A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

198 PERICLES. PERICLES.
these attacks harmless. But that Pericles was assistance against Corinth, one of their main argathe author of a law passed B. c. 440, restraining ments was that hostilities between the rival conthe exhibition of comedy, is not probable. (Thirl- federacies could not be postponed much longer.
wall, vol. iii. p. 83; Cic. de Rep. iv. 10, 11.) Pericles doubtless foresaw this when by his advice
The enemies of Pericles, unable to ruin his repu- a defensive alliance was contracted with the Cortation by these means, attacked him through his cyraeans, and ten galleys sent to assist them,
friends. A charge was brought against Pheidias under Lacedaemonius the son of Cimon, which
of appropriating part of the gold destined to adorn were only to be brought into action in case a dethe statue of the goddess on the Acropolis; and scent upon the territories of the Corcyraeans were
Menon, a workman who had been employed by threatened. Plutarch represents Pericles as sendPheidias, was suborned to support the charge ing so small a force through jealousy of the family
[MENON]. By the direction of Pericles, however, of Cimon. Pericles might safely have defied the
the golden ornaments had been so fixed as to rivalry of a much more formidable person than
admit of being taken off. Pericles challenged the Lacedaemonius. A larger squadron of 20 ships
accusers to weigh them, They shrank from the was sent out not long after, in case the force first
test, but the probity of Pheidias was established. sent should prove too small. (Thucyd. i. 31-54.)
This charge having been fruitless, a second at- The measures taken by the Athenians with retack was made on him for having in the sculp- spect to Potidaea doubtless had the sanction of
ture'on the shield of the goddess, representing Pericles, if they were not suggested by him.
the battle with the Amazons, introduced portraits (Thucyd. i. 56, &c.) After war had been declared
of himself and Pericles. To support this charge, by the congress of the Peloponnesian alliance, as
again Menon was brought forward, and Pheidias the members of it were not in a condition to cornwas cast into prison as having shown dishonour to mence hostilities immediately, various embassies
the national religion. According to Plutarch he were sent to Athens, manifestly rather with the
died there, either by poison, or by a natural death. intention of multiplying causes of hostility, than
The next attack was intended to wound Peri- with a sincere intention to prevent the outbreak
cles on a still more sensitive side. The connection of war. The first demand made was, that the
between Pericles and Aspasia, and the great as- Athenians should banish all that remained of the
cendancy which she had over him, has already accursed family of the Alcmaeonids. This was
been spoken of in the article ASPAsIA. (Respect- clearly aimed at Pericles, who by his mother's
ing the benefit which the oratory of Pericles was side was connected with that house. The design
supposed to have derived from her instructions, of the Lacedaemonians was to render Pericles an
see Plat. Aenexr. p. 235, e. 236, a.) The comic object of odium when the difficulties of the war
poet Hermippus instituted a prosecution against came to be felt by the Athenians, by making it
her, on the ground of impiety, and of pandering appear that he was the obstacle in the way of
to the vices of Pericles by corrupting the Athe- peace. (Thucyd. i. 127.) The demand was disnian women; a charge beyond all doubt as slhin- regarded, and the Lacedaemonians in their turn
derous as that made against Pheidias of doing directed to free themselves from the pollution cosnthe same under pretence of admitting Athe- tracted by the death of Pausanias. Subsequent
nian ladies to view the progress of his works demands were made that the Athenians should
(Thirlwall, iii. pp. 87, 89). Apparently, while this raise the siege of Potidaea, restore Aegina to indetrial was pending, Diopeithes got a decree passed pendence, and especially repeal the decree against
that those who denied the existence of the gods, the Megarians, by which the latter were excluded,
or introduced new opinions about celestial phaeno- on pain of death, from the agora of Athens, and
mena, should be informed against and impeached from all ports in the Athenian dominions. One of
according to the process termed EioayyeAXa (Dict. the scandalous stories of the time represented this
of Alzt. art. Eisangelia). This decree was aimed decree as having been procured by Pericles from
at Anaxagoras, and through himn at Pericles. private motives, some Megarians having carried off
Another decree was proposed by Dracontides, that two girls belonging to the train of Aspasia. (ArisPericles should give in an account of his expendi- toph. Aclearn. 500.) There was quite sufficient
ture of the public money before the Prytanes, who ground for the decree in the long-standing enmity
were to conduct the trial with peculiar solemnity. between the Athenians and Megarians, which,
On the amendment of Agnon it was decreed that just before the decree was passed on the motion of
the trial should take place before 1500 dicasts. Charinus, had been inflamed by the murder of an
Aspasia was acquitted, though Pericles was obliged Athenian herald, who had been sent to obtain
to descend to entreaties and tears to save her. The satisfaction from the Megarians for their having
fate of Anaxagoras is uncertain [ANAXAGOoAS]. encroached upon the consecrated land that lay beOf the proceedings against Pericles himself we tween the territories of the two states. This dehear nothing further. (Plut. 1. c.; Athen. xiii. mand of the Lacedaemonians was succeeded by
p. 589, where several of the gossiping stories one that the Athenians should leave all Greek
about Pericles will be found; Diod. xii. 39; Diog. states independent, that is, that Athens should
Laert. ii. 12.) It was the opinion entertained by relinquish her empire, intimations being given that
many ancient writers that the dread of the im- peace might be expected if these conditions were
pending prosecution was at least one of the mo- complied with. An assembly was held to delitives which induced Pericles to hurry on the out- berate on the answer to be given to the Lacedaebreak of the war with Sparta. That this unworthy monians. The true motives which actuated Pericharge was a false one is abundantly evident from cles in resisting these demands are given by Thuthe impartial and emphatic statements of Thucy- cydides in the speech which he puts into his
dides. The honesty of Pericles was unimpeach- mouth on the occasion (i. 140-144). Pericles
able; and the outbreak of hostilities inevitable. judged rightly in telling the Athenians that the
When the Corcyraeans applied to Athens for demands made of them, especially that about Me.