Artax. forts at proper distances from sea to sea; securing by that means the whole country from the perpetual incursions of the Thracians, who were very near neighbours to it. He also sailed with an hundred ships round Peloponnesus, spreading the terror of the Athenian arms wherever he came, the success of which was not once interrupted on this occasion. He advanced as far as the kingdom of Pontus with a large, well-manned, and magnificent fleet; and granted the Grecian cities all they thought fit to ask of him. At the same time he displayed to the Barbarian nations in that neighbourhood, to their kings and princes, the greatness of the power of the Athenians; and proved to them, by the security with which he sailed to all parts, that they possessed the empire of the seas without a rival. But so constant and shining a fortune began to dazzle the eyes of the Athenians. Intoxicated with the idea of their power and grandeur, they now revolved nothing but the boldest and most lofty projects. They were for ever talking of new attempts upon Egypt; of attacking the maritime provinces of the great king; of carrying their arms into Sicily, (a fatal and unhappy design, which at that time did not take effect, though it was revived soon after ;) and to extend their conquests towards Hetruria on one side, and Carthage on the other. Pericles was far from giving into such idle views, or supporting them with his credit and approbation. On the contrary, his whole study was to damp that restless ardor, and check an ambition which no longer knew either bounds or measure. It was his opinion that the Athenians ought to employ their forces for the future, only in securing and preserving their present acquisitions; and he thought he had gained a great point in restraining the power of the Lacedæmonians, the reducing of which he always meditated; and this was particularly seen in the sacred war. "This name was given to the war which was Artax. raised on account of Delphos. The Lacedæmonians Longim. having entered armed into the country where that temple is situated, had dispossessed the people of Phocis of the superintendence of that temple, and bestowed it on the Delphians. As soon as they left it, Pericles went thither with an army, and restored the Phocenses. The Euboeans having rebelled at the same time, Pericles was obliged to march thither with an army. He was no sooner arrived there, but news was brought, that the inhabitants of Megara had taken up arms; and that the Lacedæmonians, headed by Plistonax their king, were on the frontiers of Attica. This obliged him to quit Euboea, and to go with all possible expedition to defend his country. The Lacedæmonian army being retired, he returned against the rebels, and again subjected all the cities of Eubæa to the Athenians. Ant. J. C. 446. • After this expedition, a truce for thirty years A. M. was concluded between the Athenians and Lacedæ- 3558. monians. This treaty restored things to a tranquillity for the present: But as it did not descend to the root of the evil, nor cure the jealousy and enmity of the two nations, this calm was not of long duration. SECT, XIII. New subjects of contention between the two nations, occasioned by the Athenians laying siege to Samos; by their succouring the people of Corcyra, and besieging Potidea. An open rupture ensues. P THE Athenians, six years after, took up arms A. M. against Samos in favour of Miletus. These two 3564. cities were contesting for that of Priene, to which Ant.J.C. each claimed a right. It is pretended, that Pericles 440. Plut. in Pericl. p. 164. Thucyd. 1. i. p. 75, 76. Pericl. p. 165-167. • Thucyd. 1. i. p. 75. Diod. p. 87. Artax. fomented this war to please a famous courtezan, of Longim. whom he was very fond; her name was Aspasia, a native of Miletus. After several events and battles, Pericles besieged the capital of the island of Samos. It is said, that this was the first time he used military engines, as battering-rams and tortoises, invented by Artemon the engineer, who was lame, and therefore was always carried in a chair to the batteries, whence he was surnamed Periphoretus. The use of these machines had been long known in the east. The Samians, after sustaining a nine months siege, surrendered, Pericles rased their walls, dispossessed them of their ships, and demanded immense sums to defray the expences of the war. Part of this sum they paid down; agreed to disburse the rest at a certain time, and gave hostages by way of security for the payment. After the reduction of Samos, Pericles being returned to Athens, buried in a splendid manner all who had lost their lives in this war, and pronounced in person the funeral oration over their graves. This custom, which he first introduced, was