pericles-第8章

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against　Pericles　himself。　The　people　receiving　and　admitting　these
accusations　and　complaints；　at　length；　by　this　means；　they　came　to
enact　a　decree；　at　the　motion　of　Dracontides；　that　Pericles　should
bring　in　the　accounts　of　the　moneys　he　had　expended；　and　lodge　them
with　the　Prytanes；　and　that　the　judges；　carrying　their　suffrage　from
the　altar　in　the　Acropolis；　should　examine　and　determine　the
business　in　the　city。　This　last　clause　Hagnon　took　out　of　the
decree；　and　moved　that　the　causes　should　be　tried　before　fifteen
hundred　jurors；　whether　they　should　be　styled　prosecutions　for
robbery；　or　bribery；　or　any　kind　of　malversation。　Aspasia；　Pericles
begged　off；　shedding；　as　Aeschines　says；　many　tears　at　the　trial；
and　personally　entreating　the　jurors。　But　fearing　how　it　might　go　with
Anaxagoras；　he　sent　him　out　of　the　city。　And　finding　that　in　Phidias's
case　he　had　miscarried　with　the　people；　being　afraid　of　impeachment；
he　kindled　the　war；　which　hitherto　had　lingered　and　smothered；　and
blew　it　up　into　a　flame；　hoping；　by　that　means；　to　disperse　and
scatter　these　complaints　and　charges；　and　to　allay　their　jealousy；　the
city　usually　throwing　herself　upon　him　alone；　and　trusting　to　his　sole
conduct；　upon　the　urgency　of　great　affairs　and　public　dangers；　by
reason　of　his　authority　and　the　sway　he　bore。
　　These　are　given　out　to　have　been　the　reasons　which　induced
Pericles　not　to　suffer　the　people　of　Athens　to　yield　to　the
proposals　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　but　their　truth　is　uncertain。
　　The　Lacedaemonians；　for　their　part；　feeling　sure　that　if　they
could　once　remove　him；　they　might　be　at　what　terms　they　pleased　with
the　Athenians；　sent　them　word　that　they　should　expel　the　〃Pollution〃
with　which　Pericles　on　the　mother's　side　was　tainted；　as　Thucydides
tells　us。　But　the　issue　proved　quite　contrary　to　what　those　who　sent
the　message　expected；　instead　of　bringing　Pericles　under　suspicion　and
reproach；　they　raised　him　into　yet　greater　credit　and　esteem　with
the　citizens；　as　a　man　whom　their　enemies　most　hated　and　feared。　In
the　same　way；　also；　before　Archidamus；　who　was　at　the　head　of　the
Peloponnesians；　made　his　invasion　into　Attica；　he　told　the　Athenians
beforehand；　that　if　Archidamus；　while　he　laid　waste　the　rest　of　the
country；　should　forbear　and　spare　his　estate；　either　on　the　ground
of　friendship　or　right　of　hospitality　that　was　betwixt　them；　or　on
purpose　to　give　his　enemies　an　occasion　of　traducing　him；　that　then　he
did　freely　bestow　upon　the　state　all　his　land　and　the　buildings　upon
it　for　the　public　use。　The　Lacedaemonians；　therefore；　and　their
allies；　with　a　great　army；　invaded　the　Athenian　territories；　under　the
conduct　of　King　Archidamus；　and　laying　waste　the　country；　marched　on
as　far　as　Acharnae；　and　there　pitched　their　camp；　presuming　that　the
Athenians　would　never　endure　that；　but　would　come　out　and　fight　them
for　their　country's　and　their　honour's　sake。　But　Pericles　looked
upon　it　as　dangerous　to　engage　in　battle；　to　the　risk　of　the　city
itself；　against　sixty　thousand　men…at…arms　of　Peloponnesians　and
Boeotians；　for　so　many　they　were　in　number　that　made　the　inroad　at
first；　and　he　endeavoured　to　appease　those　who　were　desirous　to　fight；
and　were　grieved　and　discontented　to　see　how　things　went；　and　gave
them　good　words；　saying；　that　〃trees；　when　they　are　lopped　and　cut；
grow　up　again　in　a　short　time；　but　men；　being　once　lost；　cannot　easily
be　recovered。〃　He　did　not　convene　the　people　into　an　assembly；　for
fear　lest　they　should　force　him　to　act　against　his　judgment；　but；　like
a　skilful　steersman　or　pilot　of　a　ship；　who；　when　a　sudden　squall
comes　on；　out　at　sea；　makes　all　his　arrangements；　sees　that　all　is
