to have convinced every body, that it was wholly Artax. from reasons of state, and for the good of the publick, Longim. that he at last acquiesced in an opinion, which he had hitherto thought it incumbent on him to oppose.

Whilst this affair was carrying on at Athens, the Lacedæmonians sent several embassies thither, one after another, to make the various demands above mentioned. At last the affair was debated in the assembly of the people, and it was resolved they should first deliberate upon all the articles, before they gave a positive answer. Opinions, as is usual in these cases, were divided; and some were for abolishing the decree enacted against Megara, which seemed the chief obstacle to the peace.

Pericles spoke on this occasion with the utmost force of eloquence, which his view to the publick welfare, and the honour of his country, rendered more vehement and triumphant than it had ever appeared before. He shewed, in the first place, that the decree relating to Megara, on which the greatest stress was laid, was not of so little consequence as they imagined: That the demand made by the Lacedæmonians on that head, was merely to sound the disposition of the Athenians, and to try whether it would be possible to frighten them out of their design; that should they recede on this occasion, it would betray fear and weakness: That the affair was of no less importance than the giving up to the Lacedæmonians the empire which the Athenians had possessed during so many years, by their courage and resolution: That should the Athenians submit on this occasion, the Lacedæmonians would immediately prescribe new laws to them, as to a people seized with dread; whereas, if they made a vigorous resistance, their opponents would be obliged to treat them, at least, on the foot of equals: That with regard to the present matters in dispute, arbiters might be chosen, in order to adjust them in an amicable

Thucyd. 1. i. p. 93-99. Diod. 1. xii. p. 95-97.

Artax.

way; but that it did not become the Lacedæmonians Longim, to command the Athenians in a magisterial way, to quit Potidea, to free Ægina, and revoke the decree relating to Megara: That such imperious behaviour was directly contrary to the treaty, which declared in express terms, That should any disputes arise among the allics, they should be decided by pacifick methods, AND

WITHOUT ANY PARTY'S BEING OBLIGED TO GIVE UP ANY PART OF WHAT THEY POSSESSED: That the surest way to prevent a government from being eternally contesting about its possessions, is to take up arms, and dispute its rights sword in hand: That the Athenians had just reason to believe they would gain their cause this way; and to give them a stronger idea of this truth, he set before them in the most pompous light the present state of Athens, giving a very particular account of its treasures, revenues, fleets, land as well as sca-forces, and those of its allies; contrasting these several things with the poverty of the Lacedemonians, who (he said) had no money, which is the sinews of war, not to mention the poor condition of their navy, on which they most depended. And indeed, it appeared by the treasury, that the Athenians had brought from Delos to their city nine thousand six hundred talents, which amount to about twelve hundred thousand pounds sterling. The annual contributions of the allies amounted to four hundred and sixty talents, that is, to near fourteen hundred thousand French livres. In cases of necessity, the Athenians would find infinite resources from the ornaments of the temples, since those of the statue of Minerva only amounted to fifty talents of gold, that is, fifteen hundred thousand French livres, which might be taken from the statue without spoiling it in any manner, and be afterwards fixed on again in more auspicious times. With regard to the land-forces, they amounted to very near thirty thousand men,

Diod. 1. xii. p. 96, 97.

He

and the fleet consisted of three hundred gallies. Artax. Above all, he advised them not to venture a battle in Longim. their own country against the Peloponnesians, whose troops were superior in number to theirs; not to regard the laying waste of their lands, as they might easily be restored to their former condition; but to consider the loss of their men as highly important, because irretrievable; to make their whole policy consist in defending their city, and preserving the empire of the sea, which would certainly one day give them the superiority over their enemies. laid down the plan for carrying on the war, not for a single campaign, but during the whole time it might last; and enumerated the evils they had to fear, if they deviated from that system. Pericles, after adding other considerations, taken from the genius or character, and the internal government of the two republicks; the one uncertain and fluctuating in its deliberations, and rendered still slower in the execution, from its being obliged to wait for the consent of its allies; the other speedy, determinate, independent, and mistress of its resolutions, which is no indifferent circumstance with regard to the sucçess of enterprizes; Pericles, I say, concluded his speech, and gave his opinion as follows: "We have