afterwards regularly observed. The senate of the Areopagus always appointed the orator on these occasions. He was chosen, ten years after, for the like ceremony in the beginning of the Peloponnesian war. A. M. 9 Pericles, who foresaw that a rupture would 3572. soon ensue between the Athenians and LacedæmoAnt. J. C. nians, advised the former to send aid to the people 432. of Corcyra, whom the Corinthians had invaded; and to win over to their interest that island, which was so very formidable at sca; foretelling them, that they would be attacked by the Peloponnesians. The occasion of the quarrel between the people of Corcyra and Corinth, which gave rise to that of Peloponnesus, one of the most considerable events in the Grecian history, was as follows. Thucyd. 1. i. p. 17-37. Diod. 1. xii. p. 90-93. Plut. la Pericl. p. 167. Epidamnum, a maritime city of Macedonia Artax. among the Taulantii, was a colony of Corcyrans, Longim. founded by Phalius of Corinth. This city growing, in time, very large and populous, divisions arose in it, and the common people expelled the most wealthy inhabitants, who went over to the neighbouring nations, and infested them greatly with their incursions. In this extremity they first had recourse to the Corcyrans, and being refused by them, they addressed the Corinthians, who took them under their protection, sent succours to, and settled other inhabitants in it. But they did not continue long unmolested there, the Corcyrans besieging it with a large fleet. The people of Corinth hastened to its aid, but having been defeated at sea, the city surrendered that very day, upon condition that the foreigners should be slaves, and the Corinthians prisoners, till further orders. The Corcyrans erected a trophy, murthered all their prisoners except the Corinthians, and laid waste the whole country. The year after the battle, the Corinthians raised at greater army than the former, and fitted out a new fleet. The people of Corcyra, finding it would be impossible for them to make head alone against such powerful enemies, sent to the Athenians to desire their alliance. The treaty of peace, concluded between the states of Greece, left such Grecian cities as had not declared themselves, the liberty of joining whom they pleased, or of standing neuter. This the Corcyrans had hitherto done; judging it their interest not to espouse any party, in consequence of which they had hitherto been without allies. They now sent for this purpose to Athens, which the Corinthians hearing, they also sent deputies thither. The affair was debated with great warmth in presence of the people, who heard the reasons on both sides, and it was twice put to the vote in the assemply. The Athenians declared the first time in favour *This city was afterwards called Dyrrachium. Artax. of the Corinthians; but afterwards changing their Longim. opinion, (doubtless on the remonstrances of Peri cles) they received the Corcyrans into their alliance. However, they did not go so far as to conclude a league offensive and defensive with them; (for they could not declare war against Corinth, without breaking at the same time with all Peloponnesus;) but only agreed to succour each other mutually, in case they should be attacked, either personally, or in their allies. Their real design was, to set those two states, very powerful by sea, at variance; and after each should have exhausted the other, by a tedious war, to triumph over the weakest: For at that time there were but three states in Greece, who possessed powerful fleets; and these were Athens, Corinth, and Corcyra. They also had a design on Italy and Sicily, which their taking the island of Corcyra would very much promote. On this plan they concluded an alliance with the Corcyrans, and accordingly sent them ten gallies, but with an order for them not to engage the Corinthians, unless they should first invade the island of Corcyra, or some other place belonging to their allies: This precaution was used, in order that the articles of the truce might not be infringed. But it was very difficult to obey these orders. A battle was fought between the Corcyrans and the Corinthians, near the island of Sibotis, opposite to Corcyra: It was one of the most considerable, with regard to the number of ships, that was ever fought between the Greeks. The advantage was almost equal on both sides. About the end of the battle, as night was drawing on, twenty Athenian gallies came up. The Corcyrans, with this reinforcement, sailed next day by day-break towards the port of Sibotis, whither the Corinthians had retired, to see if they would venture a second engagement. However, the latter contented themselves with sailing away in order of battle, without fighting. Both |