken. So on a moonlight night the attempt was made. But -although a band of Athenians gained the hill, took a fort and repulsed -six hundred of the enemy, they were soon afterwards put to flight. Many -of the soldiers flung away their shields, as they were driven down -the hill, and fell over the cliffs. Others were pushed back upon their -comrades who were still climbing upwards, so that soon the whole army -was in confusion. - -This disaster crushed the spirit of the Athenians. Many of the -soldiers, too, had fever caused by the marshy ground on which their -camp was pitched. Many more were ill or wounded. - -Eurymedon and Demosthenes advised Nicias to order the whole army -to sail away before the entrance to the Great Harbour was entirely -blockaded, but to this he would not consent. It seemed that he was -afraid to return to Athens to tell that the expedition had failed. - -Demosthenes then urged Nicias at least to leave the harbour and sail to -a point where their supplies could not be stopped by the enemy. This -too, Nicias refused to do. - -But soon after his refusal, large reinforcements reached the Spartans, -and the general’s obstinacy gave way. He ordered the fleet to prepare -to leave the harbour. - -The men were glad to desert their unhealthy quarters and got ready in -haste, but secretly, that the Syracusans might not suspect their plans. - -All was ready, when, on 27th August 413 B.C., the night before the -fleet was to sail, an eclipse of the moon took place. - -Nicias was filled with superstitious fears. What might the eclipse not -portend? He sent to the soothsayers, who said that the fleet must on no -account leave the harbour for twenty-seven days. To disobey the oracle -would be fatal, so Nicias believed, and he at once forbade the fleet to -sail until the twenty-seven days had passed. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXV - -THE ATHENIAN ARMY IS DESTROYED - - -The Athenians made their preparations to retreat as secretly as -possible, but the Syracusans soon discovered their plans. When they -heard that their departure was delayed for twenty-seven days, they -determined to attack the Athenian fleet once more, and again they were -successful. - -On land the Athenians repulsed Gylippus, but they gained little by -this success, for the Syracusans had made up their mind that the whole -Athenian army should be destroyed. - -So, as Demosthenes had foreseen, they barricaded the entrance to the -Great Harbour, drawing their ships across it and lashing them together -with chains. - -Nicias saw that a battle must be fought, and he ordered a great number -of the land troops to go on board the fleet. At all costs he must -strengthen his navy. - -The first thing the Athenians had to do was to break through the ships -that were lashed together at the mouth of the harbour. But before the -chains could be broken the enemy was upon them, surrounding them on -every side. Despair gave the Athenians courage, and so desperately did -they fight that for a time it seemed that they might yet escape. - -Above the crash of vessels rose the cheers or groans of those who -watched the battle from the shore. - -Thucydides gives us a picture of the hopes and fears, the triumph and -despair of those who fought as of those who watched. He says: - -‘The fortune of the battle varied, and it was not possible that the -spectators on the shore should all receive the same impression of it. -Being quite close and having different points of view, they would -some of them see their own ships victorious; their courage would -then revive, and they would earnestly call upon the gods not to take -from them their hope of deliverance. But others, who saw their ships -worsted, cried and shrieked aloud, and were by the sight alone more -utterly unnerved than the defeated combatants themselves. - -‘Others again who had fixed their gaze on some part of the struggle -which was undecided were in a state of excitement still more terrible; -they kept swaying their bodies to and fro in an agony of hope and -fear, as the stubborn conflict went on and on; for at every instant -they were all but saved or all but lost. And while the strife hung in -the balance, you might hear in the Athenian army at once lamentation, -shouting, cries of victory or defeat, and all the various sounds which -are wrung from a great host in extremity of danger.’ - -At length the Athenians were pushed back and yet further back, until -the fleet was stranded on the shore. The soldiers who had been left on -land now rushed forward and succeeded in saving sixty of their ships -from the enemy. - -Demosthenes urged the men to embark and try once again to cut their way -out of the harbour, but they refused, so crushed were they by their -defeat. To retreat by land was all that the Athenians could now try to -do, yet in their hearts they knew that the retreat must end in slavery -or in death. - -The sick and the wounded were left behind. But those who were stricken -with fever, caused by the marsh land on which they had been encamped, -clung to their comrades, and scarce knowing what they did, begged that -they might not be left behind. But their strength soon failed, and they -sank down by the wayside to die. - -Nicias, ill as he was, did all in his power to encourage and cheer his -men. He himself led the van, Demosthenes brought up the rear. - -After marching for several days, the Athenians were parched with -thirst. When at length they reached a stream, it was to find the enemy -awaiting them on the farther bank. - -But their thirst was intolerable, and paying no heed to the foe, the -soldiers rushed to the water. As they stooped to drink, the Syracusans -fell upon them and put them to death. - -Demosthenes and his men had fallen behind the rest of the army, and had -already been forced to surrender. Nicias now saw that he, too, must -submit to Gylippus. - -Seven thousand prisoners were sent by the Spartans to work in stone -quarries. These quarries were like dungeons, but they were open to the -sky, and during the day the scorching sun beat down piteously on the -miserable prisoners, while at night the cold was so intense that sleep -was impossible. - -Here they were kept for seventy days, with only enough food to keep -them alive, and with scarcely any water to drink. Many of the men died, -those who survived were sold as slaves. - -Nicias and Demosthenes were both put to death. It is said that they -were tortured, although Gylippus did all he could to save them from the -angry Syracusans. Thus in disaster and defeat ended the expedition that -sailed forth so bravely from Athens two years before. - -Thucydides says that this expedition was ‘the greatest adventure -that the Greeks entered into during this war, and, in my opinion,’ -he adds, ‘the greatest in which the Greeks were ever concerned; the -one most splendid for the conquerors and most disastrous for the -conquered, for they suffered no common defeat, but were absolutely -annihilated--land-army, fleet and all--and of many thousands only a -handful ever returned home.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVI - -ALCIBIADES RETURNS TO ATHENS - - -Alcibiades fled from the Athenians to Sparta, but he did not stay there -long, for he soon grew tired of living as simply and frugally as the -people of that country. He had, too, made an enemy of one of the kings -of Sparta, so in the autumn of 412 B.C. he fled to Miletus in Asia -Minor, where Tissaphernes, the Persian governor, ruled for the great -king. - -Tissaphernes was a cruel man, but he was easily pleased by flattery. -Alcibiades soon discovered the governor’s weakness, and he determined -to win his favour by his agreeable speeches. He succeeded so well that -the Persian named some of his parks and pavilions Alcibiades, in honour -of the eloquent Athenian. - -The luxury and ease with which the Persians were surrounded pleased -Alcibiades after his course of Spartan fare and discipline, and he -indulged for a time in even greater magnificence than did Tissaphernes. -His anger against the Athenians had gradually grown less vehement, and -he now began to wish that they would forget their hatred of him and -recall him from exile. - -But they had little thought to spare for the traitor, for troubles were -pouring in upon them on every side. They had but lately heard of the -complete overthrow of their fleet and army in Sicily, and they were -now building a new fleet with money which Pericles had put aside long -before, lest at any time Attica should be invaded by sea. - -The Spartans, too, were still at Decelea, where they had built a fort, -not fourteen miles from the city. Town after town that had been allied -with Athens in the time of her prosperity now became her enemy. - -In their despair the Athenians had taken a desperate step--they had -asked their old enemies the Persians to come to their aid. - -It was then that Alcibiades saw an opportunity, as he thought, to help -the people whom he had so cruelly betrayed, and at the same time to -please the Persians. - -So he sent a message to the Athenians to say that if they would place -the government of Athens in the hands of a party named ‘The Four -Hundred,’ he would be able to persuade Tissaphernes to make an alliance -with them. For his master, the great king, would make no terms with -Athens as long as she was a democracy. - -The Athenians followed Alcibiades’ advice, and the government of the -city was entrusted to The Four Hundred for a short time. But Alcibiades -had not so much influence as he had believed, and the Persian -government still refused to help the Athenians. - -Partly perhaps in anger with Tissaphernes, partly because the Athenians -were not satisfied with the rule of The Four Hundred, Alcibiades helped -to overthrow them and to make Athens once again a democracy. - -So grateful were the people for his help, that they declared his exile -was at an end, and bade him return to Athens. - -But although Alcibiades longed to go back to Athens, he was content -to wait until he could return covered with glory. By his own request -he was given the command of a few ships, and with these he set sail -for the Hellespont. Mindarus, the Spartan admiral, with a large army -was there, hoping to stop the corn supply of Athens on its way to the -city from the Black Sea. If the corn supply was stopped, Athens would -starve, and Mindarus knew that the city would then soon be in the hands -of the Spartans. - -The Athenian fleet was in three divisions, and the one commanded by -Alcibiades passed the Hellespont unseen by the enemy and took Mindarus -by surprise. - -By land and sea desperate battles were fought, and in both the -Athenians were victorious. Mindarus was slain, and the Spartan fleet -was destroyed. The Hellespont was not blocked, and Athens was no longer -in danger of starving. - -The Spartans in their own laconic way sent a brief message to Sparta to -tell of their defeat. The despatch was seized by the Athenians before -it reached its destination. This is what the victorious people read: -‘The ships are gone; Mindarus is slain; the men are starving; we know -not what to do.’ - -For two years, from 409 B.C. to 407 B.C., Alcibiades stayed at the -Hellespont retaking cities which had thrown off their allegiance to -Athens and joined Sparta. Then feeling that now he might return with -glory, he set sail for Athens. - -Plutarch tells us that as Alcibiades drew near to the Piræus he was -afraid to venture on shore, until he saw friends waiting to welcome him: - -‘As soon as he was landed the multitude who came out to meet him -scarcely seemed so much as to see any of the other captains, but came -in throngs about Alcibiades and saluted him with loud acclamations, and -still followed him; those who could press near him crowned him with -garlands, and they who could not come up so close, yet stayed to behold -him afar off, and the old men pointed him out and showed him to the -young ones.’ - -In the assembly, crowns of gold were placed on his head, and he was -created general, with absolute power, over both the land and the sea -forces. - -His estates were given back to him, and a ‘holy herald’ was bidden to -absolve him from the curses which had been pronounced against him. - -The high priest alone refused to obey, for he said, ‘If he is innocent, -I never cursed him.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVII - -ANTIOCHUS DISOBEYS ALCIBIADES - - -The king of Persia was not pleased with his governor Tissaphernes, -because he had made an alliance with neither the Athenians nor the -Spartans. So he now sent his younger son Cyrus to take the place of -Tissaphernes, bidding him make terms with the Spartans. - -Lysander was now in command of the Spartan fleet. He was as brave and -as skilful an admiral as Brasidas had been, although he could not win -the trust of strangers as his famous countryman had done. But he gained -the affection of his men and cared for their welfare. - -Cyrus invited Lysander to a feast and tried to bribe him to join the -Persians, but in vain. - -The Persian prince then offered to give him whatever he chose to ask. -Lysander wished nothing for himself, but, to the surprise of all who -were present, he begged that the daily wage of his sailors might be -increased. - -In September 407 B.C., the Spartan sailed with his fleet close to the -harbour of Ephesus. About the same time, Alcibiades, with the Athenian -fleet, arrived at Notium, from which port he could watch the movements -of the enemy. - -As he had little money with which to pay his men, he determined to -leave the fleet in charge of his pilot, Antiochus, while he, taking -with him a few ships, sailed away to plunder a neighbouring city. In -this way he hoped to find the money that he needed. Alcibiades strictly -forbade Antiochus to risk a battle. - -[Illustration: The multitude saluted him with loud acclamations] - -No sooner, however, had the admiral gone than the pilot disobeyed his -orders, and with a number of ships he sailed past the Spartan fleet, -challenging Lysander to fight. - -The Spartan in reply merely sent a few vessels to drive away the -reckless pilot, but the ships that had been left at Notium soon noticed -that Antiochus was being chased, and they at once hastened to join him. - -In a short time the two fleets were engaged in battle. Antiochus was -slain, and fifteen of the Athenian ships were taken or sunk. Those -that escaped sailed to Samos, where Alcibiades soon joined them. He -determined, if it were possible, to avenge the punishment the Spartans -had inflicted on the Athenian vessels, so he sailed to Ephesus and -offered battle to Lysander. But the Spartan had won a great victory and -he did not mean to risk a defeat. He refused to fight again. - -Alcibiades still had enemies in Athens, and they were so angry with -him for having left the charge of the fleet to Antiochus that they -clamoured for his command to be taken from him. The assembly was forced -to yield to them, and Alcibiades was deposed, while the command was -given to an Athenian named Conon. - -The admiral then fled to a city on the Hellespont, where he had long -ago bought a castle, lest at any time he should need a place of refuge -from his enemies. - -Conon, the new commander, gained a great victory, at the island of -Arginusæ, on the coast of Asia. After the victory a storm arose, and a -dozen Athenian vessels which had been disabled in the battle went down -with all their crews on board. - -No attempt was made to rescue the unfortunate sailors, and eight -Athenian generals were ordered to come home to be tried for neglect of -duty. Six only obeyed. - -The assembly met and condemned the generals, but their sentence was -left undetermined. On the day after the trial a festival was held in -the city, at which solemn family gatherings took place. - -When the relations of those who had perished at Arginusæ appeared, clad -in black, their number roused the people to fresh fury against the -condemned generals. - -The assembly met shortly afterwards, and one of the members demanded -that the people should vote without delay, and if the generals were -found guilty that they should be put to death. - -Now the generals had not yet finished their defence; moreover, there -was a law in Athens that prisoners should be judged and sentenced one -at a time. - -At first the assembly wished to obey this law, but the mob was so -fierce that it yielded, and pronounced sentence of death on all the -generals at once. To each was brought a cup of hemlock. - -Socrates was present in the assembly, and he was not afraid to denounce -the sentence as unlawful. Nor would he withdraw his protest in face of -the angry crowd. This was a brave deed, such as you would expect from -the great philosopher. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVIII - -THE WALLS OF ATHENS ARE DESTROYED - - -The last battle of the Peloponnesian War was fought in the Hellespont -in 405 B.C. The Athenians had drawn up their ships near a desolate spot -named Ægospotami, and they soon found that it was an awkward place from -which to get provisions for the army. There were no houses near, from -which they could demand help, so the sailors were forced to leave their -ships and scour the country round about for food. So dreary was the -spot that the Athenians longed to fight at once. - -But Lysander was in a strong position on the other side of the strait; -he had, too, a plentiful supply of food, so that he did not mean to let -himself be forced into a battle. - -Again and again the Athenians sailed across the strait, hoping to tempt -the Spartans to fight, but Lysander refused to move. - -As the weeks passed, the Athenians grew careless of an enemy that -seemed too lazy or too cowardly to fight. They left their ships -well-nigh unguarded, and wandered over the country in large numbers in -search of food. - -Alcibiades, from his castle not far off, saw that the Athenians were -in a dangerous position, and that they were leaving their ships -unprotected. He rode over to Ægospotami to warn the generals to seek -a safer position. At Sestos, a town but two miles off, they would be -better able to defend themselves from the Spartans, should they be -attacked. They would also be able to command provisions. - -But the generals did not wish to listen to Alcibiades, and their pride -forbade them to follow his advice. They spoke rudely to him, telling -him to be gone, that now not he but others had the command of the -forces. - -The very day after Alcibiades had warned them, the Athenians, leaving -their ships for the most part unmanned, set out to search the -countryside for food. - -Lysander knew how the enemy usually spent the afternoons. Now that they -had grown heedless of danger he determined to attack the forsaken ships -without further delay. - -So he ordered his vessels to row quickly across the strait and he -found, as he expected, the Athenian fleet utterly unprepared for battle. - -There was indeed no battle fought, for the Spartans easily captured one -hundred and seventy ships, and took more than four thousand prisoners, -among whom were three or four admirals. - -Conon alone, with eight ships, succeeded in escaping. But he dared not -return to Athens with tidings of the disaster, for he knew that if he -did so he would be condemned to death. So he sent a ship to carry the -terrible news to the city. - -It was evening when the vessel reached Piræus. - -‘The noise of wailing spread all up the Long Walls into the city, as -one passed the tidings on to another; that night no one slept.’ For now -there was no fleet to hinder the Spartans from stopping the supply of -corn, and the Athenians knew that they must starve or surrender. - -For a little while the city refused to yield. But she had no allies, no -ships, no money, and no corn could enter the town. The wretched people -were dying of hunger before Athens surrendered to the Spartans in March -404 B.C. - -She expected no mercy from her conqueror. Even as she had destroyed -many a Spartan town, so she thought that now she herself would be -utterly ruined. - -But Sparta proved less harsh than Athens had deemed was possible. The -city was indeed to be ‘rendered harmless for ever, but not destroyed.’ - -All that was left of her fleet was taken away, and the walls of Piræus -and the walls leading to Athens were pulled down. - -Lysander stood near, looking on, as the Athenians and the Spartans -together began to break down the walls. - -It was not so gloomy a scene as you might have expected. Perhaps the -Athenians were glad that at length the long and desperate struggle had -come to an end. Flute players and dancers were present, and added a -strange touch of gaiety to the crowd. - -Soon after the surrender of Athens, Lysander was ordered to put -Alcibiades to death, lest he should encourage the Athenians at any time -to throw off their allegiance to Sparta. - -Plutarch tells us that ‘those who were sent to assassinate him had not -courage enough to enter the house, but surrounded it first and set it -on fire. - -‘Alcibiades, as soon as he perceived it, getting together great -quantities of clothes and furniture, threw them upon the fire to choke -it, and having wrapped his cloak about his left arm, and holding his -naked sword in his right, he cast himself into the middle of the fire, -and escaped securely through it, before his clothes were burnt. - -‘The barbarians, as soon as they saw him, retreated, and none of them -durst stay to wait for him, or to engage with him, but, standing at a -distance, they slew him with darts and arrows.