a smaller history of greece-第24部分

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on　of　the　latter。　　It　was　here　that　the　Council　of　Areopagus　met；　frequently　called　the　Upper　Council；　to　distinguish　it　from　the　Council　of　Five　Hundred；　which　assembled　in　the　valley　below。　　The　Areopagites　sat　as　judges　in　the　open　air；　and　two　blocks　of　stone　are　still　to　be　seen；　probably　those　which　were　occupied　respectively　by　the　accuser　and　the　accused。　The　Areopagus　was　the　spot　where　the　Apostle　Paul　preached　to　the　men　of　Athens。

The　Pnyx；　or　place　for　holding　the　public　assemblies　of　the　Athenians；　stood　on　the　side　of　a　low　rocky　hill；　at　the　distance　of　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　Areopagus。　　Projecting　from　the　hill　and　hewn　out　of　it；　still　stands　a　solid　rectangular　block；　called　the　Bema　or　pulpit；　from　whence　the　orators　addressed　the　multitude　in　the　area　before　them。　　The　position　of　the　Bema　commanded　a　view　of　the　Propylaea　and　the　other　magnificent　edifices　of　the　Acropolis；　while　beneath　it　was　the　city　itself　studded　with　monuments　of　Athenian　glory。　　The　Athenian　orators　frequently　roused　the　national　feelings　of　their　audience　by　pointing　to　the　Propylaea　and　to　the　other　splendid　buildings　before　them。　　Between　the　Pnyx　on　the　west；　the　Areopagus　on　the　north；　and　the　Acropolis　on　the　east；　and　closely　adjoining　the　base　of　these　hills；　stood　the　Agora　（or　market…place）。　　In　a　direction　from　north…west　to　south…east　a　street　called　the　Ceramicus　ran　diagonally　through　the　Agora；　entering　it　through　the　valley　between　the　Pnyx　and　the　Areopagus。　　The　street　was　named　after　a　district　of　the　city；　which　was　divided　into　two　parts；　the　Inner　and　Outer　Ceramicus。　The　former　lay　within　the　city　walls；　and　included　the　Agora。　The　Outer　Ceramicus；　which　formed　a　handsome　suburb　on　the　north…　west　of　the　city；　was　the　burial…place　of　all　persons　honoured　with　a　public　funeral。　　Through　it　ran　the　road　to　the　gymnasium　and　gardens　of　the　Academy　which　were　situated　about　a　mile　from　the　walls。　　The　Academy　was　the　place　where　Plato　and　his　disciples　taught。　　On　each　side　of　this　road　were　monuments　to　illustrious　Athenians；　especially　those　who　had　fallen　in　battle。

East　of　the　city；　and　outside　the　walls；　was　the　Lyceum；　a　gymnasium　dedicated　to　Apollo　Lyceus；　and　celebrated　as　the　place　in　which　Aristotle　taught。



CHAPTER　XI。

THE　PELOPONNESIAN　WAR。FIRST　PERIOD；　FROM　THE　COMMENCEMENT　OF　THE　WAR　TO　THE　PEACE　OF　NICIAS；　B。C。　431…421。

War　was　now　fairly　kindled。　　All　Greece　looked　on　in　suspense　as　its　two　leading　cities　were　about　to　engage　in　a　strife　of　which　no　man　could　forsee　the　end；　but　the　youth；　with　which　both　Athens　and　Peloponnesus　then　abounded；　having　had　no　experience　of　the　bitter　calamities　of　war；　rushed　into　it　with　ardour。　　It　was　a　war　of　principles　and　races。　　Athens　was　a　champion　of　democracy；　Sparta　of　aristocracy；　Athens　represented　the　Ionic　tribes；　Sparta　the　Dorian；　the　former　were　fond　of　novelty；　the　latter　were　conservative　and　stationary；　Athens　had　the　command　of　the　sea；　Sparta　was　stronger　upon　land。　　On　the　side　of　Sparta　was　ranged　the　whole　of　Peloponnesus；　except　Argos　and　Achaia；　together　with　the　Megarians；　Boeotians；　Phocians；　Opuntian　Locrians；　Ambraciots；　Leucadians；　and　Anactorians。　　The　allies　of　Athens；　with　the　exception　of　the　Thessalians；　Acarnanians；　Messenians　at　Naupactus；　and　Plataeans；　were　all　insular；　and　consisted　of　the　Chians；　Lesbians；　Corcyraeans；　and　Zacynthians；　and　shortly　afterwards　of　the　Cephallenians；　To　these　must　be　added　her　tributary　towns　on　the　coast　of　Thrace　and　Asia　Minor；　together　with　all　the　islands　north　of　Crete；　except　Melos　and　Thera。

The　Peloponnesians　commenced　the　war　by　an　invasion　of　Attica；　with　a　large　army；　under　the　command　of　the　Spartan　King　Archidamus　（B。C。　431）。　　Pericles　had　instructed　the　inhabitants　of　Attica　to　secure　themselves　and　their　property　within　the　walls　of　Athens。　　They　obeyed　his　injunctions　with　reluctance；　for　the　Attic　population　had　from　the　earliest　times　been　strongly　attached　to　a　rural　life。　　But　the　circumstances　admitted　of　no　alternative。　　Archidamus　advanced　as　far　as　Acharnae；　a　flourishing　Attic　borough　situated　only　about　seven　miles　from　Athens。　　Here　he　encamped　on　a　rising　ground　within　sight　of　the　metropolis；　and　began　to　lay　waste　the　country　around；　expecting　probably　by　that　means　to　provoke　the　Athenians　to　battle。　　But　in　this　he　was　disappointed。　　Notwithstanding　the　murmurs　and　clamours　of　the　citizens　Pericles　remained　firm；　and　steadily　refused　to　venture　an　engagement　in　the　open　held。　　The　Peloponnesians　retired　from　Attica　after　still　further　ravaging　the　country；　and　the　Athenians　retaliated　by　making　descents　upon　various　parts　of　the　coasts　of　Peloponnesus；　and　ravaging　the　territory　of　Megara。