tight　and　fast；　and　then　follows　the　dictates　of　his　skill；　and
minds　the　business　of　the　ship；　taking　no　notice　of　the　tears　and
entreaties　of　the　sea…sick　and　fearful　passengers；　so　he；　having
shut　up　the　city　gates；　and　placed　guards　at　all　posts　for　security；
followed　his　own　reason　and　judgment；　little　regarding　those　that
cried　out　against　him　and　were　angry　at　his　management；　although　there
were　a　great　many　of　his　friends　that　urged　him　with　requests；　and
many　of　his　enemies　threatened　and　accused　him　for　doing　as　he　did；
and　many　made　songs　and　lampoons　upon　him；　which　were　sung　about　the
town　to　his　disgrace；　reproaching　him　with　the　cowardly　exercise　of
his　office　of　general；　and　the　tame　abandonment　of　everything　to　the
enemy's　hands。
　　Cleon；　also；　already　was　among　his　assailants；　making　use　of　the
feeling　against　him　as　a　step　to　the　leadership　of　the　people；　as
appears　in　the　anapaestic　verses　of　Hermippus…

　　　　　　　　〃Satyr…king；　instead　of　swords；
　　　　　　　　　Will　you　always　handle　words？
　　　　　　　　　Very　brave　indeed　we　find　them；
　　　　　　　　　But　a　Teles　lurks　behind　them。

　　　　　　　　〃Yet　to　gnash　your　teeth　you're　seen；
　　　　　　　　　When　the　little　dagger　keen；
　　　　　　　　　Whetted　every　day　anew；
　　　　　　　　　Of　sharp　Cleon　touches　you。〃

　　Pericles；　however；　was　not　at　all　moved　by　any　attacks；　but　took　all
patiently；　and　submitted　in　silence　to　the　disgrace　they　threw　upon
him　and　the　ill…will　they　bore　him；　and；　sending　out　a　fleet　of　a
hundred　galleys　to　Peloponnesus；　he　did　not　go　along　with　it　in
person；　but　stayed　behind；　that　he　might　watch　at　home　and　keep　the
city　under　his　own　control；　till　the　Peloponnesians　broke　up　their
camp　and　were　gone。　Yet　to　soothe　the　common　people；　jaded　and
distressed　with　the　war；　he　relieved　them　with　distributions　of　public
moneys；　and　ordained　new　divisions　of　subject　land。　For　having
turned　out　all　the　people　of　Aegina；　he　parted　the　island　among　the
Athenians　according　to　lot。　Some　comfort　also；　and　ease　in　their
miseries；　they　might　receive　from　what　their　enemies　endured。　For
the　fleet；　sailing　round　the　Peloponnese；　ravaged　a　great　deal　of
the　country；　and　pillaged　and　plundered　the　towns　and　smaller
cities；　and　by　land　he　himself　entered　with　an　army　the　Megarian
country；　and　made　havoc　of　it　all。　Whence　it　is　clear　that　the
Peloponnesians；　though　they　did　the　Athenians　much　mischief　by　land；
yet　suffering　as　much　themselves　from　them　by　sea；　would　not　have
protracted　the　war　to　such　a　length；　but　would　quickly　have　given　it
over；　as　Pericles　at　first　foretold　they　would；　had　not　some　divine
power　crossed　human　purposes。
　　In　the　first　place；　the　pestilential　disease；　or　plague；　seized　upon
the　city；　and　ate　up　all　the　flower　and　prime　of　their　youth　and
strength。　Upon　occasion　of　which；　the　people；　distempered　and
afflicted　in　their　souls；　as　well　as　in　their　bodies；　were　utterly
enraged　like　madmen　against　Pericles；　and；　like　patients　grown
delirious；　sought　to　lay　violent　hands　on　their　physician；　or；　as　it
were；　their　father。　They　had　been　possessed；　by　his　enemies；　with
the　belief　that　the　occasion　of　the　plague　was　the　crowding　of　the
country　people　together　into　the　town　forced　as　they　were　now；　in
the　heat　of　the　summer…weather；　to　dwell　many　of　them　together　even　as
they　could；　in　small　tenements　and　stifling　hovels；　and　to　be　tied
to　a　lazy　course　of　life　within　doors；　whereas　before　they　lived　in
a　pure；　open；　and　free　air。　The　cause　and　author　of　all　this；　said
they；　is　he　who　on　account　of　the　war　has　poured　a　multitude　of　people
in　upon　us　within　the　walls；　and　uses　all　these　men　that　he　has　here
upon　no　employ　or　service；　but　keeps　them　pent　up　like　cattle；　to　be
overrun　with　infection　from　one　another；　affording　them　neither