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIX - -THE MARCH OF THE TEN THOUSAND - - -In 404 B.C., soon after the disaster of Ægospotami, Darius, king of -Persia, died. His eldest son Artaxerxes succeeded to his father’s -throne. - -Cyrus, the younger son, who was present at his father’s death, was -accused by Tissaphernes of trying to secure the throne for himself. - -Artaxerxes believed Tissaphernes, and Cyrus was arrested, and would -have been put to death had not his mother pleaded that his life might -be spared. - -The king listened to his mother’s request and set his brother free. -He even allowed him to govern the provinces that had been his in his -father’s lifetime. - -But Cyrus felt no gratitude to his brother, he hated him, and was -determined if it were possible to seize his throne. - -So he hired a large number of Greek soldiers, for now that there was -peace between Athens and Sparta, many of them were idle and glad to -take service under Cyrus. - -The prince pretended that he was going to fight against Tissaphernes, -and no one save himself and the Spartan, Clearchus, who was the leader -of the Greeks, knew that the army was going to Babylon to fight against -Artaxerxes, king of Persia. - -Among the Greek soldiers was Xenophon, a scholar and a pupil of -Socrates, who wrote the story of this expedition. - -Early in 401 B.C., Cyrus assembled his troops at Sardis. When they -arrived at Tarsus, a city on the coast of Cilicia, the soldiers began -to suspect that Cyrus was going to lead them against Artaxerxes. They -were not afraid of the great king, but they were afraid to leave the -sea behind them, for that was ever a terrible thing to the Greeks. So -they refused to march farther. - -Clearchus, who was a stern commander and no favourite with his men, -tried in vain to quell their rebellion, but all his efforts were vain. -Not a step forward would they march. - -He had used his authority and failed, now he resolved not to command -but to persuade. So he called his men together again, and as he looked -at them he wept. - -Their grim, stern commander shedding tears! The soldiers stared at him -in open-eyed wonder. - -Then Clearchus bade them see in how difficult a position they had -placed him, for he must either fail Cyrus or forsake them. Forsake -them he could not, so he declared, for were they not ‘his country, his -friends, and his allies’? - -These words pleased the soldiers well, but what pleased them even more -was that when Cyrus sent to ask their commander to go to his tent, he -refused to go. - -But they were less content when Clearchus reminded them that as they -refused to follow Cyrus, they could no longer expect him to give them -food or wages. What, he asked them, did they mean to do? - -All that they could do was to send a few of their number to the prince -to ask him where he intended to lead them. - -Cyrus answered that he was taking them to the river Euphrates, to fight -against a Persian rebel, and at the same time he offered to increase -their wages if they would obey Clearchus. - -The Greeks were far from home, and not knowing what else to do, they -agreed to follow their commander. But they did not trust Cyrus, -and they still suspected that he wished to march beyond the river -Euphrates. And when they reached the river their suspicions proved -true, for Cyrus told them plainly that he was going to Babylon to -dethrone his brother Artaxerxes. - -As the Euphrates was unusually shallow, the army was able to cross over -on foot, and soon afterwards it was in the desert of Arabia. - -Xenophon tells us that the desert was ‘smooth as a sea.’ There were no -large trees in all the great expanse, but there were many shrubs that -had a pleasant scent. - -The soldiers did not find the march across the desert dull, for they -saw many strange beasts, unlike any they had ever seen--wild asses, -ostriches, antelopes,--and these they hunted with zest. - -When the desert lay behind them they found themselves in a land where -fields had been dug and gardens tended. Here, too, a little before -them, was Artaxerxes, with a great army, ready to fight to the death -for his crown. - -The king was encamped at a place called Cunascæ, where in the summer of -401 B.C. a battle was fought. Strange as it may seem, before a blow was -struck, the Persians were seized with panic and turned to flee. Only -Tissaphernes at the head of the cavalry stood firm. - -Cyrus with a small body of men, about six hundred in number, dashed -upon the centre of the army, for there, surrounded by six thousand -horsemen, was Artaxerxes. The guards scattered before his fierce -attack, and the king turned to fly with them. - -Then Cyrus, careless of aught save his desire to slay his brother, and -gain his crown, galloped after him, attended by only a few of his own -bodyguard. - -As he drew near to the king, he hurled a javelin at him and wounded him -slightly. Almost at the same moment Cyrus himself was wounded in the -eye, and shortly after he fell from his horse and was slain. - -Cyrus was dead, and ten thousand Greek soldiers were left alone with -their generals in a strange land, surrounded by enemies. Tissaphernes -pretended to be a friend to the Greeks, and offered to guide them -safely home. So the two armies set out together, but before long the -Greek soldiers grew suspicious of the Persians. To reassure the men, -Tissaphernes invited Clearchus and his captains to his tent. - -The Greek general accepted the invitation, and, never dreaming of -treachery, he went to the Persian’s tent with four other generals, -twenty captains and a few soldiers. - -No sooner had they entered than the captains and soldiers were seized -and put to death by the order of Tissaphernes. Clearchus and the other -generals were loaded with chains and sent to the king. Artaxerxes -commanded that they, too, should be put to death. - -The Persians believed that the Greek army would now be forced to -surrender. For, alone in an unknown land, without a leader, how could -they hope to reach their own country? - -But the greatness of their danger roused the courage of the Greeks. -Xenophon, who was at the time only a young man, made an eloquent speech -to the army, bidding them choose new generals and obey them, for in -this way only could they hope to escape from their enemies. - -The men did as he advised, choosing Xenophon himself as one of the new -generals. - -And now began the retreat of the ten thousand through untold -difficulties. To go back the same way as they had come was impossible, -for the roads would be guarded by the Persians. So they turned to the -north and marched through a wild and barren country, where fierce -hillmen held the narrow passes through which they must pass. - -Sometimes the savage tribes hurled down upon them from the heights -great pieces of rock, and the soldiers lived in dread of being crushed -to death by their unseen foes. - -When they reached Armenia it was December and bitterly cold. They were -overtaken by a snowstorm so severe that many of the men lost their way. -In vain they tried to rejoin their comrades, and at length, utterly -worn out, they stumbled into great snowdrifts or lay down on the road -to die. - -Still the army struggled bravely on, in the face of the biting north -wind, until at length it reached a tributary of the river Euphrates. -This they crossed in safety, to find that most of their difficulties -were over, for soon after they reached a city called Gymnias. - -Gymnias was a prosperous mining town, and the inhabitants welcomed the -ten thousand gladly and gave them food and shelter, after they had -heard of the terrible difficulties through which the men had come. - -But the soldiers did not linger long at Gymnias. They were eager to set -out again, for a guide promised that in five days he would bring them -to the sea. - -‘On the fifth day the Greeks came to a hill, and when the van reached -the summit a great cry arose. When Xenophon and those at the rear heard -it they thought that an enemy was attacking in front; but when the cry -increased as fresh men continually came up to the summit, Xenophon -thought it must be something more serious, and galloped forward to the -front with his cavalry. - -‘As he drew near he heard what the cry was--“The Sea, the Sea.”’ - -A few days more and the ten thousand were on Greek soil. Here they -rested for a month, offering glad sacrifices of thanksgiving to Zeus, -who had brought them back in safety to their own land. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXX - -PELOPIDAS AND EPAMINONDAS - - -When Sparta heard that Artaxerxes had been able neither to force the -ten thousand to surrender nor to slay them, she thought that his army -could not be very powerful. So, confident in her own strength she went -to war against the great king, dreaming that she would conquer Persia -and add it to her dominions. - -But instead of conquering the country, the Spartans were so often -defeated that, in 387 B.C., they were willing to make peace on any -terms which Artaxerxes chose to make. - -And the king saw to it that the terms were severe, for he demanded that -the Greek cities in Asia, which had now been free for ninety years, -should once again acknowledge him as their lord. - -To those Greeks who loved their country truly, it seemed better to -fight to death than to accept such terms. Nor will you wonder at this -as you read the proud words in which the king couched his demands. - -‘King Artaxerxes thinks it just,’ he wrote, ‘that the Greek cities in -Asia should belong to him. He also thinks it just to leave all the -other Grecian cities both small and great independent, except three -cities which are to belong to Athens as of old. Should any parties -refuse to accept this peace I will make war upon them, along with those -who are of the same mind, both by land and sea, with ships and with -money.’ - -The states of Greece accepted these terms, which were carved on stones -and placed in their temples, so that it could be seen by all that -Greece was no longer free. - -Although Sparta had been defeated by the Persians, she was the most -powerful state in Greece. Wishing to add to her possessions, she -determined to seize the little town of Thebes, which at this time was -friendly with Athens. - -The two governors of Thebes, Leontiades and Ismenias, did not get on -well together. Leontiades disliked his colleague so bitterly that he -was ready even to betray his city, if by doing so he could injure -Ismenias. - -In September 382 B.C. a Spartan army, led by a general named Phœbidas, -chanced to be marching through Bœotia. Not far from the walls of Thebes -the soldiers halted to rest. - -Leontiades thought this was the opportunity for which he had been -waiting. He would be able to get rid of Ismenias with the help of the -Spartans. They had already determined to seize the town, but this the -traitor did not know. He went secretly to the camp, asked for Phœbidas, -and was admitted to the general’s tent. He at once offered to open the -gates of Thebes to the Spartans on the following day. - -It would be an easy matter to seize the citadel if the gates were -opened, for on the morrow a festival kept by women alone was to be held -there, while at noon the men would be in their houses dozing during the -hottest part of the day. - -The Spartan general was as eager to take the city as Leontiades could -desire, and the traitor slipped back to the city thinking of nothing -save that Ismenias would soon be out of his way. - -At noon on the following day, the Spartans marched to the gates of -Thebes, and there, according to his compact, was Leontiades waiting to -admit them. Silently he drew the keys from under his cloak, unlocked -the gates, and Phœbidas at the head of two thousand men entered the -city. They made their way at once to the citadel, took possession of -it, and made the women, who were keeping the festival, prisoners. - -Before long the men of Thebes roused themselves from their noontide -nap, to find, to their dismay, that their wives and daughters were in -the hands of the Spartans. - -Leontiades ordered his rival Ismenias to be arrested, and soon after -the miserable governor was sent to Sparta and cruelly put to death. - -Three hundred Thebans, who were determined not to submit to Sparta, -succeeded in escaping from the city and reaching Athens. Many who -wished to flee did not dare to do so, lest in their absence harm should -befall their wives and daughters. - -Leontiades was rewarded for his treachery by being still allowed to -rule in Thebes, along with a Spartan general. So harshly did Leontiades -use his power that the people hated him, but years passed before the -tyrant’s power was wrested from him. - -During these years those who had fled to Athens often heard from the -miserable Thebans of the hardships they suffered under the stern rule -of Leontiades. - -Among the exiles was a young nobleman named Pelopidas. Often he would -tell his fellow exiles that it was dishonourable to dwell in comfort in -Athens while their city was not free, and he would urge them to march -against the Spartans, and banish them from Thebes. - -Pelopidas had a great friend in Thebes named Epaminondas. And although -the two friends did brave deeds not only for their city, but for -Greece, they are remembered most of all for the great love they bore -each to the other. - -Both were of noble birth, but Pelopidas was rich, while Epaminondas was -poor. Pelopidas had a generous nature, and used his money to help those -who were not so well off as he was. Even among his friends many were -quick to accept his kindnesses, but Epaminondas would never take from -him either gold or gifts. - -Pelopidas resolved that if Epaminondas would not share his wealth, he -would share his friend’s poverty. So he bade his slaves lay aside his -soft, silk robes, that he might clad himself in garments as simple as -those of Epaminondas. He would allow no rich dishes to be set before -him at table, but he ordered that his food should be both plain and -scanty. In the camp he endured hardships as a common soldier, in war he -showed himself bold as a lion. - -The friends were clever and well-trained, both in mind and body, but -Pelopidas was often to be found in the fields, while Epaminondas was -listening to lectures. - -Each longed to serve his country well, but no touch of jealousy -disturbed the beauty of their friendship. It was founded deep on -reverence and love. - -Some years before the treachery of Leontiades, when the Spartans were -at war with Athens, the Thebans had sent a troop of soldiers to the -aid of Sparta. Among the soldiers were the two friends Pelopidas and -Epaminondas. - -The company with which the Theban soldiers fought was beaten, and many -fled from the field. But Pelopidas and Epaminondas joined their shields -together and fought on bravely. Pelopidas was wounded seven times, and -at length, faint with the loss of blood, he fell to the ground. - -Epaminondas thought that his comrade was dead, but he resolved that the -enemy should have neither the arms nor the body of his friend. So he -stood over him with his shield, willing rather ‘to die than forsake his -helpless Pelopidas.’ - -Soon Epaminondas himself was so severely wounded that he was no longer -able to defend the body of his friend. Had not the king of Sparta -chanced to see his danger, and with a few followers dashed to his -rescue, he would have been slain by the foe. But the king carried off -both Epaminondas and Pelopidas, who was then found to be still alive. - -Pelopidas recovered, although his wounds had been severe, and never did -he forget that it was his friend who had saved his life. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXI - -THE SEVEN CONSPIRATORS - - -Three years passed before the Theban exiles, encouraged by Pelopidas, -formed a plot to deliver their city from the Spartans. - -They were helped in their plans by Phyllidas, a Theban who had stayed -in the city and become secretary to the Spartan governors Archias and -Philippus. He had taken this position under the enemy that he might be -able the better to help his own countrymen. He agreed with Pelopidas -that the time to act had now come. - -Epaminondas was also in Thebes, but he would have nothing to do with -the plot. He would fight when the time for fighting came, but to slay -even tyrants unawares was not to his liking. - -Pelopidas and six other exiles did not share the scruples of -Epaminondas. They disguised themselves as farmers or country folk, and -one evening reaching Thebes as it began to grow dark, they slipped one -by one at different times into the city. They then found their way to -the house of a citizen named Charon, who had promised to shelter them. - -Snow was falling and the streets were nearly deserted, so that the -return of the exiles was unnoticed. - -On the following day, Archias and Philippus were to be present at a -great banquet. Phyllidas, the secretary, had promised to bring to the -feast seven beautiful Theban women. He told no one that the promised -guests were the seven exiles, who had resolved to don a second disguise -to enable them to be present at the banquet. - -The day of the feast passed slowly for the conspirators, but at length -evening came, and the exiles were putting on the garments that were to -make them appear like beautiful women, when a loud knock came to the -door. - -Already the long day had tried them sorely, and the knock filled them -with foreboding. - -When the door was opened their hearts beat quicker, for there stood a -soldier who bade Charon come to the banqueting hall without delay. - -Had Charon betrayed them? The exiles looked uncertainly one at the -other. Then they grew ashamed of their distrust and bade their host -hasten to Archias to allay his suspicions, if indeed they had been -aroused. - -Charon was brave and true and he knew that the lives of the seven men -were in his hand. He hoped that they trusted him, yet he wished to -dispel any doubt that they might have. So he hastened to the nursery of -his little son, and carrying the child to Pelopidas, he placed him in -his arms, saying, ‘If you find me a traitor, treat the boy as an enemy -without any mercy.’ - -But the exiles protested, and truly, that they trusted him well and -needed no such hostage, while Pelopidas bade him take the child back to -his nurse. - -Then Charon, staying only to ask the help of the gods, hastened to the -banqueting hall. - -Archias and his secretary were awaiting him, and Archias said, ‘I have -heard, Charon, that there are some men just come lurking into the town. -We fear lest they have come to stir up the citizens.’ - -‘Who are they? Where are they hidden?’ asked Charon. For he wished to -find out how much Archias knew. - -But Archias knew nothing. It was but a rumour that had reached him. - -‘Do not disturb yourself because of a rumour,’ said Charon, who had now -no fear of discovery. ‘There are many tales told in the market-place. -But I will find out if there is truth in what you have heard.’ - -Archias was glad to leave the matter to Charon, for he was impatient -to go back to the feast. So Charon hastened back to his house to tell -Pelopidas and his comrades that their fears were needless, for Archias -suspected nothing. - -But although Charon did not know it, a letter was at that moment being -placed in the hands of Archias that might easily have ruined both him -and the conspirators. For it told Archias the whole plot, as well as -the names of those who were to take part in it. - -The letter had been sent from Athens, and as the messenger handed it -to the Spartan governor, he said, ‘The writer of this desired that it -might be read at once; it is on urgent business.’ - -But Archias could think of nothing that night save the banquet and the -beautiful Theban women, who should now soon arrive. - -Thrusting the letter unopened under the cushion on which his head -rested, Archias cried, a smile upon his face, ‘Urgent business -to-morrow.’ And these words were ever after used as a proverb by the -Greeks. - -The conspirators had now reached the hall. Their beautiful dresses were -wide and loose, for beneath their splendour they wore armour. On their -heads were garlands of pine and fir, so that their faces might not be -seen. - -Archias and his guests clapped their hands gleefully. Here at last were -the beautiful Theban women whose presence Phyllidas had promised should -grace the banquet. - -But in a moment the conspirators had torn off their disguise. Archias -and Philippus were slain almost before they had time to realise their -danger, while the guests who had rushed to their aid were also put to -death. - -Pelopidas and his comrades then hastened to the house of Leontiades. -But he heard them knocking at the door, and when they rushed into his -room a few seconds later, he met them with his sword drawn, and slew -the first man who entered. - -A terrible struggle then took place between Leontiades and Pelopidas, -but at length the traitor was wounded to death. - -The conspirators then ran to the prison, ordered the gates to be -opened, and the prisoners to be set free and armed, for their only -crime had been loyalty to their city. - -As day began to dawn, troops from Athens poured into the city to help -the Thebans. The Spartans fought fiercely, but after a few days the -garrison was forced to surrender, and once again Thebes was free. - -The grateful citizens then assembled in the market-place, where the -priests crowned Pelopidas and Charon, while the people appointed them -governors of the city. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXII - -THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA - - -Thebes had always been a dull, unambitious, little town, but now her -ambition awoke. She was not content only to be free, she wished to -become the most important town in Bœotia. - -And there was one of her citizens who was so great a soldier and so -wise a statesman, that he was able to do for Thebes more than she -dreamed. Epaminondas not only made Thebes the chief city in Bœotia, but -several years later, he conquered the Spartans, and so made her the -most important town in Greece. - -Pelopidas, too, fought for the glory of his country. He became the -captain of a band of three hundred young Thebans, who had sworn to -defend their city with their lives. - -These three hundred soldiers, more strictly trained than other youths, -were named the Sacred Band, because each member was a friend to the -other. As they had sworn to defend their city so they had promised to -stand by one another unto death. - -After many victories, of which you will read, the Sacred Band fell on -the battlefield. Even their conqueror, as he looked upon them shed -tears, saying, ‘Perish any man who suspects that these men either did -or suffered anything that was base!’ - -For two years after Thebes won back her freedom, Sparta never ceased to -try to wrench it from her. But at the end of two years she was forced -to leave the Thebans alone, for all her soldiers were needed to fight -against the Athenians, who had once more declared war against their -ancient foe. - -While the Spartans and the Athenians waged war one against the other -Epaminondas was not idle, for he subdued the Bœotian cities which had -dared to help Sparta while Thebes was in her power. - -Pelopidas, too, won a great victory in 375 B.C. against the Spartans at -Orchomenus. He had with him only the Sacred Band and a small company of -cavalry when he found himself unawares facing a large Spartan army. - -‘We are fallen into the midst of the enemy,’ cried one of the Band. -‘Why so, more than they into the midst of us?’ said Pelopidas. - -The rare confidence of their captain inspired the Band to fight even -more valiantly than usual, and to win a great victory over the large -army of the Spartans. - -This victory encouraged the Thebans so much that in the following year -they succeeded in banishing the Spartans from Bœotia. - -Thebes was now at the head of the Bœotian Confederacy, just as Sparta -was ruler of the Laconian Confederacy. Four years later, in 371 B.C., -the Greek States met to arrange terms of peace among themselves. - -It was agreed that each city should be treated as independent. But when -Agesilaus, king of Sparta, rose to take the oath, he took it not alone -for his own city, but for the cities that belonged to her allies as -well. - -Epaminondas sprang to his feet to remonstrate, saying that if Agesilaus -was allowed to take the oath for the allied cities, he too must be -permitted to take it for all the cities of Bœotia. - -The Spartan king, angry with the bold demand of the Theban, taunted him -with taking away the liberty of the Bœotian cities. - -‘And what do you do with the liberty of the cities of Laconia?’ -retorted Epaminondas. - -Agesilaus was astonished at what he considered the insolence of the -Theban. In a rage he snatched up the treaty of peace, struck out the -name of Thebes, crying that if the Thebans wished war they should have -it. The other cities signed the treaty, so Sparta and Thebes were left -to settle their quarrel alone. - -Epaminondas hastened back to Thebes, where he was at once chosen -general of the Theban army. - -Without delay he set out to secure a pass by which he thought the -Spartans would attempt to enter Bœotia. - -But the Spartans, led by Cleombrotus, one of their kings, did not try -to enter by the pass. Finding a narrow mountain track, they succeeded -in eluding Epaminondas, and marching within eight miles of Thebes. - -Here, on the plain of Leuctra, the Spartans encamped in 371 B.C. - -Near to Leuctra were the tombs of two Bœotian maidens. Many years -ago they had slain themselves, because of the cruelty with which the -Spartans had treated them. - -An old prophecy said that some day the Spartans would be defeated at -the tombs of the maidens. Epaminondas, although he did not greatly -believe in soothsayers, encouraged his captains to fight by reminding -them of this old saying. - -Before the battle Pelopidas had a strange dream. In his dream he saw -the two maidens of Leuctra alive and wandering about the plain. Their -father, too, was there, and Pelopidas heard him say that if the Thebans -wished for victory, they must sacrifice to the gods a maiden with -chestnut hair. - -When he awoke, Pelopidas told his dream to the other captains, and as -they were wondering what to do, a colt of a bright chestnut colour ran -through the camp. - -‘So,’ cried a soothsayer, ‘the sacrifice is come. Expect no other, but -use that which the gods have sent.’ - -Then the colt was solemnly offered in sacrifice at the tombs of the -maidens. And the army was content, for the gods, they were sure, would -give them the victory. - -Until now a Greek army had always been drawn out in a long, narrow -line. But Epaminondas arranged his men in a new way. His left wing was -only a few men wide, but it was fifty men deep, which made it unusually -strong. - -Pelopidas with his Sacred Band was placed in front of the heavy left -wing, while the rest of the army was arranged as usual. - -The Spartan cavalry attacked the Theban horse, but it was soon driven -from the field. Cleombrotus was with his right wing and he now led it -against the strong left wing of the enemy. - -Bravely as the Spartans fought, they could not withstand the onslaught -of the left wing, led by the Sacred Band. - -Cleombrotus fell and was carried from the field, wounded to death. The -Spartans still struggled bravely, although their king was slain. But -when Epaminondas called to his men, ‘Give me a step more and the day -is ours,’ the Thebans spurred on to one more effort, broke the Spartan -line and put it to flight. The Thebans had won the day, with but little -loss of life, while four hundred Spartans had been slain. - -Cleombrotus was the first Spartan king who had fallen on a battlefield -since the fatal day of Thermopylae. - -The terrible news of the defeat of Leuctra was sent to Sparta, but the -citizens were too well disciplined to show the dismay which they must -have felt. - -They had been beaten by the inhabitants of the dull little town of -Thebes, yet no sound of grief was heard in their streets, nor was any -sign of mourning to be seen. - -It was on a festive day that the fateful tidings reached the city, and -sacrifices were offered and games held as though nothing had happened -to interrupt the usual rites. - -Those whose friends had fled looked sullen and ashamed, for it was -counted a disgrace to leave a lost battlefield alive. Those whose -friends had fought to the death were to be seen in the streets the -following day, with faces that were calm and content. Of such stern -stuff were the Spartans made. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIII - -THE DEATH OF EPAMINONDAS - - -Thebes was now the most powerful city in Greece. But Epaminondas was -not yet content. He wished to invade Sparta. - -In November 370 B.C. he marched with his army into Arcadia, which lay -to the north of Laconia. Here he was joined by all those who wished to -throw off the Spartan yoke. His army soon numbered forty thousand, some -even say it was seventy thousand strong. - -Sparta could hardly believe that any one had dared to invade her -territory. She was used to fighting in other states of Greece or in -other countries, but it would be a new experience if she was forced -to fight for her own homes. Yet there was Epaminondas and his army -encamped within sight of the city. - -The Spartan women had never before seen the smoke of an enemy’s fire -camp, and they gave way to despair, in spite of their stern training in -self-control. - -But the Theban general was too wise to attack the city. He knew that -the Spartans had gathered together a large army, and that they would -fight to the death for their homes. So, satisfied that he had encamped -in sight of Sparta, he turned away, destroying the land through which -he passed. The Spartans were eager to follow and fight with the enemy -who had defied them, but their king refused to lead them to battle. - -Epaminondas was not yet ready to leave Spartan territory. He led his -army to the country of Messenia, which the Spartans had conquered many -centuries before, banishing or making slaves of the people. - -The Theban general roused the descendants of these slaves, and -encouraged them to build a new city on Mount Ithomé, where Aristomenes -had made his gallant stand against the Spartans. - -While the first stones of the new city were being laid, the sound of -flutes was heard. When it was finished it was named Messenia. A large -piece of ground which belonged to Sparta was given by Epaminondas to -the citizens of the new town. Those who had been slaves or Helots were -now free men. - -The army then marched back to Thebes, which it reached four months -after the time for which Epaminondas had been appointed commander. - -In spite of all he had done for his country, his enemies wished him to -be punished, because he had not laid down his command on the proper -day. But he appealed to the people, and they gladly made him, along -with Pelopidas, general for another year. - -When the year had passed, Epaminondas was treated coldly, not only by -his enemies but by the people also, because he had failed to surprise -and take the city of Corinth. - -In Thessaly at this time there was a cruel king named Alexander. So -badly did he treat his subjects, that they begged the Thebans to come -to their help. - -Pelopidas was sent to Thessaly to punish Alexander, unless he promised -to treat his people less harshly. The king was forced to listen to -the Theban general, but he was angry because Pelopidas had dared to -interfere with him and he resolved to punish him. - -For some time the king found no opportunity to reach his enemy, but at -length Pelopidas was foolish enough to go through Thessaly with only a -few followers. - -Alexander was overjoyed to have the general in his power, and he at -once sent a band of men to capture him and throw him into prison. - -But the Thebans were very angry when they heard that their favourite -general was a prisoner, and they determined to set him free. So they -sent a large army into Thessaly to rescue Pelopidas. - -Epaminondas went with the army as an ordinary soldier, and you can -imagine how he must have longed to be at its head, so that he might -himself deliver his friend. - -The Theban generals were not clever, and though they did all they could -to conquer the army that Alexander sent against them, they soon saw -that the battle was going against them. - -Then they showed that if they were not clever they were wise, for they -went to Epaminondas, and begged him to take command of the army. - -But it was too late for even a clever general to rescue Pelopidas, -and all Epaminondas could do was to save the Theban army from being -destroyed. - -The Thebans were so grateful to Epaminondas for his help that they made -him general once more, and sent him back to Thessaly with a larger army -that he might save his friend. - -Alexander knew that he need not hope to conquer the great Theban -general, and a few days after Epaminondas entered Thessaly, the king -set Pelopidas free. He then asked the Thebans to make peace with him. - -Three years later, in 364 B.C., Pelopidas was ordered to go at the head -of an army against his old enemy. - -As he was ready to leave Thebes, the sun was eclipsed and the -soothsayers did not hesitate to say that this was a bad omen. Many of -the soldiers were afraid to march, and Pelopidas was too angry to wait -to force them to go with him, so he set out with only a few men. When -he reached Thessaly he bade all those who hated the tyrant to join him. - -Thousands who had groaned under the cruelty of the king flocked to his -side, but even then the army of Alexander was twice as large as his. - -The two forces met at a place called Cynoscephalæ, where a great battle -was fought. - -Pelopidas led his men well, and himself fought so bravely that the -battle was all but won in spite of the greater strength of the enemy. -Suddenly Pelopidas caught sight of Alexander, and forgetting everything -save his desire to avenge his imprisonment, he sprang forward to slay -the tyrant. Ere his followers could reach him, he himself was struck -down and killed. - -Alexander was defeated and his kingdom was taken from him. But the -Thessalians could not rejoice, because Pelopidas, to whom they owed -their deliverance, had been slain. They buried him with great pomp on -the field where he had fallen. - -Epaminondas was filled with grief at the loss of his dear friend. He -tried to forget his sorrow in serving his country. - -In 362 B.C. he fought at Mantinea against the Spartans, on the field -where long before he had saved the life of Pelopidas. - -Never had Epaminondas fought more bravely than on this day, leading the -Bœotians against the foe ‘as a war-galley ploughs through the waves -with its beak.’ - -The victory was well-nigh gained, when a Spartan thrust his pike -through the breast of Epaminondas. He fell, and his men carried him off -the field to a little hill, from which the battle could be seen. - -For a short time the great general lay unconscious, but at length he -opened his eyes and asked if his shield was safe. He was told that it -was safe and that the battle was won. - -Then he begged to see his two chief officers. They had fallen on the -field, and when the news was broken to him, the dying man said, - -‘Then you had better make peace.’ - -The head of the spear that had struck the general was still in the -wound. As it was withdrawn he breathed his last. - -It was Epaminondas who had made Thebes great. After his death she -slowly slipped back into her old insignificant position. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIV - -THE TWO BROTHERS - - -The city of Corinth stood upon the narrow isthmus that joined the -mainland of Greece to the Peloponnesian peninsula. She had two -harbours, a large fleet, and she carried on a prosperous trade with -other countries. - -As the city grew strong and populous, she began to plant colonies in -other lands. One of the wealthiest of these colonies was the town of -Syracuse in Sicily. - -In 346 B.C. Syracuse was in the power of a tyrant named Dionysius. The -other cities in Sicily would have been in the same plight had their -inhabitants not fled to a neighbouring town, and sought the aid of a -powerful prince named Icetes. Icetes had a large army, and with its -help they hoped to be able to overthrow Dionysius. - -But trouble after trouble overtook the people, for the Carthaginians -had sailed from Africa and had reached their shores. Sicily was in -despair lest they should conquer the island and make it their own. - -In their distress, the Sicilians sent messengers to Corinth, -their mother-city, to beg her to help them to get rid of both the -Carthaginians and Dionysius. - -Icetes pretended to approve of this, but no sooner had the ambassadors -set out for Corinth than he made friends with the Carthaginians. He -hoped that if they drove Dionysius away, he himself would become tyrant -of Sicily. - -In Corinth, about twenty years earlier, there dwelt two brothers of -noble birth--one was named Timophanes, the other Timoleon. Never were -two brothers more unlike save that both were brave. Timophanes was -cruel and ambitious, while Timoleon was gentle and content. Yet under -his quiet ways Timoleon had one strong passion and that was the love he -bore his country. - -Timophanes was a captain in the Corinthian army; his brother served in -the ranks. - -Once when the captain was sent against a neighbouring state, he was -thrown from his horse, which had been wounded. He fell close to the -enemy and his men fled, leaving him in danger of being taken prisoner. - -Timoleon saw what had happened, and rushing from the ranks, he stood -over Timophanes with his shield, and defended him from the spears which -were being hurled at him by the enemy. Although he himself was sorely -wounded, he never flinched. But at length his comrades rushed to his -aid and drove off the foe. Timoleon had saved his brother’s life. - -Not long after this, Timophanes was given the command of four hundred -foreign soldiers. This pleased the captain, but to the dismay of the -citizens he used the troops to make himself tyrant of the city. - -All who dared to oppose him he put to death, while he ruled so harshly -that he was hated and feared by everyone. - -Timoleon was ashamed of his brother’s behaviour. He begged him to treat -the people more kindly, and if he must rule at least to rule with -justice. But Timophanes first mocked at his brother’s words, and then -he grew angry and refused to listen to them. - -Gentle as Timoleon was, he could be strong when there was need to be -so. In a short time he went again to his brother, taking with him two -friends who used to admire Timophanes. - -Together the three men besought the tyrant to give up the power he had -so wrongfully seized, and to serve his country in an upright way. - -Again Timophanes laughed at his friends, but when they persisted in -their entreaties he grew angry, and rudely bade them begone. Then -Timoleon hid his face in his cloak and wept, while the others put his -brother to death. - -The Corinthians, for the most part, praised Timoleon because he loved -his country so well that he sacrificed his brother for her sake. But -there were some citizens who blamed Timoleon for allowing his brother -to be put to death before his eyes. His mother refused to see him and -called down upon him the curses of the gods. This pained Timoleon more -than anything else, and he begged her to see him, if it were but once. -But she would not allow him to enter her house. - -Timoleon loved his mother, and her treatment made him so sad that he -refused either to eat or to drink. He resolved to starve himself to -death rather than endure his mother’s reproaches. - -His friends did all they could to comfort him, and at length they -succeeded in persuading him to eat. But his sorrow was too great to -let him stay in Corinth, so he left the city, and for several years he -lived by himself. Even when he returned to Corinth, he still refused to -take part in any public business. - -Timoleon was fifty years old when in 346 B.C. the Syracusans sent to -the Corinthians to beg for help against the Carthaginians. - -The Corinthians determined to send an army to Sicily to help their -fellow-countrymen, but they could find no one willing to go at its head. - -Some one proposed that Timoleon should be made commander of the force -that had been raised, and he was at once appointed. - -Perhaps Timoleon thought that it was now time that he should do -something for his country; in any case he undertook the task that was -given him with goodwill. - -One worthy citizen bade Timoleon act ‘like a man of worth and -gallantry. For,’ said he, ‘if you do bravely in this service we shall -believe that you delivered us from a tyrant; but if otherwise, that you -killed your brother.