Such　were　the　results　of　the　first　campaign。　　From　the　method　in　which　the　war　was　conducted　it　had　become　pretty　evident　that　it　would　prove　of　long　duration；　and　the　Athenians　now　proceeded　to　provide　for　this　contingency。　　It　was　agreed　that　a　reserve　fund　of　1000　talents　should　be　set　apart；　which　was　not　to　be　touched　in　any　other　case　than　an　attack　upon　Athens　by　sea。　　Any　citizen　who　proposed　to　make　a　different　use　of　the　fund　incurred　thereby　the　punishment　of　death。　　With　the　same　view　it　was　resolved　to　reserve　every　year　100　of　their　best　triremes；　fully　manned　and　equipped。

Towards　the　winter　Pericles　delivered；　from　a　lofty　platform　erected　in　the　Ceramicus；　the　funeral　oration　of　those　who　had　fallen　in　the　war。　　This　speech；　or　at　all　events　the　substance　of　it；　has　been　preserved　by　Thucydides；　who　may　possibly　have　heard　it　pronounced。　　It　is　a　valuable　monument　of　eloquence　and　patriotism；　and　particularly　interesting　for　the　sketch　which　it　contains　of　Athenian　manners　as　well　as　of　the　Athenian　constitution。

In　the　following　year　（B。C。　430）　the　Peloponnesians；　under　Archidamus；　renewed　their　invasion　of　Attica。　　At　the　same　time　the　Athenians　were　attacked　by　a　more　insidious　and　a　more　formidable　enemy。　　The　plague　broke　out　in　the　crowded　city。　This　terrible　disorder；　which　was　supposed　to　have　originated　in　AEthiopia；　had　already　desolated　Asia　and　many　of　the　countries　around　the　Mediterranean。　　A　great　proportion　of　those　who　were　seized　perished　in　from　seven　to　nine　days。　　It　frequently　attacked　the　mental　faculties；　and　left　even　those　who　recovered　from　it　so　entirely　deprived　of　memory　that　they　could　recognise　neither　themselves　nor　others。　　The　disorder　being　new；　the　physicians　could　find　no　remedy　in　the　resources　of　their　art。　Despair　now　began　to　take　possession　of　the　Athenians。　　Some　suspected　that　the　Peloponnesians　had　poisoned　the　wells；　others　attributed　the　pestilence　to　the　anger　of　Apollo。　　A　dreadful　state　of　moral　dissolution　followed。　　The　sick　were　seized　with　unconquerable　despondency；　whilst　a　great　part　of　the　population　who　had　hitherto　escaped　the　disorder；　expecting　soon　to　be　attacked　in　turn；　abandoned　themselves　to　all　manner　of　excess；　debauchery；　and　crime。　　The　numbers　carried　off　by　the　pestilence　can　hardly　be　estimated　at　less　than　a　fourth　of　the　whole　population；

Oppressed　at　once　by　war　and　pestilence；　their　lands　desolated；　their　homes　filled　with　mourning；　it　is　not　surprising　that　the　Athenians　were　seized　with　rage　and　despair；　or　that　they　vented　their　anger　on　Pericles；　whom　they　deemed　the　author　of　their　misfortunes。　　But　that　statesman　still　adhered　to　his　plans　with　unshaken　firmness。　　Though　the　Lacedaemonians　were　in　Attica；　though　the　plague　had　already　seized　on　Athens；　he　was　vigorously　pushing　his　schemes　of　offensive　operations。　　A　foreign　expedition　might　not　only　divert　the　popular　mind　but　would　prove　beneficial　by　relieving　the　crowded　city　of　part　of　its　population；　and　accordingly　a　fleet　was　fitted　out；　of　which　Pericles　himself　took　the　command；　and　which　committed　devastations　upon　various　parts　of　the　Peloponnesian　coast。　　But；　upon　returning　from　this　expedition；　Pericles　found　the　public　feeling　more　exasperated　than　before。　　Envoys　had　even　been　despatched　to　Sparta　to　sue　for　peace；　but　had　been　dismissed　without　a　hearing；　a　disappointment　which　had　rendered　the　populace　still　more　furious。　　Pericles　now　found　it　necessary　to　call　a　public　assembly　in　order　to　vindicate　his　conduct；　and　to　encourage　the　desponding　citizens　to　persevere。　　But　though　he　succeeded　in　persuading　them　to　prosecute　the　war　with　vigour；　they　still　continued　to　nourish　their　feelings　of　hatred　against　the　great　statesman。　　His　political　enemies；　of　whom　Cleon　was　the　chief；　took　advantage　of　this　state　of　the　public　mind　to　bring　against　him　a　charge　of　peculation。　　The　main　object　of　this　accusation　was　to　incapacitate　him　for　the　office　of　Strategus；　or　general。　　＇The　Strategi；　or　Generals；　were　ten　in　number；　elected　annually；　and　were　intrusted　not　only　with　the　command　on　military　expeditions；　but　with　the　superintendence　of　all　warlike　preparations；　and　with　the　regulation　of　all　matters　in　any　way　connected　with　the　war　department　of　the　state。＇　　He　was　brought　before　the　dicastery　on　this　charge；　and　sentenced　to　pay　a　considerable　fine；　but　eventually　a　strong　reaction　occurred　in　his　favour。　　He　was　re…elected　general；　and　apparently　regained　all　the　influe