no more to do but to dismiss the ambassadors, "and to give them this answer, that we permit those "of Megara to trade with Athens, upon condition "that the Lacedæmonians do not prohibit either us, "or our allies, to trade with them. With regard "to the cities of Greece, we shall leave those free "who were so at the time of our agreement, pro"vided they shall do the same with regard to those "dependent on them. We do not refuse to sub"mit the decision of our differences to arbitration, "and will not commit the first hostilities: However, in case of being attacked, we shall make a "vigorous defence."

The ambassadors were answered as Pericles had

Artax.
Longim.

A. M. 3520,

dictated. They returned home, and never came again to Athens; soon after which the Peloponnesian war broke out,

CHAP. II.

Transactions of the Greeks in Sicily and Italy.
As the Peloponnesian war is a great event of con
siderable duration, before I enter upon the history
of it, it may be proper to relate, in few words, the
most considerable transactions which had happened
in Græcia major, to the time we now speak of, whe,
ther in Sicily or Italy.

SECT. I. The Carthaginians are defeated in Sicily,
Theron, tyrant of Agrigentum. Reign of Gelon in
Syracuse, and his two brothers. Liberty is restored,

I. Gelon.

WE have seen that Xerxes, whose project tend

с

Ant. J.C.ed to no less than the total extirpation of the Grecks, had prevailed with the Carthaginians to make war against the people of Sicily. They landed in it an army of above three hundred thousand men, and sent thither a fleet of two thousand ships, and upwards of three thousand small vessels for the baggage, &c. Hamilcar, the ablest of the Carthaginian generals at that time, was charged with this expedi, tion. However, the success was not answerable to these mighty preparations; the Carthaginians were entirely defeated by Gelon, who at that time had the chief authority in Syracuse.

This Gelon was born in a city of Sicily, situated on the southern coast between Agrigentum and Camarina, called Gelas, whence perhaps he received his name. He had signalized himself very much in the wars with Hippocrates, tyrant of Gela, carried on against the neighbouring powers, most of whom

Diod. 1. xi. p. 1. & 16-22.

Her. 1. vii. c. 153-167

he subdued, and was very near taking Syracuse. Artax. After the death of Hippocrates, Gelon, upon pretence Longim. of defending the rights and possession of the tyrant's children, took up arms against his own citizens, and having overcome them in a battle, possessed himself of the government in his own name. Some time after he made himself master also of Syracuse, by the assistance of some exiles whom he had caused to return into it, and who had engaged the populace to open the gates of that city to him. He then gave Gela to Hiero his brother, and applied himself wholly in extending the limits of the territory of Syracuse, and soon rendered himself very powerful. We may form a judgment of this from the army which he offered the Grecian ambassadors, who came to desire his aid against the king of Persia; and by his demand of being appointed generalissimo of all their forces, which however they refused. The fear he was in at that time, of being soon, invaded by the Carthaginians, was the chief occasion of his not succouring the Grecks. He was extremely political in his conduct; and when news was brought him of Xerxes's having crossed the Hellespont, he sent a trusty person with rich presents, with orders for him to wait the issue of the first battle, and in case Xerxes should be victorious, to pay homage to him in his name, otherwise to bring back the money. I now return to the Carthaginians.

They were landed in Sicily at the earnest solicitations of Terillus, formerly tyrant of Himera, but dethroned by Theron, another tyrant, who reigned at Agrigentum. The family of the latter was one of the most illustrious of all Greece, being descended in a direct line from Cadmus. He married into the family which at that time ruled at Syracuse, and which consisted of four brothers, Gelon, Hiero, Polyzelus, and Thrasybulus. He married his daughter

He promised to furnish two hundred ships and thirty thousand men.