The treasures which the Persians had brought into Greece were very great, and, in consequence of their defeat, became a prey to the conquerors. From this period the Greeks began to lose their spirit of hardy and laborious virtue, and to adopt the refined indolence and captious petulance, and the boundless love of pleasure, which extreme wealth is ever known to produce. The former equality of the people now began to be broken, and while one part of the inhabitants rioted in opulence and luxury, another was seen pining in want and despair. It was in vain that philosophy reared its head to stop these calamities; its voice reaches but to a few the great and the little vulgar are equally deaf to its dictates. From this time we are to view a different picture; and, instead of a brave and refined people, confederating against tyranny, we are to behold an enervated and factious populace, a corrupt administration, and wealth alone making distinction. : CHAPTER VIII. FROM THE VICTORY AT MYCALE TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. A. M. 3526. No sooner were the Greeks freed from the apprehensions of a foreign invasion, than they began to entertain jealousies of each other. Indeed these petty animosities had all along subsisted among them, but they were kept under by the sense of general danger. As this collection of republics was composed of states entirely dissimilar in manners, interests, and inclinations, it was no way surprising to find its parts ever at variance with each other. The first marks of jealousy, upon the destruction of the Persian army, exhibited themselves between the Athenians and Spartans. The one a refined, ambitious state, unwilling to admit a superior in the general confederacy: the other a hardy, unpolished race, which could never think of admitting a feeble state as an equal. The Athenians, with their families, being returned to their own country, began to think of rebuilding the city, which had been almost destroyed during the Persian war. As every new foundation aims at improving the old, they laid a plan of strengthening and extending their walls, and giving their city at once more magnificence and security. 1 This was but natural; however, the Lacedæmonians conceived a jealousy at this undertaking, and began to think that Athens, from being mistress of the seas, would soon attempt usurping all authority upon land. They, therefore, sent an embassy to the Athenians, to dissuade them from this undertaking; giving as an ostensible reason, the danger such fortifications would be of to the general confederacy, if they should ever fall into the hands of the Persians. This message at first appeared reasonable, and the Athenians put an immediate stop to their undertaking; but Themistocles, who, since the battle of Salamis, continued to guide in the assemblies of Athens, easily saw through the pretext, and advised the council to meet their dissimulation with similar address. He, therefore, answered the Spartan ambassadors, that the Athenians would soon send an embassy to Lacedæmon, in which they would fully satisfy all their scruples. Having thus gained time, he procured himself to be elected for that important negociation, and took care to draw out the treaty by studied delays. He had previously desired that his colleagues should follow one after another, and still he alleged, at Lacedæmon, that he only waited for their arrival to determine the affair at a single audience. During all this time the work was carried on at Athens with the utmost vigour and industry; the women and children, strangers and slaves, were all employed in it, nor was it interrupted for a single day. It was in vain that the Spartans complained of this procedure; it was in vain that they urged Themistocles to hasten his business; he steadfastly denied the first, and entreated them not to give any credit to loose and idle reports. He desired they would send again, and inquire into the truth of the matter; and at the same time advised the Athenians to detain the Spartan envoys until he and his colleagues should return. At last, finding all his pretences for delay exhausted, he boldly demanded an audience, and knowing that the work was finished, he no longer kept on the mask. He then informed the Spartans, in full council, that Athens was now in a condition to keep out an enemy, whether foreign or domestic; that what his countrymen had done, was conformable both to the law of nations, and the common interest of Greece. Every city had a right to consult for its own safety, without submitting to the advice or controul of its neighbours; that what had been done, was entirely in consequence of his advice; and, in short, that whatever injury they offered him, they must expect it would be returned upon their own ambassadors, who were still detained at Athens. These declarations extremely displeased the Lacedæmonians; but, either sensible of their truth, or unwilling to come to an open rupture, they dissembled their resentment; and the ambassadors on both sides, having all suitable honours paid them, returned to their respective cities. Themistocles was received with as much joy by his fellow citizens, as if he had returned from triumph; and he was of a disposition to feel those honours with the highest delight. Having thus taken proper precautions for securing the city, his next care was to strengthen the port, and form an harbour at once spacious and secure, He likewise obtained a decree, that every year they should build twenty vessels, to continue and augment their force by sea; and, in order to engage the greater number of workmen and sailors to resort to Athens, he caused particular privileges and immunities to be granted to them. His design was to render Athens a maritime city; in which he followed a very different system of politics from their former governors, who bent all their efforts to alienate the minds of the people from commerce and naval affairs. But as success in one part is apt to lead on to designs still more extensive, Themistocles was willing to outstep the bounds of justice in the prosecution of his darling objects. He even formed a plan of supplanting Sparta, and making Athens the unrivalled mistress of Greece. On a certain day, therefore, he declared, in a full assembly of the people, that he had a very important design to propose, but which could not be communicated to the public, as the execution required secrecy and dispatch. He therefore desired they would appoint a person to whom he might explain himself, one whose judgment might direct, and whose authority might confirm him in his design. It was not easy to miss the wisest and the best man of the state, and Aristides was unanimously chosen by the whole assembly, as the properest person to weigh the justice as well as the utility of the proposal. Themistocles, therefore, |