shift　of　quarters　nor　any　refreshment。
　　With　the　design　to　remedy　these　evils；　and　do　the　enemy　some
inconvenience；　Pericles　got　a　hundred　and　fifty　galleys　ready；　and
having　embarked　many　tried　soldiers；　both　foot　and　horse；　was　about　to
sail　out；　giving　great　hope　to　his　citizens；　and　no　less　alarm　to
his　enemies；　upon　the　sight　of　so　great　a　force。　And　now　the　vessels
having　their　complement　of　men；　and　Pericles　being　gone　aboard　his　own
galley；　it　happened　that　the　sun　was　eclipsed；　and　it　grew　dark　on　a
sudden；　to　the　affright　of　all；　for　this　was　looked　upon　as
extremely　ominous。　Pericles；　therefore；　perceiving　the　steersman
seized　with　fear　and　at　a　loss　what　to　do；　took　his　cloak　and　held
it　up　before　the　man's　face；　and　screening　him　with　it　so　that　he
could　not　see；　asked　him　whether　he　imagined　there　was　any　great　hurt；
or　the　sign　of　any　great　hurt　in　this；　and　he　answering　No；　〃Why；〃
said　he；　〃and　what　does　that　differ　from　this；　only　that　what　has
caused　that　darkness　there；　is　something　greater　than　a　cloak？〃　This
is　a　story　which　philosophers　tell　their　scholars。　Pericles；
however；　after　putting　out　to　sea；　seems　not　to　have　done　any　other
exploit　befitting　such　preparations；　and　when　he　had　laid　siege　to　the
holy　city　Epidaurus；　which　gave　him　some　hope　of　surrender；　miscarried
in　his　design　by　reason　of　the　sickness。　For　it　not　only　seized　upon
the　Athenians；　but　upon　all　others；　too；　that　held　any　sort　of
communication　with　the　army。　Finding　after　this　the　Athenians
ill…affected　and　highly　displeased　with　him；　he　tried　and
endeavoured　what　he　could　to　appease　and　re…encourage　them。　But　he
could　not　pacify　or　allay　their　anger；　nor　persuade　or　prevail　with
them　any　way；　till　they　freely　passed　their　votes　upon　him；　resumed
their　power；　took　away　his　command　from　him；　and　fined　him　in　a　sum　of
money；　which　by　their　account　that　say　least；　was　fifteen　talents；
while　they　who　reckon　most；　name　fifty。　The　name　prefixed　to　the
accusation　was　Cleon；　as　Idomeneus　tells　us；　Simmias；　according　to
Theophrastus；　and　Heraclides　Ponticus　gives　it　as　Lacratidas。
　　After　this；　public　troubles　were　soon　to　leave　him　unmolested；　the
people；　so　to　say；　discharged　their　passion　in　their　stroke；　and
lost　their　stings　in　the　wound。　But　his　domestic　concerns　were　in　an
unhappy　condition；　many　of　his　friends　and　acquaintance　having　died　in
the　plague　time；　and　those　of　his　family　having　long　since　been　in
disorder　and　in　a　kind　of　mutiny　against　him。　For　the　eldest　of　his
lawfully　begotten　sons；　Xanthippus　by　name；　being　naturally
prodigal；　and　marrying　a　young　and　expensive　wife；　the　daughter　of
Tisander；　son　of　Epilycus；　was　highly　offended　at　his　father's　economy
in　making　him　but　a　scanty　allowance；　by　little　and　little　at　a
time。　He　sent；　therefore；　to　a　friend　one　day　and　borrowed　some
money　of　him　in　his　father　Pericles's　name；　pretending　it　was　by　his
order。　The　man　coming　afterward　to　demand　the　debt；　Pericles　was　so
far　from　yielding　to　pay　it；　that　he　entered　an　action　against　him。
Upon　which　the　young　man；　Xanthippus；　thought　himself　so　ill…used
and　disobliged　that　he　openly　reviled　his　father；　telling　first；　by
way　of　ridicule；　stories　about　his　conversations　at　home；　and　the
discourses　he　had　with　the　sophists　and　scholars　that　came　to　his
house。　As；　for　instance；　how　one　who　was　a　practicer　of　the　five　games
of　skill；　having　with　a　dart　or　javelin　unawares　against　his　will
struck　and　killed　Epitimus　the　Pharsalian；　his　father　spent　a　whole
day　with　Protagoras　in　a　serious　dispute；　whether　the　javelin；　or
the　man　that　threw　it；　or　the　masters　of　the　games　who　appointed　these
sports；　were；　according　to　the　strictest　and　best　reason；　to　be
accounted　the　cause　of　this　mischance。　Be