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXV - -TIMOLEON SENDS DIONYSIUS TO CORINTH - - -Timoleon was ready to sail to Sicily with a fleet of seven vessels and -a force of about one thousand men, when a message from Icetes reached -the Corinthians. - -The traitor told them it was useless to try to help the people of -Sicily, for he had joined the Carthaginians, and their combined army -would easily crush any force that was sent against them. - -This made the Corinthians so angry that they at once added two hundred -soldiers to Timoleon’s small army, as well as three vessels to his -fleet. - -Even so, Timoleon’s task seemed hopeless. Athens, with hundreds of -ships and with tens of thousands of men, had failed to take Syracuse. -How then could the Corinthian hope to do so with his handful of men and -his small fleet? - -Before he sailed, Timoleon journeyed to Delphi to offer sacrifices to -Apollo. As he prayed in the temple, a wreath slipped from its place -and fell upon his head. It seemed to Timoleon that Apollo was already -crowning him with victory. - -At length all was ready, and the army embarked and set sail with a -favourable wind. Suddenly a bright flame leaped out from the sky and -hovered over the ship in which Timoleon sailed. The flame soon changed -into a torch which guided the ships until they reached Rhegium, a town -in Sicily. - -Here Timoleon learned that Icetes had already defeated Dionysius, who -was now shut up in the citadel of Syracuse, and that he had sent the -Carthaginians with twenty warships to Rhegium to keep the Corinthians -from reaching Sicily. - -Timoleon had only ten vessels, and he knew it would be impossible to -leave Rhegium unless he could in some way cheat the enemy. - -So he pretended to agree to Icetes’ demands, and then begged the -Carthaginian generals to go with him to the assembly to tell the people -what they had agreed. Meanwhile he had given orders to his fleet to be -ready to sail the moment he returned. - -In the assembly the generals and the people of Rhegium began to talk, -and they grew so interested in what they were saying that they paid -very little attention to Timoleon. The generals indeed forgot all about -him, which was just what the Corinthians had hoped would happen. - -By and by when the conversation seemed most engrossing, Timoleon -slipped quietly out of the hall and hastened to the harbour. The moment -he was on board his ship, the fleet set sail and before long reached -Sicily in safety. - -Without their generals, the Carthaginians had not known what to do, -and while they had hesitated Timoleon had escaped. But when the -Carthaginian generals found out how they had been tricked, their -indignation knew no bounds. - -Not far from the small town at which the Corinthians landed was a city -named Adranum, where there was a temple consecrated to the god Adranus. -This deity was reverenced throughout the whole island. - -The city was divided into two parties, one of which sent for Icetes, -the other for Timoleon, to help them each against the other. - -Both generals at once set out for Adranum, Icetes with five thousand, -Timoleon with only twelve hundred men. On the second day the -Corinthians found that in spite of all their haste they had been -outstripped by the army of Icetes. It was already encamped close to the -city. - -The Corinthian officers begged Timoleon to order a halt, as there -seemed no need for further haste, and their men needed food and rest -after their hurried march. - -But Timoleon wished to take the enemy by surprise. He thought that if -they did not delay they would reach Icetes and his men while they were -putting up their tents and preparing supper. So instead of listening to -his officers, he seized his shield, and going to the head of his army -he bade them follow him and he would lead them to victory. The enemy’s -camp was still three and a half miles away, but the Corinthians marched -on bravely. - -As Timoleon had hoped, he reached the camp of the enemy while the men -were getting ready a meal and were unprepared to fight. - -Before they were aware of his approach, Timoleon had fallen upon them -and put them to flight, taking the camp as well as many prisoners. - -The people of Adranum at once opened their gates to the victorious -general, and told him that when the battle began, the doors of their -temple suddenly opened of their own accord. On the threshold stood -their god, holding his javelin in his hand. It was trembling as though -the god was weary with its weight. - -Other cities, when they heard of the victory of the Corinthians, gladly -entered into alliance with them. - -Meanwhile Dionysius, shut up in Syracuse by Icetes, was growing tired -of his position, and food was becoming scarce in the citadel. He, too, -thought it would be well to make terms with Timoleon. - -So he sent to the Corinthian general to offer to surrender the citadel -if he would promise to send him in safety to Corinth. - -When Timoleon heard this he felt more than ever sure that the gods were -on his side. He gladly accepted the tyrant’s offer, and at once sent -two of his officers and a company of men to receive the keys of the -citadel. - -Dionysius treated the Corinthians well, leaving to them a number -of horses, a store of weapons and two thousand soldiers. He himself -escaped from the city and fled to the camp of Timoleon. Soon afterwards -he set sail for Corinth. - -Tidings of his arrival was sent before him, and as the ship drew near -to the harbour, the people gathered there in excited groups. They had -often shuddered at the tale of the cruel deeds of the man who was now -coming to their city, shorn of his power. They were eager to see him. - -A few weeks later they wondered if this man had really been as cruel -as they had been told. They saw him contentedly loitering in the -market-place or spending long hours in the shops of the perfumers, and -it seemed to them as though he must always have been as harmless as he -was now. In later years the tyrant is said to have taught the boys and -girls of Corinth to read, and he also trained those who wished to sing -in public. - -Timoleon had not been fifty days in Sicily before Dionysius was on his -way to Corinth. The Corinthians were so pleased with their general -that they determined to send him reinforcements, both of cavalry -and infantry. But it was some time before the fresh troops reached -Timoleon, for the Carthaginian fleet was waiting near the coast of -Italy to bar the way. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVI - -ICETES TRIES TO SLAY TIMOLEON - - -The small band of Corinthians who now held the citadel of Syracuse was -closely besieged by Icetes. But soon he grew tired of waiting for it to -surrender and hit, as he thought, on a quicker way of driving the enemy -out of the island. - -Without Timoleon he would not fear the Corinthians, so he resolved to -get rid of him without delay. He hired two foreign soldiers and sent -them to Adranum with orders to kill the general. - -Timoleon went about without a bodyguard, as Icetes knew. When the -assassins reached the city, he was in the temple, sacrificing to the -gods, for it was a festival. - -With their daggers hidden beneath their cloaks, the men slipped in -among the crowd of worshippers and were soon standing together, close -to the altar. - -As they hesitated to strike the fatal blow, a sword flashed out behind, -and one of them fell slain to the ground. - -His companion, in his terror, forgot to kill Timoleon, and laid hold of -the altar lest he too should be slain by an unseen foe. - -When his terror grew a little less he did not try to obey Icetes’ -orders, but begged Timoleon to spare his life and he would tell him -everything. - -Timoleon promised that his life should be safe, and then the miserable -man confessed that he and his friend had been hired by Icetes to kill -the Corinthian general. - -Meanwhile the stranger who had killed one of the assassins had fled to -the top of a great precipice that overlooked the city. Here he was -captured, and as he was hurried before Timoleon he told the guards that -the man he had slain was one who years before had killed his father. He -pleaded that he had done right to punish the evil-doer. - -It may be that the Corinthians and the citizens of Adranum agreed with -their prisoner; in any case they were so grateful that he had saved the -life of Timoleon that they gave him a gift of money and set him free. - -As the attack on Timoleon had failed, the Carthaginians thought they -would try to frighten the citadel of Syracuse into surrendering. So -they decked the masts of their ships with wreaths, and hung Grecian -shields over the sides of their vessels. Then with shouts of victory -they sailed toward the harbour. - -From the citadel, the garrison saw the ships and heard the shouts, -but it was not so easily deceived as Mago, the general of the -Carthaginians, had expected. The Corinthians were sure that Timoleon -would have managed to let them know had he been defeated, so they -laughed at the enemy’s trick and stayed safe within their walls. - -Soon after this the reinforcements sent from Corinth joined Timoleon, -and he then marched to Syracuse. - -Mago had already begun to doubt the loyalty of Icetes. He feared that -he was trying to make terms with Timoleon. When, a little later, he -saw the soldiers of both generals talking together in a friendly way -as they fished for eels in the marshes near to the city, he grew more -suspicious. Day by day his fears grew, until at length in a panic, he -ordered his troops to embark and set sail for Africa. - -The very day after Mago had deserted his post, Timoleon himself reached -Syracuse. He looked at the empty harbour. Where was the enemy? Not a -single Carthaginian vessel was to be seen. - -When Timoleon learned how Mago had fled, he laughed at his cowardice, -and still laughing he offered a reward to anyone who would tell him -where the Carthaginians had hidden. - -But although Mago had fled, Icetes and his men still held the city. -But the wisdom of Timoleon and the valour of his troops soon put them -to flight, and without the loss of one Corinthian soldier the city was -taken. - -This wonderful success was said by everyone to be due to the good -fortune that followed all that Timoleon undertook. - -The citizens of Syracuse thought that Timoleon would now make himself -tyrant. To their surprise as well as to their joy, he proclaimed that -they themselves were to govern the city. He ordered the public crier -to go through the streets, bidding all those who were willing, to come -with pickaxe and hammer to pull down the citadel which Dionysius had -built. - -The people did not need to be asked twice. With right goodwill they -destroyed not only the citadel, but the palaces in which the tyrants -of Syracuse had dwelt. And while they pulled down the walls, flutes -sounded and women danced and sang. On the places where the palaces had -stood, Timoleon ordered courts of justice to be built. - -So neglected and forsaken had the city been during the rule of the -tyrants, as well as during the siege, that grass was growing in the -market-place, grass enough to feed the soldiers’ horses. - -All over Sicily, cities had been deserted, and in some of them deer and -wild boars wandered up and down the streets. - -Timoleon saw that if the island was to grow prosperous again, those who -had fled must be brought back, and new citizens must come and settle in -the different cities. - -So he sent to Corinth to ask her to send out colonists to the island. -This she did, and she also sent vessels to Asia to bring back to their -island home those who had taken refuge there. Soon sixty thousand -citizens were added to the inhabitants of Sicily. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVII - -THE BATTLE OF CRIMISUS - - -The exiles who had returned to Sicily, and the colonists who had come -to settle there, were needed, not only to till the ground but to defend -the island. For the Carthaginians, angry with Mago’s failure, now sent -to Sicily an enormous army, seventy thousand strong. - -The Syracusans were frightened to see so large a force, and not more -than three thousand men were willing to go with Timoleon against the -enemy. He hired four thousand soldiers, but of these one thousand -deserted before a battle was fought. - -Near the river Crimisus the Carthaginians encamped, and thither -Timoleon hastened with his faint-hearted army. - -On their way they met a number of mules laden with baskets of parsley. -Now the Sicilians were used to place wreaths of parsley upon the tombs -of their dead, so they were sure that it was a bad omen to meet the -mules, and they grew still more uneasy. - -But Timoleon laughed at their fears, telling them that in Corinth the -victors at the games were crowned with chaplets of parsley. He then -lifted some from the baskets, and twisting it into a wreath he placed -it on his head, his officers first and then the soldiers following his -example. - -At that moment two eagles flew toward the army. One carried in its -talons a snake, which it had killed, the other uttered loud cries as of -victory. Here was a good omen! It was ever a sign of success to see an -eagle, and the soldiers thanked the gods and plucked up courage. - -Before long Timoleon led his men to the top of a hill that looked down -on the river Crimisus. But at first he could see nothing, for a thick -mist veiled the river. - -The hill was still hidden from sight when the mist lifted from the -river, and Timoleon saw that the Carthaginians had begun to cross to -the other side, but they had no idea that the enemy was near. - -Now was the time, thought Timoleon, to charge the enemy, while it was -crossing the river. So bidding the trumpets sound, he seized his shield -and ordered his troops to advance. - -The courage of the men had returned, and with cheers they rushed down -the hill and charged the Carthaginians, who, taken by surprise, yet -fought bravely. They wore heavy armour and their breastplates were able -to resist the thrust of the Corinthian spears. Soon the men were at -close quarters with swords drawn, and a terrible struggle began. - -It seemed that now one side, now the other would conquer. While the -victory still hung in the balance, a violent storm broke over the -battlefield. - -The thunder crashed so that the orders of the officers could no longer -be heard. Lightning flashed in the eyes of the startled horses and -blinded them, while torrents of rain and hail dashed in the faces of -the Carthaginians. - -As the ground grew muddy, the soldiers slipped and fell to the ground. -The Sicilians, who wore light armour, easily struggled to their feet, -but their foes found it almost impossible to rise. - -Soon the river overflowed its banks and swept across the battlefield. -This was more than the Carthaginians could bear, and they turned and -fled, but many were overtaken by the swift-footed Sicilians and slain. - -The victorious army found more spoil than they had thought possible--a -thousand breastplates and ten thousand shields of marvellous -workmanship, as well as ornaments of gold and silver were taken. - -When tidings were sent to Corinth of the great victory of Crimisus, the -richest of the spoil was also sent to the city. - -On the booty were written these words, ‘The people of Corinth and -Timoleon, their general, having redeemed the Greeks of Sicily from -Carthaginian bondage, make oblation of these to the gods, in grateful -acknowledgement of their favour.’ - -Sicily was now free, and the people in their gratitude begged Timoleon -to become their king. But this he would not do, nor would he even keep -the command of the army. His wife and children whom he had left in -Corinth joined him, and for a time he lived with them in Syracuse as -quietly as any other citizen. When he left the city it was to live in a -beautiful country house which was given to him by the grateful people -of Syracuse. - -As he grew older, Timoleon’s eyesight failed, and at length he became -quite blind. But old and blind as he was the people did not forget all -that he had done for them, and they loved and trusted him as in happier -days. - -If trouble arose in the assembly, they would beg him to come to give -them his advice. And the old man would order his car, which was drawn -by mules, and be driven to the hall. Here he would sit and listen to -the troubles of the people, and when he spoke it was seldom that his -words were not obeyed. - -Three or four years after the battle of Crimisus, Timoleon died. The -grief of the Syracusans was deep, for they had loved their deliverer -well. - -Thousands of men and women, clad in white and crowned with garlands, -followed his body as it was carried slowly through the city, past the -places where once the palaces of the tyrants had stood. - -As the bier was laid on the funeral pile, a herald cried aloud, ‘The -people of Syracuse inter Timoleon the Corinthian at the public expense -and decree that his memory be honoured for ever, by games held each -year, the prizes to be competed for in music, in horse-races and all -sorts of bodily exercises, and this because he suppressed tyrants, -overthrew the barbarian, replenished the principalities that were -desolate with new inhabitants, and then restored the Sicilian Greeks to -the privilege of living by their own laws.’ - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVIII - -DEMOSTHENES WISHES TO BECOME AN ORATOR - - -Demosthenes, the great Athenian orator, was born in 384 B.C. He was a -shy and delicate boy, and often stammered when he spoke. Some of his -companions were cruel enough to laugh at him and even to imitate his -stammer. So he would often slip away from his playmates, but when they -saw that he did not join in their games, they but laughed at him the -more. - -The father of Demosthenes was a rich man, He died when his little -son was seven years old, leaving his fortune to his child. But the -guardians who took charge of Demosthenes and his wealth were careless -and dishonest men. Some of the boy’s money they lost, some they spent -on themselves. - -As the child grew older, his guardians found that there was little -money left to use for his education. They could not afford to get the -best teachers, nor did they pay well those whom they employed. So that -Demosthenes was often taught carelessly or not at all. - -Of the boy’s mother we are told little, save that she was kind to her -delicate little son and tended him with care. But she, too, died while -he was still young. - -Demosthenes did not learn his lessons well or quickly, but he was -interested in all that went on around him, and he soon began to -distrust his guardians. Long before he was sixteen years old, he knew -that they had lost his money, and even then he hoped that some day he -would be able to punish them. - -The boy loved the beautiful city of Athens in which he grew up. Never -did he tire of gazing at the wonderful temples, the noble statues which -made her renowned throughout Greece. - -There were in these as in other days famous orators in Athens, to whom -the citizens were ever eager to listen. For they were well pleased -to be reminded of the glorious days of Thermopylae, and of Marathon, -though now they were not anxious to win glory on the battlefield. They -had grown rich and indolent, and were content to stay at home, content -to go to games and to theatres. - -Demosthenes often heard his teachers talk of the great orators of -Athens, and he wished that he might listen to their eloquent speeches. - -One day Callistratus, a famous orator, was to speak at a great trial -that was taking place in the city. - -The boy begged to be allowed to go, and his tutor at length agreed to -find a corner in the hall where the boy might sit to see and to hear -all that went on. - -Demosthenes could imagine no greater treat than to be there, hidden -away in the midst of the crowd, to listen to Callistratus. - -The speech was a great one, and when it was over the Athenians crowded -round the orator, eager to applaud, while many followed him to his -home. Demosthenes came away with his ambition roused. He said to -himself, ‘I too will be an orator and make the people do as I wish. -They shall applaud me, even as they have applauded Callistratus to-day.’ - -But another reason that made him wish to speak in public was that he -might expose the dishonesty of his guardians in the law courts. For he -could not be content until they were punished. - -When the boy had made up his mind to be an orator he lost no time in -beginning to study. He knew that he must work hard if he would succeed. - -For two years he read history, wrote speeches, and when it was -possible, went to hear famous orators. When he was eighteen he thought -that he was ready to speak in public. So he went to the law courts and -accused his guardians of theft. - -At first little notice was taken of what the lad said, but he pleaded -his cause again and again, until at length he won his suit, and his -guardians were punished. But it was too late to recover the money, -which was now nearly all lost. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIX - -DEMOSTHENES THE GREATEST ORATOR OF ATHENS - - -Demosthenes had spoken in the law courts, but he was not content. His -great ambition now was to speak in the assembly of Athens. He wished -to remind the Athenians of their glorious past, he wished to encourage -them to fight against the enemies of their country. - -His first attempt was a failure. His voice was weak, his sentences -long, and before he had finished what he wished to say, the people were -laughing and jeering, so that he was forced to sit down. - -As he left the assembly he was so unhappy that he thought he would -never speak to the people again. He walked along the streets, scarcely -knowing, in his distress, where he went. - -Suddenly he felt some one touch his arm, and looking up he saw a very -old man who had been in the assembly, and had heard him speak. He had -seen how disappointed Demosthenes was as he left the hall, and he -had determined to encourage him. So first he praised the crestfallen -orator, saying that his speech had reminded him of the great orator -Pericles, and then he upbraided the young man for being so easily -discouraged by the laughter of the people. - -Demosthenes allowed himself to be comforted and made up his mind to try -again, thinking that perhaps after all he would be able to make the -people listen to him. But in spite of all his efforts he could not hold -their attention, and he left the assembly, hiding his face in his cloak -that none might see his sorrow. - -An actor, named Satyrus, who knew him well, followed him home, for he -guessed that Demosthenes would be in despair. The orator did not hide -his trouble from his friend. ‘The citizens will listen to any one, even -to those who have not studied, rather than to me,’ he said in bitter -anger. ‘A sailor with a foolish story will make them applaud, while if -I tell them tales of the glorious deeds of their own countrymen they -pay no heed.’ - -‘You say true, Demosthenes,’ answered Satyrus, ‘but I will soon tell -you how this is if you will recite to me some lines from one of our -great poets.’ - -Demosthenes did as his friend asked. But although he said the words -correctly, his voice was dull and his attitude was stiff and awkward. - -Satyrus said nothing when his friend ended, but himself began to repeat -the same lines. Yet you would scarcely have known that they were the -same, for the eyes of the actor flashed, his voice rang clear, then -sank to a whisper, his body swayed now this way, now that, as he sought -to make the meaning of the poem plain. - -Then Demosthenes understood as he had never done before how it was that -his carefully studied speeches did not interest the Athenians. He must -not only read or recite them, he must act them, so that the things of -which he spoke might become real to those who listened. - -From that day Demosthenes began to work in a different way. He made one -of the cellars of his house into a study, that there, undisturbed, he -might practise his voice and gestures. He stayed in this strange study -for two or three months at a time, and lest he should be tempted to -go to theatres or games, he shaved one side of his head, ‘that so for -shame he might not go abroad, though he desired it ever so much.’ - -[Illustration: He left the assembly, hiding his face in his cloak] - -At other times to strengthen his voice he would go to the seashore -while a storm was raging, and putting pebbles in his mouth he would try -to make his words heard above the roar of the waves. He also recited -speeches while he was out of breath from running up some steep hill, -and at home he would stand before a large mirror to watch his gestures -and the expression of his face. - -And his hard work and perseverance were rewarded, for Demosthenes -became what he most desired to be, the greatest orator of Athens. His -enemies learned to fear his speeches, his friends to count upon them to -aid their cause. - -Demosthenes was thirty-three years of age when he made his first speech -against Philip of Macedon, who now, in 356 B.C., invaded Greece. - -The king would gladly have made an alliance with the Athenians and -gained their goodwill. But they, wishing to recover Amphipolis, which -he had taken from them, refused to make peace. - -Demosthenes lost no opportunity to speak against Philip. He reminded -his countrymen that the king was ‘not the man to rest’ content with -that he has subdued, but is always adding to his conquests, and casts -his snare around us while we sit at home postponing.’ In another speech -he told the Athenians that they chose their captains, ‘not to fight, -but to be displayed like dolls in the market-place.’ - -These and other speeches against the king of Macedon were called ‘The -Philippics’ of Demosthenes, and still to-day, if some one makes a -speech against a special person, although his name is not Philip, we -call the speech a ‘Philippic.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XC - -THE SACRED WAR - - -Philip of Macedon began to reign in 359 B.C. When he was sixteen years -of age he was taken by Pelopidas as a hostage to Thebes. Here he -stayed for three years, reading Greek literature and learning to love -it, studying Greek art and learning to admire it. The craft of war he -gained from the great Theban general Epaminondas. - -When Philip went back to Macedon as king, he trained his army in the -movements he had first seen used by the Theban troops under their -famous general. - -At this time a war called the Sacred War was going on in Greece. - -Delphi, where the temple of Apollo stood, had been seized by the -Phocians, who were led by a bold commander named Philomelus. The home -of the Phocians was near Mount Parnassus. - -In the temple vast treasures had been stored; these, said Philomelus, -should be safe as of old. But when he fortified the city and brought a -large army of soldiers to guard it, the other Greek states said it was -time to interfere--that Delphi must be taken from the Phocians. - -Philomelus at once resolved to increase his army, but he had no money -to pay more soldiers. The Phocians had already spent all that they -possessed on the war, and the citizens of Delphi had been so heavily -taxed that they could give no more. - -Money Philomelus must have! So he began to borrow from the treasures of -the temple, which he had promised should be untouched. As the war went -on he took more gold, more of the sacred treasures, none of which he -was able to replace. - -When the Thebans and their allies met Philomelus, he and his hired -troops were soon put to flight. Philomelus fled alone to the top of a -precipice, pursued by the enemy. He must either leap into the awful -abyss or be captured by the angry soldiers. In a moment he had made his -choice, and when the Thebans reached the spot where he had been seen -but a second before, he was no longer there. - -But other leaders replaced Philomelus, and they too rifled the temple -of Apollo. - -At length the Phocians grew so bold that they determined to attack -Philip of Macedon who had invaded Thessaly, and drive him from Greek -territory. They forced the king to return to Macedon, but he soon came -back with a large army and the Phocians retreated to the famous pass of -Thermopylae. They hoped that Athens would help them to hold the pass -against Philip, but in spite of the Philippics of Demosthenes, she did -nothing. - -Alone, the Phocians were not strong enough to resist Philip’s attack, -and they were forced to surrender. The pass, which the king had long -resolved to gain, was in his hand. - -When the Athenians heard of the disaster they were dismayed, and when -Demosthenes again urged them to take up arms against the invaders, his -appeal was not made in vain. - -In August 338 B.C. the united army of Athenians and Thebans marched -against the Macedonians, and met them in the plain of Chæronea, where a -great battle was fought. - -Philip’s famous son Alexander, who was then only eighteen years old, -was in command of one of the wings of the Macedonian army. Young as he -was, it was his attack upon the Sacred Band of Thebans that determined -the battle. - -The Sacred Band fought to the last, and was cut down where it stood. -Soon the rest of the Greek army fled from the fatal field, Demosthenes, -who was among the foot soldiers, taking flight with his comrades. - -On the roadside, not far from the town of Chæronea and near to Thebes, -is a tomb, where the fallen heroes of the Sacred Band were laid. - -Standing over the tomb is the statue of a lion, now partly in ruins, -which was placed there as though to protect the bodies of the slain. - -The victory of Philip at Chæronea left Athens, and indeed all Greece, -at the mercy of the king, and he treated her well. His chief ambition -was to conquer the kingdom of Persia, and the army he meant to lead -against the great king was to be made up of Greeks as well as of -Macedonians. - -But in 336 B.C., before his plans could be carried out, Philip was -murdered. - -When Greece heard the tidings she rejoiced, for now again she hoped to -be free. None was more glad than Demosthenes, for he, as you know, had -always been a bitter enemy of the king. - -The orator was wearing black clothes at the time, because he had but -lately lost his daughter. When he heard that Philip had been murdered, -he put them away and clad himself in gay garments, while he placed a -wreath upon his head. - -Only one Athenian was found to reprove the Athenians for their hasty -and foolish joy. - -Phocion, who was both a general and an orator, said gravely, ‘Nothing -shows greater meanness of spirit than expressions of joy at the death -of an enemy. Remember that the army you fought at Chæronea is lessened -by only one man.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XCI - -ALEXANDER AND BUCEPHALUS - - -Alexander, the son of Philip of Macedon, became king in 336 B.C. The -queen-mother adored her brave son and dreamed of the great things he -would do when he became a man. She did all she could to awake his -ambition, telling him that he was descended from Achilles, the hero of -Troy, and bidding him, when he was older, strive to do nobler deeds -than his great ancestor had done. One of his tutors called the young -prince Achilles, while he named himself Phœnix, after the tutor of the -old Greek hero. - -The Iliad of Homer, which tells of the deeds of Achilles, Alexander -knew by heart. When he was a man he always carried a copy with him on -his campaigns. It is said that he slept with it as well as his sword -beneath his pillow. - -Alexander might almost have been a Spartan boy, so simple was his -training. He learned to ride, to race, to swim, but he never cared to -wrestle as did most lads of his time. Nor would he offer prizes for -such contests at the games which were held each year. - -When the prince was asked if he would run in the Olympic games, for he -was fleet of foot, he answered, ‘Yes, if I could have kings to race -with me.’ - -Even as a lad he was eager to win glory, and when he heard of a great -victory gained by his royal father, or of a town that had been subdued -by him, he was more sorry than glad, and said to his companions, ‘My -father will make so many conquests that there will be nothing left for -me to win.’ - -One day, while Alexander was still a boy, a Greek from Thessaly arrived -at the court of Macedon, bringing with him a noble horse, named -Bucephalus, which he offered to sell for £2600. - -Philip went with his son and his courtiers to look at the horse and -to test its powers. But when any one approached or tried to mount, -Bucephalus reared and kicked, and became so unmanageable that the king, -growing angry, bade the Thessalian take the animal away. - -The prince had been watching the horse keenly, and as he was being led -away, the lad exclaimed, ‘What an excellent horse do they lose for want -of skill and courage to manage him!’ - -Philip heard what his son said, but at first he took no notice of his -words. But when the prince said the same thing again and again, he -looked at Alexander, and saw that he was really sorry that the horse -was being sent away. - -Then, half mocking, the king said, ‘Do you reproach those who are older -than yourself, as if you knew more and were better able to manage him -than they?’ - -‘I could manage the horse better than others have done,’ answered the -prince. - -‘And if you fail what will you forfeit?’ asked the king. - -‘I will pay the whole price of the horse,’ said Alexander quickly. - -The courtiers laughed at the confidence of the prince, but paying no -attention to them, he ran toward the horse and seizing the bridle -turned Bucephalus, so that he faced the sun. For the prince had noticed -that the steed was afraid of his own shadow as it flitted backward and -forward with his every movement. - -After speaking quietly to the horse and patting him, the prince flung -aside the mantle he was wearing, and nimbly mounted on his back. Using -neither whip nor spur, he let the animal choose his own pace. And -Bucephalus was content to go at a quiet trot. - -[Illustration: He ran toward the horse and seized the bridle] - -Gradually Alexander urged him on to a gallop, with voice and spur. As -the pace grew quicker and quicker, the king looked on in fear lest the -lad should be thrown. But when he saw that the horse was well under -control, and that Alexander had turned and was coming back, he burst -into tears of joy, while the courtiers loudly applauded the prince. - -As he leaped from the horse, Philip kissed him and said, ‘O my son, -look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedon is -too little for thee.’ - -Soon after this the king sent for a famous philosopher, named -Aristotle, to teach his son. - -Alexander was quick to learn, and his eager interest in his studies -pleased Aristotle. In after days, when the prince had become a king and -was adding kingdom after kingdom to his possessions, he wrote to his -old tutor, ‘I assure you I had rather excel others in the knowledge of -what is excellent than in the extent of my power and dominions.’ - -When Philip was murdered, Alexander was twenty years of age, ‘a -stripling,’ Demosthenes said, making light of his youth. But had -Demosthenes known the character of the prince, he would not have spoken -thus slightingly of his years. - -The orator not only rejoiced when Philip was murdered, but he urged the -people to rouse themselves and throw off the yoke of Macedon. The old -days when the Athenians would not listen to Demosthenes were long past. -Now his matchless eloquence could hold them spellbound, even when they -refused to be guided by his advice. But in Athens, as in many other -cities, discontent had long been smouldering, and fanned by his words -it broke out into a blaze. - -The young king found that he must put down rebellion in Greece before -he set out, as he wished to do, to conquer Persia. - - - - -CHAPTER XCII - -ALEXANDER AND DIOGENES - - -When Alexander marched at the head of his army into Thessaly, not a -blow was struck. His presence seemed enough to gain the allegiance of -the Thessalians. - -The king then went to Corinth, where ambassadors from many of the Greek -states met him. Young as he was, they chose Alexander to be general -over the Greek troops which were to go with the Macedonians to invade -Asia. - -Every one in Corinth was eager to see the king. From the surrounding -towns, too, the people crowded into the city, that they might look at -the young monarch who was going to lead their soldiers on so great an -expedition. - -They did not dream of all that he would do, how he would spread their -customs, their language, their culture over Asia first, and then -over all the world. But looking at him they knew that he would be a -conqueror. - -Among those who wished to see Alexander were many philosophers and -great men. But one strange philosopher, called Diogenes, showed no -interest in the king. - -Alexander heard of this man, who was said to sit all day in a tub or -barrel. As Diogenes did not come to see him, he resolved to go to -see Diogenes. He found the philosopher outside the gates of Corinth, -sitting in a tub which was placed so that the rays of the sun fell upon -him. - -When the philosopher saw the king and the courtiers who accompanied -him, he roused himself from his meditations and looked at the young -sovereign. - -Alexander spoke kindly to him, and asked if there was anything he -wished. - -‘Yes,’ answered Diogenes, ‘I would have you not stand between me and -the sun.’ - -The courtiers were indignant at such an answer, but Alexander laughed, -and being pleased with the philosopher’s indifference to his rank, he -said to them, ‘If I were not Alexander, I should like to be Diogenes.’ - -Soon after this the king, believing that he had secured the fealty of -Greece, went back to Macedon. In the spring of 335 B.C. he hoped to set -out to invade Asia. - -But the wild tribes on the borders of Macedon began to be restless, and -the king was forced to subdue these foes nearer home before he went to -Asia. While he was driving them beyond his borders, a rumour that he -was dead reached Greece. - -If Alexander was dead it was a good chance, thought the Thebans, to -drive the Macedonians from their citadel, and without waiting to find -out if the rumour was true they revolted. Demosthenes tried to persuade -the Athenians to go to the help of the Thebans, but although his -eloquence moved them it had not power to make them act. - -The Thebans soon found to their cost that Alexander was not dead. He -was, indeed, on his way to Greece to punish them for revolting. - -Outside the walls of their city he halted, so that the citizens might -submit, if so they willed. But they, still dreaming of liberty, refused -to surrender. - -Then Alexander attacked the city and captured it with little -difficulty. He determined to give the other cities in Greece a lesson -by punishing the rebels severely. So he pulled down their houses and -utterly destroyed their town, leaving untouched only the temples, and a -house in which a great poet named Pindar had dwelt. - -Demosthenes was bitterly disappointed that the Athenians had not sent -to help the Thebans. He feared, too, that Alexander would now march -against Athens, and destroy her as he had destroyed Thebes. But the -king only sent to demand that eight of the orators who had done their -best to incite the people to rebel against him, should be sent to him -as hostages. - -Demosthenes would have been among the eight, and he urged the Athenians -not to ‘hand over their sheep-dogs to the wolf.’ But Phocion said that -it would be wise to do as Alexander asked. - -At length the assembly sent Damocles to the king to plead the cause of -his comrades, for he was, after Demosthenes, the greatest orator in -Athens. - -Alexander listened to Damocles and was persuaded to leave the orators -in their own city, for he believed that the fate of Thebes would make -Athens afraid to rebel. - -Of the loyalty of the Greek troops the king was sure, for were they not -going to avenge the invasion of Greece by Xerxes? - -The king did not mean to return to Macedon to reign, rather did he -dream of a throne in one of the great cities which he was going to -conquer. So before he marched away, he divided his royal domain and his -wealth among his friends. - -Perdiccas, one of his friends, was dismayed at the generosity of the -king, and asked him what he was keeping for himself. - -‘Hope,’ answered Alexander. Then Perdiccas refused to accept his share -of the king’s gifts, saying, ‘We who go forth to fight with you need -share only in your hope.’ - -Antipater, one of his father’s generals, Alexander left in Macedon to -look after his kingdom. - -At length in the spring of 334 B.C., after saying good-bye to his -mother, whom he dearly loved, the king marched with an enormous force -to the Hellespont and crossed it. The great expedition had really -begun. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIII - -THE BATTLE OF GRANICUS - - -Before Alexander crossed the Hellespont he had seen that the opposite -shore was held by his Macedonians. While the army landed he himself -sailed to the ‘Harbour of the Achæans.’ Midway in the strait he took a -golden dish in his hand, and flung from it an offering to Poseidon and -to the Nereids. It is said that the king himself steered the ship in -which he sailed to the Mysian shore. - -Crossing the plain of Troy, the king climbed the hill of Ilion, and -here in a forsaken little town he found a temple to Athene, to whom he -offered sacrifice. He left his own armour in the temple, taking in its -place an ancient suit that had once been hung upon the walls, a trophy -of war. - -On the tomb of his ancestor, Achilles, he laid a garland, while -Hephæstion, his beloved friend, placed one on the grave of Patroclus. -The old Greek stories had entered into the very fibre of the young -king, and in this way he did honour, as he deemed, to his glorious -ancestor. He felt ready now to do deeds as great as his hero had done. - -When Alexander rejoined his army, it had advanced to the river -Granicus, and there, on the opposite bank, was a great force under -Darius, king of Persia. Alexander would have to conquer this great host -before he could advance into Asia. - -One of his officers, named Parmenio, begged the king to wait to cross -the river until early the next morning, when the enemy would not be -drawn up in battle array. - -‘I should be ashamed,’ answered the king, ‘having crossed the -Hellespont to be detained by a miserable stream like the Granicus.’ He -then ordered the army to advance, and himself dashed into the river, -followed by his horse-guards. - -The Granicus was not a river to be despised, for the current was -strong, and the horses kept their feet with difficulty. - -A storm of arrows was poured upon the struggling horses and their -riders, and it seemed as though the attempt to cross in the face of -the foe would be useless. But the king refused to be daunted, and the -soldiers followed their intrepid leader, until at length they reached -the opposite bank. - -But to clamber up the bank was no easy matter. The sides of the river -were slippery, and the horses having no firm foothold, stumbled and -fell. Only after great and repeated efforts did Alexander and those who -followed him reach the top of the bank. Wet and exhausted, they had -no time to form their ranks before the Persians dashed upon them. A -desperate hand-to-hand fight was at once begun. - -The enemy was quick to notice Alexander, for he wore a large plume of -white feathers in his helmet, while his buckler was more splendid than -that of any of his soldiers. - -Two Persian officers, wishing to win the glory of having killed the -king, attacked him together. One of them, riding close to Alexander, -rose in his stirrups, and brought his battle-axe down with all his -strength upon the helmet of the king. So fierce was the blow that the -crest was torn away along with one of the plumes, while the axe cut its -way through the helmet, until the edge touched Alexander’s hair. - -Again the officer raised his axe, but ere he could strike, Clitus, the -foster-brother of Alexander, slew the officer with his sword and the -king was saved. - -The famous phalanx of the Macedonians now threw itself upon the enemy, -and the Persians tried in vain to repel the fierceness of the attack. -Soon the whole army was put to flight, all save a band of Greek -soldiers who were fighting for Darius. - -These withdrew to a height above the battlefield, and sent to Alexander -to ask for quarter. But the king refused their request, and ordered his -men to attack the little company. - -The Greeks fought desperately, and Alexander lost more men in this -struggle than he had lost in all the rest of the battle. His horse, -which was not the famous Bucephalus, was killed on the field. - -While in this great battle, fought in 334 B.C. on the banks of the -Granicus, the Persians lost a great number of men, only thirty-four -Macedonians, it is said, were slain. - -The spoil was enormous, and Alexander determined that the Greeks should -have a generous share. To Athens he sent three hundred Persian bucklers -to be offered to Athene, with these words inscribed, ‘Alexander, son of -Philip, and the Grecians, except the Lacedæmonians, won these from the -barbarians who inhabit Asia.’ - -Athens accepted the king’s offering to their goddess, but they -churlishly refused to send ships to help him to conquer the coast towns -which he must now attack. - -While dividing the spoil of the Granicus, Alexander did not forget his -mother. To her he sent all the plate he had taken, as well as beautiful -cloth of wonderful purple dye. For himself he kept but little. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIV - -THE GORDIAN KNOT - - -After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the -conqueror. Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open -their gates, the king quickly subdued. - -During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a -strange story is told. - -In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had -once belonged to a peasant named Gordius. Long, long ago Gordius had -ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that -this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in -which country Gordion stood. - -When Gordius was made king, almost the first thing he did was to -dedicate his wagon to the gods, tying the yoke to the pole with fibre -taken from the bark of a tree. The Gordion knot, as it was named, was -twisted and tangled in a bewildering way, and looked as though it would -defy the most skilful fingers to untie. Yet an oracle had said that -whoever should succeed in undoing this wonderful knot would become king -over all Asia. - -Many men who wished to wear a crown came to Gordion to try to undo the -knot, but not one of them had been able to unravel the twisted fibre. - -When Alexander, with his victorious army, rode into Gordion, every one -wondered if the king would be able to untie the famous knot. - -Alexander was not long in going to see the ancient wagon. He looked at -the puzzling knot and soon saw that he would not be able to untie it. - -But he did not mean to be beaten. He would solve the problem in his own -way. So taking his sword in his impatient hands, with one swift stroke -he cut the formidable knot in two. - -The onlookers, both Phrygians and Macedonians, shouted with delight, -for lo! the oracle was fulfilled, and Alexander would become monarch of -Asia. - -As the knot was cut in twain, a great thunderstorm raged over the town, -and the people said, ‘It is Zeus who sends the storm to show that he is -pleased that the prophecy is fulfilled.’ - -While Alexander had been conquering the towns along the coast of Asia, -Darius had been gathering together another great army, which numbered, -so it was said, six hundred thousand men. The king himself commanded -the vast army, and in the spring of 333 B.C. he set out to find -Alexander. - -Darius was not a skilful general, nor was he a brave king, but he had -no doubt that he would conquer Alexander. - -When Alexander still lingered in one of the coast towns, Darius deemed -that it was cowardice that kept him there, so little did he know of the -character of his foe. It was illness alone that kept Alexander from -advancing against the great king. - -Some said that it was the hardships of the battlefield that had made -the king ill, others that while he was still heated after a long march -he had bathed in a river, the waters of which were very cold. - -To the dismay of his soldiers, who adored their brave leader, the king -grew worse and worse. He was so ill that it seemed that he must die. - -His physicians were afraid to give the king medicine, for should he die -they would be accused of giving him poison. - -At length one of the physicians, named Philip, to whom Alexander had -shown great kindness, determined that whatever happened to him, he -would do his utmost to save the king’s life. - -Alexander himself was content to take what Philip ordered, so impatient -was he to be well and at the head of his army once again. - -So Philip left the king for a few moments to prepare the medicine that -he believed would cure him. - -While he was absent, a letter was brought to Alexander from his officer -Parmenio. It besought the king not to trust Philip, as he had been -bribed by Darius to poison him. Vast sums of money and the hand of the -great king’s daughter, said Parmenio, were to be the reward of the -physician. - -When Alexander had read the letter, he put it under his pillow, showing -it to no one, not even to his beloved friend Hephæstion. He had no -sooner done so than Philip returned with the medicine. The king took it -without hesitation. Then, drawing the letter from beneath his pillow, -he bade his physician read it. - -Philip was horrified as he read the false accusation, and flinging -himself down by the bed, he entreated the king to trust him and to fear -nothing. - -The drug was a powerful one, and after taking it the king was -unconscious for hours. His nurses whispered to one another that he was -dead. - -But after a time he opened his eyes, weak indeed, but no longer in -danger. Philip tended him until his strength returned, and he was at -length able to go out to show himself to his Macedonians. For they had -been in constant fear lest aught should befall their king, and nothing -would satisfy them until they had seen his face. - - - - -CHAPTER XCV - -DARIUS GALLOPS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD - - -As soon as he had recovered from his illness, Alexander led his army to -meet Darius. He found the great king in the pass of Issus, in October -333 B.C. - -Darius had first encamped on the plain of Issus, in a strong position, -where his vast army would have had room to fight. - -But he dreamed that Alexander would try to escape him, so he ordered -his men to march through the narrow mountain passes to meet the enemy. - -A Macedonian, who had deserted, begged Darius not to leave the plain. -‘But,’ said the king, ‘if I stay here, Alexander will escape me.’ - -‘That fear is needless,’ answered the Macedonian, ‘for assure yourself -that far from avoiding you, he will make all speed to meet you, and is -now most likely on his march toward you.’ - -When Alexander knew that Darius had left the plain for the pass of -Issus, he was pleased, for he knew that the enemy would now be hemmed -in between the mountains and the sea. - -Before long the two armies were close together. Alexander led his -right wing against the left wing of the Persians. Here he was soon -victorious, and free to attack the centre of the enemy, where Darius -sat in his chariot, surrounded by a band of Persian nobles. - -As the great king saw Alexander and his followers drawing nearer and -nearer, he began to grow afraid. Soon he could bear his fears no -longer, and leaping from his chariot, he mounted a horse and fled from -the field. - -When the Persians saw that their king had fled, they stayed to fight -no longer. Even the cavalry, which had withstood every attack, now -wavered, then broke and fled with the rest. - -The great hosts sought to hide themselves from their pursuers among the -mountain passes, but thousands were captured and slain. - -Darius in his haste had left his shield and his royal cloak behind, but -he would not stay to recover them. On and on he fled until he reached a -town on the river Euphrates. - -Alexander was well pleased with his great victory, but he would fain -have captured the Persian king. To a wound in his thigh he paid little -attention, nor did it prove dangerous. But it made it impossible for -him to overtake Darius. - -When the king returned from the pursuit of his enemy, he found his men -pillaging the Persian camp. The tent of Darius, which was beautifully -furnished, and which also had a great store of gold and silver, was set -apart for Alexander himself. - -‘Let us now cleanse ourselves from the toils of war in the baths of -Darius,’ said the king as he entered the tent of the defeated monarch. - -‘Not so,’ answered one of his followers, ‘but in Alexander’s rather; -for the property of the conquered is and should be called the -conqueror’s.’ - -Alexander’s early training had been simple as that of a Spartan, and -the luxury of the great king’s tents amazed him. - -In one there were numerous baths and many boxes of ointment, in another -a table was spread for a magnificent feast. As Alexander looked at it -all, he turned to his followers and said, ‘This, it seems, is royalty.’ - -But his early training still influenced him, and he kept his simple -tastes and cared little for dainty fare or other luxuries. - -Once a queen to whom Alexander had been kind sent to his tent, day by -day, some of the dishes which had been prepared for her own table. And -at length, that he might always fare well, she sent cooks and bakers. - -But the king would not accept them, for he said that his old tutor had -given him the best possible cooks. They were, ‘a night march to prepare -for breakfast, and a moderate breakfast to create an appetite for -supper.’ - -He told the queen, too, how when he was a boy his tutor Leonidas used -to look often in his wardrobe, lest his clothes were too fine, and in -his room, to see that his mother had not given him cushions for his -couch or soft pillows for his bed. - -As Alexander sat down to supper on the evening of the victory of Issus, -the sound of wailing and weeping fell upon his ear. It seemed to him -as the weeping of women, and he demanded to be told at once who was in -trouble. - -His officers said that it was the mother, and wife and children of -Darius who were weeping. For they had heard that Alexander had returned -with their lord’s shield and cloak, and they thought that he must have -been slain. - -Then the king bade one of his followers go tell the royal mourners that -Darius lived, and that they need fear no harm from Alexander. For he -made war upon Darius not because he bore him ill will, but because he -wished to gain his dominions. He promised that he would provide them -with all the comforts which they had been used to receive from the -great king. - -When Darius was safe beyond the Euphrates, he remembered that his wife -and mother had been left to the mercy of his conqueror. So he wrote to -Alexander, begging that they might be sent to him and offering to make -a treaty with the king. - -Here is part of the proud answer that Alexander sent to Darius. - -‘I am lord of all, Darius,’ he wrote, ‘and therefore do thou come to me -with thy requests. Thou hast only to come to me to ask and receive thy -mother and wife and children, and whatever else thou mayest desire. And -for the future, whenever thou sendest, send to me as to the great king -of Asia, and do not write as to an equal, but tell me whatever thy need -be, as to one who is lord of all that is thine. Otherwise I will deal -with thee as with an offender. But if thou disputest the kingdom, then -wait and fight for it again, and do not flee; for I will march against -thee, wheresoever thou mayest be.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XCVI - -TYRE IS STORMED BY ALEXANDER - - -Alexander did not cross the Euphrates in search of Darius. He knew that -the great king could do him no harm, even should he again assemble a -large army. So for a time he left Darius to do as he pleased, while he -himself went on with his own plan. - -Nearly all the towns in Syracuse were ready to open their gates to -Alexander. Some that had found Darius a hard master, hailed him as a -deliverer. - -Tyre alone, while saying that she was ready to do as the king willed, -refused to receive either a Persian or a Macedonian into the city. - -Alexander wished to offer sacrifice to the deity of Tyre, whose temple -was within the city, and when the people refused to open their gates, -he was so angry that he at once laid siege to the town. - -Tyre stood on an island, about half a mile from the mainland. Near the -coast the water was shallow, while close to the walls of the city it -was deep. - -The Tyrians believed that they could hold their city against Alexander, -for the walls were built high, on the top of a steep and dangerous -cliff. - -As the king had no fleet, he could not attack the city until he had -built a causeway from the mainland to the island, so he ordered his men -to begin the work without delay. - -But when the causeway stretched almost to the island, the Tyrians -did all that they could to hinder the workmen. They sent among them -showers of arrows, and hurled down upon them great pieces of rock, so -that they found it impossible to complete the causeway. - -But the king was not easily beaten. He ordered the men to build towers -along the causeway, and to tie leather screens from one tower to -another, so that they might be protected from the arrows and missiles -of the enemy. - -Then the Tyrians dragged a ship, loaded with dry wood, as near to the -causeway as they dared to venture, and set it on fire. The towers were -soon in flames, and while the Macedonians tried in vain to extinguish -them, the enemy never ceased to send showers of arrows among the -unfortunate men, so that many of them lost their lives. - -Although the Tyrians had destroyed the work of months, Alexander still -refused to give in. He now sent to the cities round about, and bade -them send ships to guard his soldiers until the causeway was finished. -In seven months from the time it was begun, the causeway reached to the -foot of the rock on which the city stood. - -In July 332 B.C. a breach was made in the wall, and, led by Alexander -himself, the Macedonians rushed in triumph into the city that had so -long defied them. - -The Tyrians fought fiercely, for they knew they need not look for mercy -if the city was taken. But they were soon overpowered, and the town was -given up to plunder. The soldiers were eager for spoil, but spoil alone -could not satisfy them. As they thought of the weary months which they -had spent in trying to reach the island, they wreaked their rage on the -miserable citizens, massacring all on whom they could lay their hands. - -After Tyre had fallen, Alexander was master of Syria, and could control -the eastern Mediterranean. - -From Tyre, the king marched southward until he reached Egypt. Here, -after making himself lord of the country, he founded the city which is -still called after him, Alexandria. - -During the siege of Tyre, Darius had again sent to Alexander, offering -to him a large ransom for his family, as well as the hand of his -daughter and all the provinces west of Euphrates. - -While Alexander and his generals were talking over the offer of Darius, -Parmenio exclaimed, ‘If I were you I should accept these terms.’ - -‘And I,’ answered the king, ‘would accept them if I were Parmenio.’ - -To Darius, Alexander’s reply was haughtier than ever. ‘If thou comest,’ -so ran his words, ‘and yield thyself up into my power, I will treat -thee with all possible kindness; if not, I will come myself to seek -thee.’ - -Soon after this the wife of Darius died. Alexander had always treated -her well, and now he buried her with great honour. - -One of her servants fled to Darius to tell him the sad tidings. He told -him, too, of the kindness Alexander had ever shown to his royal captive. - -‘O king,’ said the servant, ‘neither your queen when alive, nor your -mother, nor children wanted anything of their former happy condition, -unless it were the light of your countenance. And after her decease, -Statira, the queen, had not only all due funeral ornaments, but was -honoured also with the tears of your very enemies; for Alexander is as -gentle after victory as he is terrible in the field.’ - - - - -CHAPTER XCVII - -THE BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA - - -It was now almost two years since the battle of Issus, and Alexander -determined once more to meet Darius, who had again assembled a large -army. - -In the spring of 331 B.C. the king went back to Tyre, and by August -he had reached Thapsacus, a town on the banks of the river Euphrates. -He wished to go on to Babylon, the capital of the Persian empire, but -the direct way to the city, which was down the Euphrates, was guarded -by Cyrus with a large army. So Alexander struck off across the north -of Mesopotamia, and reaching the Tigris marched along the river on the -eastern side. Above Nineveh he crossed to the other bank, and after -marching southward for several days, he heard that Darius was encamped -on a plain near Gaugamela, on the river Bumōdus. - -Even to the brave Macedonian generals, the vast hosts of the Persians -looked formidable. - -Parmenio looking at them begged the king to surprise the enemy by a -night attack rather than risk a battle in daylight. - -‘I will not steal a victory,’ answered Alexander. - -The night before the battle the king slept soundly, as though nothing -preyed upon his mind. In the morning his generals found him still fast -asleep, so without disturbing him they themselves bade the soldiers -have breakfast. - -At length Parmenio went to wake the king, and having with difficulty -roused him, he asked how it was possible he could sleep so soundly -when the most important battle of his life had to be fought that day. - -‘You slept, sire, as though you were already victorious,’ said the -anxious general. - -‘Are we not so indeed,’ answered the king, ‘since we are at last -relieved from the trouble of wandering in pursuit of Darius, through a -wide and wasted country, hoping in vain that he would fight us?’ - -Alexander, who was already dressed, now put on his helmet, which was of -iron, yet so polished was it that it shone as silver. Great skill had -been lavished on the decoration of his belt, which was indeed the most -splendid part of his dress. He then ordered his army to be drawn up in -battle array, while he mounted Bucephalus, who was old now, yet eager -for battle. - -Before the king gave the signal to attack, he stretched out his right -hand to heaven, and called upon the gods to defend and strengthen the -Greeks, if he indeed were the son of Zeus. - -By the side of Alexander rode a soothsayer, clad in a white robe and -wearing on his head a crown of gold. He pointed to the sky, and the -soldiers looking up saw an eagle flying over the king’s head and on -toward the Persian army. ‘It is a good omen,’ they cried, and shouted -to be led at once against the foe. - -A moment later the order was given, and the Macedonians rushed upon the -great hosts of the enemy. - -Darius thought that his war-chariots would cause deadly havoc among his -enemies, for scythes were fastened to the wheels to mow down all who -came within reach. - -But the Macedonian archers drew their bows and sped their arrows among -the charioteers, while the strongest seized the reins of the horses, -and pulled the drivers from their seats. Then the soldiers opened wide -their ranks so that those chariots that still had drivers rattled -harmlessly past them. - -Alexander was already attacking the centre of the Persian army, where, -as at the battle of Issus, Darius sat in his chariot, looking on at the -struggle. - -All at once he saw Alexander with his chosen companions drawing nearer -and nearer, and once again his courage failed. Fiercer and fiercer -raged the battle, closer and closer drew Alexander to the Persian king. - -The horsemen grouped in front of Darius were driven backward and fled, -all save the bravest who never flinched, but fell in a supreme effort -to keep the enemy from approaching any nearer to the king’s chariot. - -Even as they fell they still tried to keep back the foe, clinging -desperately to the legs of the horses as they galloped over their -wounded bodies. - -Darius was in immediate danger of being captured. In vain the driver -tried to turn the royal chariot, the bodies of the fallen soldiers -would not allow the wheels to move. The horses plunged and kicked in an -agony of fear, and the charioteer was helpless. - -Then, as the king had done on the field of Issus, he did now. He leaped -from the chariot, mounted a horse and fled from the battlefield. - -Alexander followed the king in swift pursuit; it seemed impossible -that he could escape. But Parmenio, who was commanding the left wing, -was almost overpowered by the enemy. He sent a messenger to overtake -Alexander, and beg him for help. - -The king reluctantly gave up his pursuit of Darius, and rode back with -his companions to give his general the help he had entreated. But -by the time he reached the left wing his aid was no longer needed. -Parmenio had wrested victory from the foe. - -So the king again set out in pursuit of Darius, but all that he -captured was the chariot, the shield and the bow of the coward king. - - - - -CHAPTER XCVIII - -ALEXANDER BURNS PERSEPOLIS - - -The battle of Gaugamela in 331 B.C. decided the fate of the Persian -empire. Darius was no longer the great king, for Alexander took the -title as well as the dominions of his foe. - -At Babylon, to which city Alexander now marched, the gates were thrown -open to welcome him, the people coming out to meet the conqueror, led -by their priests. - -Alexander received them kindly, and bade the Babylonians not be afraid -still to worship their own national god. - -Here, in this great city, the king dreamed that he would set up his -throne. Babylon should be the capital of his new empire. - -Not far from Babylon was the city of Susa, where the Persian kings -usually spent the winter months. Susa also surrendered to the great -king without a blow being struck. - -There were many treasures and much gold in both Babylon and Susa; -perhaps the most wonderful treasure was a piece of purple cloth, which -was worth an enormous sum of money. Although it had been laid aside for -one hundred and ninety years, yet its marvellous colour was as perfect -as it had ever been. - -The spoils for which the Greeks cared most were some that had been -carried away by Xerxes. Among those that they found at Susa were -statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton. By the order of Alexander, they -were now sent back to Athens. - -But even greater treasures than any the king had yet found were stored -in palaces hidden among the highlands of Persia. To these palaces -Alexander resolved to march, although the way led through narrow -mountain passes which were guarded by a Persian army. - -By attacking the enemy both in the front and in the rear, Alexander -caught the Persians in a trap. They were speedily cut to pieces or fell -down the dangerous mountain tracks in a vain effort to escape. - -Then unhindered by any foe, the king marched on to one of the great -cities of the Persian kings, which the Greeks called Persepolis, or -‘the richest of all the cities under the sun.’ - -So great were the treasures stored in the palace of Persepolis, that -ten thousand pairs of mules and five thousand camels were needed to -carry them away. - -For four months Alexander lingered in the city. His soldiers were proud -indeed of their king when for the first time they saw him sitting under -a canopy of gold on the throne of the Persian monarchs. - -A Corinthian, who was a great friend of Alexander’s, exclaimed at -the sight, ‘How unfortunate are those Greeks who have died without -beholding Alexander seated on the throne of Darius!’ - -Before he left Persepolis to go in search of Darius, Alexander gave a -great feast. - -It was then that the king, urged by the excited revellers, allowed the -palace to be burned. - -With a wreath of flowers on his head and a lighted torch in his hand, -the king, followed by his guests, surrounded the palace, and set light -to it. The soldiers also seized torches and amid shouts and merriment -they, too, helped to destroy the palace of the Persian kings. - -The Macedonians thought that the burning of the palace was a sign -that Alexander did not mean to dwell among the barbarians, and they -rejoiced. For they were growing weary of marching into unknown -countries, and they were beginning to think wistfully of their -homeland. - -Alexander was soon sorry for the wild impulse which had seized him, and -he gave orders to put out the fire as speedily as might be. - -The officers in Alexander’s army had become rich with the spoils of -conquered cities, and the king found that they were growing as fond -of ease and luxury as the Persians. Their tables were loaded with -delicacies, servants attended to their slightest wish. One officer even -had his shoes made with silver nails. - -Such indulgence annoyed the king and he reproved his officers, telling -them that toil was more honourable than pleasure. - -‘How is it possible,’ he said, ‘if you cannot attend to your own body, -that you look well after your horse, or keep your armour bright and in -good order? You should surely avoid the weaknesses of those you have -conquered.’ - -To set his army an example, the king now began to hunt more than was -his custom and with less care for his own safety. When the soldiers -were sent against an enemy, Alexander himself went with them, and -endured the same hardships and dangers as his men. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIX - -ALEXANDER SLAYS HIS FOSTER-BROTHER - - -Early in 330 B.C. Alexander left Persepolis to go in search of Darius. - -After a long and difficult march of three hundred miles, to which his -soldiers took only eleven days, the king heard that Darius had passed -the defile called the ‘Caspian Gates.’ For five days he allowed his -men, who were utterly exhausted, to rest, before he again started in -pursuit of the fugitive. - -After passing through the Caspian Gates, Alexander heard that Bessus, -a kinsman of Darius, who was also his officer or satrap, had made him -a prisoner. Loaded with chains, Darius was being carried away to the -district over which Bessus ruled. - -This made the king the more determined to reach the unfortunate -captive. For four days he hurried on until at length he reached a -village where Bessus and his men had stayed the evening before. He was -told that the satrap was going to make a forced march that night. - -The king learned of a shorter road, by which he might overtake the -fugitives, but there was no water to be found on the way. Alexander did -not hesitate. With only a small company he set out the same evening, -and when morning dawned he had ridden forty-five miles. The fugitives -were now within sight. - -When the barbarians who were with Bessus saw the king in the distance -they fled. The satrap quickly took the chains off his captive, bidding -him mount a horse and follow them. When Darius refused he stabbed him -and rode away, leaving the wretched king to die or to fall into the -hands of his enemy. - -A few Macedonians who were riding in front of the king reached the -wounded man first, and gave him water, for which he begged. Darius then -lay back and before Alexander arrived, he had breathed his last. - -The king looked at his fallen foe with pity, and then flung over him -his own cloak. His body he sent to the queen-mother, that it might be -buried beside the other Persian kings at Persepolis. - -Bessus was betrayed into the hands of Alexander not long afterwards. -Naked and chained he was placed on the road by which Alexander’s army -must pass. - -The king stopped when he reached the satrap, and asked him why he had -murdered Darius, who had always treated him well. - -Bessus answered that he did it to win Alexander’s favour. - -His reply won no pity from the king, who ordered him to be scourged and -sent to prison. Some time after he was brought to trial and sentenced -to a cruel death. - -Until now Alexander had lived almost as simply as when he was a lad, -and but lately he had reproved his officers for their indolent and -luxurious habits. Now he gradually began to adopt the customs of -the East. He dressed in purple and surrounded himself with Persian -courtiers, and acted as though he was indeed a descendant of the gods. -The Macedonians were quick to take offence at the favour their king -showed to the Persians. - -Philotas, a son of Parmenio, resented the king’s deeds, more perhaps -than any other of his generals. He was proud and his haughty ways had -made his men dislike him. - -Parmenio would sometimes say to him, ‘My son, to be not quite so great -would be better.’ But Philotas would take no notice of the rebuke. - -One day he declared that but for him and his father, the king would -never have conquered Asia. ‘Yet it is he, the boy Alexander who enjoys -the glory of the victories and the title of king,’ said the foolish -officer. - -Alexander was told of the boastful way in which Philotas had spoken, -but he neither reproved nor punished him. - -A little later a plot was made against his life, and Philotas would not -allow those who wished to warn the king to enter his presence. Then -Alexander, who knew of this also, ordered Philotas to be seized and -imprisoned. - -He was tried before an assembly of Macedonians and confessed that he -had known of the plot to kill the king, and yet had neither warned him -nor allowed others to do so. - -The Macedonians condemned him to death, and themselves carried out the -sentence, throwing at him their javelins. - -Alexander had been patient with Philotas and his punishment was just, -but now the king did a cruel deed. For thinking that his old and -faithful general Parmenio might have shared in the treachery of his -son, he sent a messenger to slay him. - -The king’s despatch was taken to Parmenio and put into his hand. As he -began to read it he was stabbed in the back. - -From this time the king’s temper grew less and less controlled. At one -of the royal feasts he lost it altogether. A guest sang a song which -made a jest of some Macedonians who had been beaten by the Persians. -The old soldiers were indignant, the more so that Alexander paid no -heed to their anger and bade the singer sing on. - -Clitus, the king’s foster-brother, had a quick temper, and he cried -out, ‘It is not well done to expose the Macedonians before their -enemies; since though it was their unhappiness to be overcome, yet are -they much better men than those who laugh at them.’ - -‘Clitus pleads his own cause,’ said the king, ‘when he names cowardice -misfortune.’ - -The king spoke half in jest, half in anger, for he knew well that -Clitus and all his Macedonians were brave men and no cowards. - -But Clitus sprang to his feet at Alexander’s words and cried, ‘Yet, O -king, it was my cowardice that once saved your life from the Persians, -and it is by the wounds of Macedonians that you are now the great king.’ - -‘Speak not so boldly,’ answered the king, and in his voice there was a -threat, ‘or think not you will long enjoy the power to do so.’ - -Clitus was now too angry to care what he said, and he spoke to the king -yet more bitterly, until Alexander could brook no more. He took an -apple from the table before him, and flinging it at his foster-brother, -felt for his sword. But one of his guards, foreseeing what might -happen, had removed it. His guests now gathered around the king, trying -to soothe his anger. Alexander pushed them aside, and ordered one of -his guard to sound the alarm. This would have assembled the whole army -and the man hesitated, whereupon Alexander struck him on the face. - -Meanwhile a friend had hurried Clitus out of the room, but he slipped -back again by another door, and boldly taunted the king with the way in -which he treated his old soldiers. - -Then in a passion Alexander snatched a spear from one of his guards, -rushed upon Clitus and stabbed him to death. - -A moment later the king’s anger faded away, and he looked in horror -upon the dead body of his foster-brother. He seized the spear again and -tried to kill himself, but his guards wrenched it away, and led him to -his own room. There he lay all through the long night and all through -the following day, weeping for his foster-brother whom he had slain. - - - - -CHAPTER C - -PORUS AND HIS ELEPHANT - - -The Macedonians had now for some time been longing to march homeward -rather than into new and unknown lands. But Alexander’s ambition was -not yet satisfied, and in 327 B.C. he determined to march into India, -to add that land also to his conquests. - -The army was laden with booty, and the king saw that unless it were -left behind the men would not be able to march. It would be no easy -matter to make the soldiers give up their plunder, but Alexander knew -well how to manage men. - -He ordered all his own share of plunder, all his unnecessary clothing, -almost all his ornaments, to be burned. His courtiers did as they saw -their king do, and when the soldiers were ordered to follow Alexander’s -example, they did so without a murmur, while some even cheered. - -Without the plunder the soldiers marched easily, and soon reached the -Punjab, where the king of the district brought to Alexander’s aid five -thousand men. - -The army marched on unopposed, until it came to the river Hydaspes, or -as we call it now the Jhelum. Here it was forced to halt, for on the -opposite bank was a powerful Indian king, named Porus, and a large army. - -Porus had with him a number of elephants, and when they trumpeted, the -horses of the Macedonians took flight. The banks of the river were -slippery, and the enemy was ready with arrows, should the king order -his army to cross the river. - -Alexander had made up his mind to cross the Hydaspes, but first he -wished to put Porus off his guard. - -So night after night, by the king’s orders, a trumpet called the -cavalry to march. It advanced always to the edge of the river, while -Porus, thinking the whole army was going to cross, commanded his -elephants to be moved to the bank, and his great hosts to be drawn up -ready for battle. - -Hour after hour the Indians waited, but the Macedonians never attempted -to cross, and so they grew listless and each night less vigilant. Even -Porus began to think the Macedonians must be cowards, and he paid less -and less attention to their movements. This was what Alexander had -expected would happen. - -But one stormy night, when the Indians were off their guard, the -king with part of his army crossed to a wooded island that lay in -the middle of the river. It was a terrible night. Lightning flashed, -thunder crashed, and several of Alexander’s men were killed as they -struggled breast high in the water. With great difficulty the others -reached the farther side, to find that Porus had realised his danger. A -thousand horsemen and sixty armed chariots awaited the daring king. But -Alexander captured the chariots and slew four hundred of the cavalry. - -The whole Macedonian army had now joined the king, and a desperate -battle was fought. Hour after hour the conflict raged, neither side -gaining the victory. - -At length, when the elephants were dead or their riders slain, when the -Indians were flying in every direction, Porus knew that the day was -lost. - -Yet he disdained to flee and fought on, seated upon an elephant of -enormous size, for he himself was more than six feet in height. Only -when he was wounded in his shoulder, did he turn to ride away from the -field. - -It is told that while the battle was raging the elephant took the -greatest care of his master. And when the animal saw that the king was -faint from his wounds, he knelt down carefully that Porus might not -fall. Then with his trunk he drew out the darts that were left in the -body of the king. - -Alexander had seen how bravely his enemy had fought, As he watched him -riding from the field, he thought he would like to speak with so great -a warrior, and he sent to ask him to return. He himself went out to -meet the king, and was amazed at his great height and at his beauty. - -When Alexander asked Porus how he wished to be treated, he answered, -‘As a king.’ - -‘For my own sake I will do that,’ replied the great king; ‘ask a boon -for thy sake.’ - -‘That,’ said Porus, ‘containeth all.’ - -As was his way, Alexander treated the fallen king right royally, giving -back to him his kingdom and adding to it new territories. - -Two cities were built close to the battlefield. One was named -Bucephala, after Alexander’s famous horse which, some say, was wounded -and died after the battle. But others tell that Bucephalus had died -shortly before the battle of old age, for he had lived for thirty -years. The king grieved for the loss of his noble steed as for the loss -of a friend. - -This terrible battle made the Macedonians still more unwilling to -advance farther into India. - -Before them lay a desert which would take eleven days to cross. The -soldiers could not face a long march in a strange land, without water -and without guides. - -When Alexander ordered the army to advance, the Macedonians who had -followed him loyally through every difficulty, refused to obey. - -Nothing he could say would make them advance a step farther. - -‘There they stood, looking hard at the ground with tears trickling down -their cheeks, yet resolute still not to go forward.’ - -Then Alexander dismissed them in anger. But the next day he sent for -them again and told them that he was going to advance. They, if they -chose to forsake him in a hostile land, could go back to Macedon. - -Still in anger the king left them and went to his tent, and shut -himself up for two days, refusing to see any of his companions. - -Perhaps he thought his obstinate Macedonians would yield. But although -it grieved them to thwart their king, the soldiers remained firm. - -On the third day Alexander left his tent and offered sacrifices to the -gods, as he always did before beginning a new adventure. But the signs -were unfavourable, and against this the king was not proof. So he sent -to tell the army that he had determined to lead them in the direction -of home. - -In a transport of joy the faithful Macedonians hastened to the king’s -tent. Some of them wept as they thanked ‘the unconquered king that he -had permitted himself to be conquered for once by his Macedons.’ - - - - -CHAPTER CI - -ALEXANDER IS WOUNDED - - -Alexander determined to begin the homeward journey by sailing down the -Hydaspes to the Indus in order to reach the ocean. - -The king himself with part of the army embarked in the ships which -awaited them on the Hydaspes. The rest of the army was divided into two -companies, and marched on either bank of the river, one being under -Hephæstion, the king’s friend. - -On the way the fleet and the army joined their forces in order to -subdue some of the warlike tribes that refused to submit to them. - -One of these tribes, the Malli, Alexander pursued to their chief city, -which stood where the town of Multan has since been built. - -The city was easily taken, but not so the citadel in which the Malli -had taken refuge. - -Before the walls surrounding it could be scaled, ladders were needed, -and two were hurriedly brought to the spot. But it was difficult to -place them in position, for the Malli hurled upon the soldiers every -missile on which they could lay their hands. - -Alexander growing impatient, seized one of the ladders, and covering -himself with his shield he placed it in position and began to mount. - -Peucestas, carrying the sacred shield of Troy, and Leonnatus, two of -the companions, followed closely after their king, while Abreas began -to climb the second ladder which was now also ready for use. - -The king was soon standing alone on the top of the wall, having flung -down those of the Malli who were keeping guard at that point. - -In despair the Macedonians saw the danger to which their king had -exposed himself. He was a mark for every weapon hurled from the citadel. - -They rushed in a body to the ladders, and began to mount in such -numbers that the ladders both gave way, Peucestas, Leonnatus and Abreas -alone having first reached the top of the wall. - -His friends called aloud to Alexander, entreating him to come back. But -he leaped down on the other side among his foes. Fortunately he landed -on his feet, and at once placing his back against the wall, he strove -to keep back the enemy as they rushed upon him. - -The foremost fell before the swift stroke of the king’s sword, as did -also those who followed him. At two more the king hurled stones which -felled them to the ground. After that the Malli were afraid to approach -close to the great king, but they began to throw at him stones and -great pieces of rock. - -A moment later his three companions had leaped down and were by the -side of their king, ready to defend him with their lives. - -Abreas fell at his feet almost at once, pierced by a dart. Alexander -himself was wounded, but fought on until at length, faint through loss -of blood, he fell fainting on his shield. - -Peucestas covered him with the sacred shield, while Leonnatus fought on -desperately until help came. - -A few of the Macedonians, maddened by the thought of their king’s -danger, scrambled up on each other’s shoulders, and leaped down on the -other side to rescue him and his three companions if they still lived. - -Some ran to the gates, and opened them, and the anxious soldiers poured -in and took the citadel. They believed that their king was dead, and -they wreaked their fury on the miserable inhabitants, leaving neither -men, women nor children alive. - -Alexander was not dead, and although his wound was severe, he -recovered. But the rumour of his death had reached the camp near the -river where the main body of the army had been left. No letters, no -messages could make the grief-stricken soldiers believe that their king -still lived. - -Alexander was brought down the river in a ship. He was lying on a couch -in the stern of the vessel as he drew near to the camp, and he ordered -the canopy which screened him to be raised that his soldiers might see -him. - -At first they thought it was but his lifeless body which they beheld, -but as he drew nearer still, the king waved his hand. Then a great -shout of joy rent the air. - - - - -CHAPTER CII - -THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER - - -In the autumn of 325 B.C. Alexander began to march through the desert -of Gedrosia on his way to Babylon. - -The heat was terrible, and the soldiers were soon parched with thirst, -while sinking sand added to the hardship of the march. - -Alexander tramped by the side of his men across the dreary waste, -sharing all their privations and cheering them by his presence. But -before he left the desert of Gedrosia, the king had lost more than a -fourth part of the army that had set out with him from India two short -months before. - -At length the exhausted soldiers reached Susa, and here the king -allowed them to rest. He himself found much to do, for many of the -satraps whom he had left in charge of different provinces had betrayed -their trust. They had treated cruelly those who were in their power, -and had formed plots to make themselves kings over their own provinces. -It may be that they thought Alexander would never come back from his -perilous journey in the East. - -When he had punished those who had proved faithless, were they -Macedonians or Persians, he turned to a matter on which his heart was -set--the union of the peoples of the East and the West. - -The king tried to accomplish this in different ways. He had already -built cities in the East, and left in them Greeks and Macedonians along -with the native Asiatics. - -Now he himself wedded Statira, the daughter of Darius, Hephæstion -married her sister, while several Macedonian generals, following the -example of the king, took the daughters of Persian nobles to be their -wives. Many of the soldiers, too, married women of the East. - -Alexander hoped that little by little the two races would learn to know -each other better and to have the same interests. - -In the spring of 324 B.C. Alexander went to Ecbatana, where the Persian -kings had been used to spend the summer months. Shortly afterwards he -met his whole army at Opis, not far from Babylon, and discharged many -of the Macedonian veterans who were no longer fit to fight because of -old age or because of the wounds from which they had suffered. The king -promised to provide for these old warriors for the rest of their lives. -He expected them to welcome their dismissal and their reward. - -But the Macedonians had been growing more and more jealous of the -favours Alexander had been showing to the Persians, and now the -feelings that they had been forced to hide found words. - -They bade the king discharge not only the veterans but his loyal -Macedonians. Some even dared to shout, ‘Go and conquer with Zeus, your -father.’ - -The king, in sudden anger, sprang from his seat, down among the angry -throng, and ordered thirteen of the ring-leaders to be put to death. He -then bade the others go away if they wished. They had been only poor -shepherds on the hills of Macedon, he reminded them, until his father -Philip had made them rulers of Greece. He had shared with them the -wealth of the East, and had kept nothing for himself, save his purple -robe and his royal diadem. - -Alexander then went to his palace, and in three days he sent for the -Persian nobles, to whom he gave the posts of honour which until now had -been held by the Macedonians. - -Plutarch tells us that when the Macedonians, who had stayed in their -quarters in spite of their dismissal, heard what Alexander had done, -‘they went without their arms, with only their undergarments on, crying -and weeping, to offer themselves at his tent, and desired him to deal -with them as their baseness and ingratitude deserved ... yet he would -not admit them to his presence, nor would they stir from thence, but -continued two days and nights before his tent, bewailing themselves, -and imploring him as their lord to have compassion on them. But on -the third day he came out to them, and seeing them very humble and -penitent, he wept himself a great while, after a gentle reproof spoke -kindly to them and dismissed those who were too old for service with -magnificent rewards, and with recommendation to Antipater that when -they came home, at all public shows and in the theatres, they should -sit in the best and foremost seats, crowned with chaplets of flowers.’ - -During the summer which he spent at Ecbatana, a great sorrow befell -the king. Hephæstion, his dearest friend, took ill, and in seven days -he was dead. For three days the king would touch no food. No one could -comfort him, for well the king knew that no one would ever fill the -place that Hephæstion had held in his heart. The body of his friend -the king ordered to be taken to Babylon, where it was burnt on a pyre -adorned with great magnificence. Chapels were built in his honour in -Alexandria and other cities. - -In June 323 B.C., a month after the funeral rites, Alexander, who was -preparing for a great expedition by sea, went to the river Euphrates to -inspect some new harbours which he had ordered to be built. - -The place was unhealthy, because of the many marshes that lay round -about the river, and the king was attacked by fever. He refused to take -any care and daily he grew worse, until at length he was forced by -weakness to stay in bed. - -A rumour that he was dead reached the Macedonians, and they hastened to -the palace, begging to be allowed to see their king once more. - -Alexander was not dead, but he was too weak to speak, as one by one the -soldiers were permitted to walk quietly past his bed. With an effort he -looked at them as they passed, and feebly raised his hand in farewell. - -‘After I am gone will you ever find a king worthy of such heroes as -these?’ he murmured as they slowly filed out of the room. - -Then he drew his signet ring from his finger and gave it to an officer, -saying that he left his kingdom ‘to the best man.’ So the great king -passed away at the age of thirty-three. - -[Illustration: With an effort he looked at them as they passed] - - - - -CHAPTER CIII - -DEMOSTHENES IN THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON - - -When Alexander set out on his great expedition to Asia, Demosthenes was -living in Athens, and for five years nothing happened to disturb the -quiet habits of his life. - -He loved his city well, and with his own money he had rebuilt the walls -of Athens. Many other services he had done for his countrymen, and -because of these, one of the Athenians proposed to the people that a -hero’s crown of gold should be bestowed upon Demosthenes. - -This they were very willing to do. So at one of the great Athenian -festivals, when the people were assembled in the theatre, a herald -proclaimed that a golden crown had been awarded to the orator because -of all that he had done for his city. - -But Æschines, another great orator, was angry that this honour should -have been given to Demosthenes, whom he happened to dislike. So he -brought a lawsuit against him, and attacked his enemy in a speech that -became famous. - -But Demosthenes defended himself in a still more brilliant speech, and -won his case, which so annoyed Æschines that he left Athens and never -again returned to the city. - -Six years later, Demosthenes was accused of having taken bribes. It was -not proved that he had done so, yet he was found guilty and sentenced -to pay a heavy fine. - -As he had not money enough to pay the fine, he was thrown into prison. -Before long he escaped and fled to the sea-coast town of Ægina, not far -from Athens. Often he would sit on the shore or pace up and down the -sands, looking wistfully toward the city he loved. - -When tidings of the death of Alexander reached Athens, the Greeks -resolved once more to try to fling off the yoke of Macedon. Demosthenes -was recalled to the city, and his voice encouraged the Athenians in -their determination to fight for liberty. - -But Antipater hastened to Attica with an army, and soon put down the -revolt of the Athenians. He then condemned Demosthenes to death, for -it was well-known that his Philippics had often roused the Athenians -to show their hatred of Philip, and he had, too, continually spoken -against his son Alexander. - -When Demosthenes heard that he had been condemned, he fled to the -temple of Poseidon, in the island of Calauria. Antipater at once sent -soldiers, led by a man named Archias, to capture the fugitive. Archias -had once been an actor, and was well known to Demosthenes. - -Archias reached Calauria, and going to the temple he begged Demosthenes -to come out of the sanctuary, saying that if he did so he would be -pardoned. - -But Demosthenes knew that this was a false promise and he said, ‘O -Archias, I am as little affected by your promises now as I used -formerly to be by your acting.’ - -Now Archias had been proud of his acting, so this made him very angry -with Demosthenes, and he began to threaten him with all kinds of evil. - -‘Now,’ said the orator, ‘you speak like an oracle of Macedon; before, -you were acting a part. Therefore wait only a little, while I write a -word or two to my family.’ - -Then he rose and went into the inner temple, and taking a tablet and -his own pen in his hand, he sat down as though to write. He had a habit -of putting his pen into his mouth and biting it, and he did so now. It -seemed as though he was thinking what he would write. But all the while -he was sucking poison which he had concealed in his pen. - -Then, knowing that the poison would soon do its work, Demosthenes -leaned on the altar, his face hidden in his cloak. - -Archias had now grown tired of waiting, and he went into the temple -again and bade Demosthenes come, without more delay. - -The orator rose, uncovering his head, and looking at Archias, he said, -‘I will depart while I am alive out of this sacred place.’ But as he -tried to walk toward the door he staggered and fell by the altar. The -poison had done its work. - -Antipater had no interest in the art or in the culture of Greece, and -her glory soon faded under his rule. Athens, Sparta, Corinth, as well -as the smaller states, all ceased to be independent. - -As the power of Greece grew less, that of Rome was growing greater and -greater. In 196 B.C. she conquered Macedon and restored to Greece her -liberty. - -Fifty years later, Corinth defied the Roman power, and treated her -ambassadors with insult. The Roman consuls then sent an army into -Greece to conquer the country, and add it to their great dominions. - -But although the Romans conquered Greece, and so made her subject to -them, they could not escape her influence. The Greek language was -spoken by every educated Roman, Greek plays were acted at Rome, Greek -literature was read and studied. - -Wherever the Romans went they carried with them the habits and the -culture of the people whom they had conquered. And the greatest and -most precious thing the Greeks had to teach the world was, ‘the just -consideration of the truth of things everywhere.’ - - - - -INDEX - - - Achæans, the, 73. - - Achilles, and Briseis the Fair-cheeked, 32; - fatal quarrel with Agamemnon, 34; - the horses of, 44; Hector slain by, 48 _et seq._; - death of, 52. - - Acrisius, king of Argos, 18; - killed by Perseus, 29. - - Acropolis at Athens, the, 97. - - Admetus, king, 186. - - Ægis of Athens, the, 23, 30. - - Ægospotami, disaster at, 261. - - Æolians, the, 73. - - Æschines, lawsuit against Demosthenes, 349. - - Æschylus, 172, 200. - - Agamemnon, king, 33, 34. - - Agesilaus, king of Sparta, 278, 279. - - Alcibiades, 232–236; - friendship with Socrates, 236, 238, 240, 243; - expedition to conquer Sicily, 244–248; - flight to Sparta, 247–248; - betrayal of Athenians to the Spartans, 248; - return to Athens, 255; - Antiochus’ disobedience, 258; - death of, 263. - - Alexander the Great, at battle of Chæronea, 307; - and his horse Bucephalus, 309; - conquests in Greece, 312 _et seq._; - and Diogenes, 312; - conquest of Persia, 314, 315 _et seq._; - cutting of the Gordian knot, 318; - illness of, 319; - defeat of Darius at Issus, 322; - treatment of Darius and his wife and family, 323, 327; - siege of Tyre by, 325; - defeat of Darius at Gaugamela, 328; - burning of Persepolis by, 331; - pursuit of Darius, 334; - treatment of Philotas, 335; - slays his foster-brother, 336; - conquests in India, 338; - victory over King Porus, 338; - wounded at siege of the citadel of Malli, 342; - east and west united by, 345; - death of, 345. - - Alexander, king of Thessaly, Pelopidas’ expedition against, 282. - - Amphictyonic Council, the, 94. - - Amphipolis, surrender of, 228. - - Andromache and Hector, 41, 50, 51, 52. - - Andromeda and the sea-monster, 26. - - Antinous, 67. - - Antiochus, 258. - - Antipater, 350. - - Aphrodite, 4, 40. - - Apollo, 4, 11, 35, 46, 76, 79, 95; - and Hyacinthus, 16. - - Arachne, story of, 13. - - Archias, 273, 274, 275; - and Demosthenes, 350. - - Archidamus, invasion of Attica by, 205; - siege of Plataea under, 210–213. - - Arginusæ, battle of, 259. - - Argos, war with Sparta, 232. - - Argus, the hound, 64. - - Aristagoras, 122, 123, 124, 126. - - Aristides, 138, 140–144, 148, 168, 170, 179, 180, 185, 188. - - Aristodemus, 89. - - Aristogiton, 113. - - Aristomenes and the fox, 91. - - Aristophanes, 200, 234. - - Aristotle, 311. - - Artaphernes, 122, 123, 127, 129, 130. - - Artaxerxes, 186, 193; - march of Cyrus against, 265; - Spartan expedition against, 269. - - Artemisium, battle of, 161. - - Athene, 4, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 30, 36, 41, 62, 65, 97, 196, 198. - - Athenian Empire, foundation of, 178. - - Athenians, the, taking of Salamis by, 106; - alliance with Ionians against Darius, 127; - defeat of Persian army at Marathon, 134; - victory in bay of Pylos over the Spartans, 220; - surrender of Spartans at Sphacteria to, 221; - invasion of Bœotia by, 225; - defeat at Syracuse, 249, 252–254; - defeat by Spartans under Lysander, 259. - - Athens, city of, 12, 196–199; - war with Dorians, 97; - oligarchic government of, 98; - three parties of, 100; - Persian attack on, 137; - sea-power of, 140, 184, 194; - war with Sparta, 195; - great men of, 201; - jealousy of Sparta causing Peloponnesian war, 202 _et seq._; - revolt of Mytilene against, 214; - second Peloponnesian war, 233; - surrender to the Spartans, 261–263. - - Atlas, 26. - - Attica, Spartan invasion of, 205. - - - Babylon, taken by Alexander the Great, 331. - - Bessus, 334, 335. - - Bœotia, invasion of, 225. - - Bœotian League, the, 203. - - Bow of Odysseus, the, 67. - - Brasidas the Spartan, 219, 225, 226–231. - - Bridge of Boats, Darius’, 118. - - Briseis the Fair-cheeked, 32. - - Bucephalus, 309, 329, 340. - - - Callistratus, 301. - - Carthaginians, the, expedition against Syracuse, 286, 288, 289; - defeated by Timoleon at Crimisus, 296. - - Cassiopeia, 27. - - Cecrops, 11. - - Chæronea, battle of, 307. - - Charilaus, 77, 80. - - Charon, 273, 274, 275, 276. - - Cimon, 179, 189–193. - - Clearchus, 264, 265, 267. - - Cleisthenes, 114, 115–116. - - Cleombrotus, 279, 280. - - Cleomenes and Aristagoras, 126. - - Cleon, 208, 215, 216, 221, 222–224, 228–231. - - Clitus, 336. - - Codrus, the last king of Athens, 97. - - Conon, 259, 262. - - Conspiracy of the Seven Thebans, 273. - - Corinth, the two brothers of, 286. - - Crimisus, battle of, 296. - - Croesus, king of Lydia, 103, 104, 105. - - Cyclopes, the, 56. - - Cylon, 100. - - Cynoscephalæ, battle of, 284. - - Cyrus, king of Persia, and Croesus, 105. - - ---- march against king Artaxerxes, 264–268. - - - Damocles, 314. - - Danae, story of, 18. - - Darius, king of Persia, war against Greece, 118; - Histiaeus rewarded by, 121; - Ionian rebellion against, 124; - expedition against Athens, 131; - defeat at Marathon, 134; - death of, 139. - - ---- king of Persia, wars with Alexander the Great, 315, 319; - defeat near the pass of Issus, 321; - defeat at battle of Gaugamela, 328; - retreat and death, 334. - - Delian League, the, 178. - - Delium, defeat of Athenians at, 226. - - Demeter, story of, 4, 6. - - Demosthenes, 218, 219, 222, 223, 250, 251, 252–254, 307, 308, 311, - 313, 349. - - Diodotus, 216. - - Diogenes, 312. - - Dionysius of Syracuse, 286, 289. - - Dorians, the, 73, 76. - - Draco, code of laws of, 101. - - Dryads, the, 1. - - - Elpinice and Pericles, 195. - - Epaminondas, 93, 269, 271–272, 277, 280–285, 306. - - Ephialtes the treacherous Greek, 157, 159. - - Ephialtes the statesman, 190, 191. - - Epirus, 72. - - Epitades, 219, 221, 223. - - Erechtheum, the, 197. - - Eros, 4. - - Eucles, 228. - - Euaeus the swineherd, 64, 66, 67. - - Euripides, 200, 201, 235. - - Europa, 15. - - Eurybiades, 153, 161, 166, 167. - - Eurymedon, 218, 219, 220, 221, 250, 251. - - - Gaugamela, battle of, 328. - - Gordian knot, the, 318. - - Gorgo, 127, 160. - - Gorgons, the, 22. - - Grææ, the, 23. - - Granicus, battle of, 315. - - Greece, 72. - - Gylippus, 248, 249, 250, 252, 254. - - - Harmodius, 113. - - Hecate, 8. - - Hector, 39, 41, 46, 48, 51, 52. - - Hecuba, 41, 50, 51. - - Helen of Troy, 33, 53. - - Hellespont, the scourging of the, 148. - - Helots, the, 85, 190. - - Hephæstion, 342, 345, 347. - - Hephæstis, 11. - - Hera, 3. - - Hermes, 4, 23, 245. - - Herodotus, 201. - - Hipparchus, 113. - - Hippias, 113, 132. - - Histiaeus, 120, 121, 123, 129. - - Homer, 32, 78. - - Hyacinthus, story of, 16. - - - Icetes, 286, 289, 293. - - Ictinus, 196, 201. - - _Iliad, The_, 32. - - Ionians, the, 73, 118. - - ---- revolt of, 123–130. - - Ismenias, 270. - - - Lacedæmonians, the, 76. - - Lamachus, 245, 247, 249. - - Leonidas, king of Sparta, 153, 154, 155–158. - - Leontiades, 270, 276. - - Leuctra, battle of, 277–280. - - Lotus-eaters, the, 55. - - Lycurgus the lawgiver, 76, 78, 79, 80, 82, 87, 88. - - Lysander, 258, 261, 263. - - - Mago, 294. - - Mantinea, battle of, 233. - - Marathon, battle of, 132, 134, 136. - - Mardonius, 131, 145, 172, 175, 176. - - Masistius, 174. - - Medusa, 21, 22. - - Menelaus, king, 33, 39, 53. - - Megabetes, 123, 124. - - Messenia, city of, 282. - - Messenian war, the first, 89. - - ---- the second, 90. - - Miltiades, 120, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139. - - Mindarus, 256, 257. - - Mycale, battle of, 177. - - Mytilene, revolt against Athens, 214. - - - Naiads, the, 1. - - Nicias, 221, 222, 231, 232, 234, 245, 251, 252, 254. - - ---- peace of, 231, 232. - - - Odeon of Athens, the, 197, 198. - - Odysseus, story of, 52, 54 _et seq._ - - _Odyssey, The_, 32. - - Olympian Games, the, 94. - - Olympus, Mount, 2. - - Oracles, the Grecian, 18. - - Orchomenus, battle of, 278. - - Ostracism, law of, 116. - - - Paches, 214, 215. - - Pan, 4, 5. - - Paris, 33, 39, 44, 52. - - Parmenio, 320, 327, 328, 330, 335. - - Parthenon, the, 196, 197. - - Patroclus, 34, 45–47, 48. - - Pausanias, 174, 175, 177, 179–181, 185, 210. - - Pelopidas, 271, 273, 277, 279, 282, 284, 306. - - Peloponnesian war, the first, 202–231. - - ---- the second, 233–263. - - Penelope, story of, 61, 66, 67–71. - - Perdiccas, 314. - - Pericles, 190, 194–195, 198, 202, 205, 207, 215, 233. - - Persephone, story of, 6. - - Persepolis, burning of, 331. - - Perseus, story of, 19. - - Persia, wars with Greece, 118–139, 145–177; - conquest by Alexander the Great, 314, 315. - - Pheidias, 3, 95, 196, 198, 199, 201, 208. - - Philip, king of Macedonia, 305, 306–308, 310, 311. - - Philip, the physician of Alexander, 319, 320. - - Philippus, 273. - - Philomelus, 306, 307. - - Phocians, the, 306. - - Phocion, 308, 314. - - Phœbidas, 270. - - Phyllidas, 273, 274. - - Pirates, the Grecian, 189. - - Pisistratus, 99, 107, 109–112. - - Polydectes, king, 20, 21, 26, 30. - - Polyphemus, the giant, 54. - - Porus and his elephant, 338. - - Poseidon, 3, 12, 15. - - Potidæa, siege of, 207, 208. - - Plague in Athens, 207, 209. - - Plataea, battle of, 172; siege of, 210–213. - - Plato, 240. - - Plutarch, 209, 235, 257, 263, 346. - - Pluto, 4, 6. - - Priam, king of Troy, 33, 39, 50, 51. - - Propylæa, the, 197. - - Protagoras, 201. - - Pylos, sea-fight of, 216. - - - Rome, rise of, 351. - - - Sacred Band of Thebans, 277, 278, 307, 308. - - Sacred war, the, 306. - - Salamis, siege of, 106. - - ---- battle of, 169–172. - - Samos, revolt against Athens, 194. - - Sardis, destruction of, 126. - - Satyrus and Demosthenes, 304. - - Scythians, Darius’ war against, 118, 120. - - Sicily, Alcibiades’ expedition against, 244; - war with Carthaginians and Dionysius of Syracuse, 286; - freed by Timoleon, 299. - - Socrates, 201, 260; - friendship with Alcibiades, 236, 240–243. - - Solon the lawgiver, 99, 102, 106, 110, 111. - - Sophists, the, 201. - - Sophocles, 200. - - Sparta, 33, 76; - war with Messenians, 89; - war against Persia, 154, 156–160; - wars with Athens, 195 _et seq._, 232, 333; - destruction of Athenian army at Syracuse, 249–254; - victory over Antiochus under Lysander, 259; - surrender of Athens to, 261–263; - expedition against Thebes, 270, 273 _et seq._ - - Spartans, the, training of, 82. - - Sphacteria, blockade of, 219, 221. - - Syracuse, siege of, 249; - Corinthian expedition under Timoleon to, 286, 289 _et seq._ - - - Telemachus, 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70. - - Ten Thousand, the march of, 264–267. - - Thebes, war with Plataea, 202, 211, 213; - conspiracy to obtain freedom from Sparta, 273; - rise of, 277; - Sacred War against Phocians, 306. - - Themistocles, rivalry with Aristides, 137, 140–144; - war against Xerxes, 148; - at pass of Thermopylae, 153; - at battle of Artemisium, 161; - tactics to defeat Persian fleet at Salamis, 163–167; - Spartans deceived by, 182; - ostracised, 185; - death of, 187, 188. - - Thermopylae, battle of, 153, 156–160. - - Theseus, king, 189. - - Thetis, 34, 39, 48, 49, 51, 52. - - Thrace, city of, 121, 122. - - Thucydides, 192, 198, 201, 206, 228, 229, 252, 254. - - Timoleon, 286, 288, 293, 296, 298. - - Timophanes, 286. - - Tissaphernes, 254, 258, 264, 266. - - Trojan War, the, 32. - - Troy, city of, 32, 52. - - Tyrants, Grecian, 98. - - Tyre, siege by Alexander, 325. - - Tyrtaeus, 91, 93. - - - Xenophon, 264, 266, 267, 268. - - Xerxes, king of Persia, 139; - his dream, 145; - invasion of Greece by, 148; - scourging of Hellespont by, 148; - Athens plundered by, 164; - defeat of his fleet at Salamis, 169. - - - Zephyrus, 17. - - Zeus, 3, 8, 9, 11, 23, 38, 39, 47, 51, 95, 197. - - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY - THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling, including ligatures, were made -consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original -book; 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