thagoras, (for he was one of his most constant dis. Artax. ciples) the pillar which supported the cieling of the Longim. school in which the pupils were assembled, being shaken by some accident, Milo supported it by his single strength, gave the auditors time to get away, and afterwards he escaped himself. What is related of the voracious appetite of the Athlete is almost incredible. 9 Milo's appetite was scarce satiated with twenty minæ (pounds) of meat, the same quantity of bread, and three congii of wine every day. Athenæus relates, that this champion having run the whole length of the stadium, with a bull of four years old on his shoulders, he afterwards knocked him down with one stroke of his fist, and cat the whole beast that very day. I will take it for granted, that all the other particu lars related of Milo, are true; but is it probable, that one man could devour a whole ox in so short a time? We are told that Milo, when advanced to a very great age, sceing the rest of the champions wrestling, and gazing upon his own arms which once were so vigorous and robust, but were then very much enfeebled by time, he burst into tears and cried, Alas! these arms are now dead. S And yet he either forgot or concealed his weakness from himself; the strong persuasion he entertained of his own strength, and which he preserved to the last, proved fatal to him. Happening to meet, as he was travelling, an old oak, which had been opened by some wedges that were forced into it, he undertook to split it in two by his bare strength. But after forcing out the wedges, his arms were catched in the trunk of the tree, by the violence with which it closed; so that being unable to disengage his hands, he was devoured by wolves. Athen, 1. x. p. 412. Cic. de Senect. n. 27. › Pausan. 1. vi. p. 370. Artax. Longim. 3573. Ant. J. C. 431. t An author has judiciously observed, that this surprisingly-robust champion, who prided himself so much in his bodily strength, was the weakest of men with regard to a passion, which often subdues and captivates the strongest; a courtezan having gained so great an ascendant over Milo, that she tyrannized over him in the most imperious manner, and made him obey whatever commands she laid upon him. CHA P. III. The war of Peloponnesus. THE Peloponnesian war, which I am now enterA. M. ing upon, began about the end of the first year of the eighty-seventh Olympiad, and lasted twenty-seven years. Thucydides has writ the history of it to the twenty-first year inclusively. He gives us an accurate account of the several transactions of every year, which he divides into campaigns and winterquarters. However, I shall not be so minute, and shall only extract such parts of it as appear most entertaining and instructive. Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus will also be of great assistance to me on this occasion. SECT. I. The siege of Plataa by the Thebans. Alternate ravages of Attica and Peloponnesus. Honours paid to the Athenians who fell in the first campaign. The first year of the war. THE first act of hostility by which the war began, was committed by the Thebans, who be sieged Plate, a city of Bocotia, in alliance with Athens. They were introduced into it by treachery; but the citizens falling upon them in the night, killed them, about two hundred excepted, who t Ælian. 1. ii. c. 24. "Thucyd. 1. ii. p. 99-122. Diod. 1. vii. p 97-100. Plut. in Pericl. p. 170. were taken prisoners, and who a little after were Artax. put to death. The Athenians, as soon as the news Longim. was brought of the action at Platææ, sent succours and provisions thither, and cleared the city of all persons who were incapable of bearing arms. The truce being evidently broke, both sides prepared openly for war; and ambassadors were sent to all places to strengthen themselves by the alliance of the Greeks and Barbarians. Every part of Greece was in motion, some few states and cities excepted, which continued neuter, till they should see the event of the war. The majority were for the Lacedæmonians, as being the deliverers of Greece, and espoused their interest very warmly, because the Athenians forgetting that the moderation and gentleness with which they commanded over others, had procured them many allies, had afterwards alienated the greatest part of them by their pride and the severity of their government, and incurred the hatred, not only of those who were then subject to them, but of all such as were apprehensive of becoming their dependants. In this temper of mind were the Greeks at that time. The confederates of each of those states were as follow. All Peloponnesus, Argos excepted, which stood neuter, had declared for Lacedæmonia. The Achaians, the inhabitants of Pellene excepted, had also joined them; but the latter also engaged insensibly in that war. Out of Peloponnesus were the people of Megara, Locris, Boeotia, Phocis, Ambracia, Leucadia, and Anactorium. The confederates of the Athenians were, the people of Chios, Lesbos, Platax, the Messenians of Naupactus; the greatest part of the Acarnanians, Corcyrans, Cephalenians, and Zacynthians, besides the several tributary countries, as maritime Caria, Doria that lies near it, Ionia, the Hellespont; and the cities of Thrace, Chalcis and Potidea excepted; all the islands between Crete and Peloponnesus, eastward; and the Cyclades, Melos and Thera excepted. Artax. Immediately after the attempt on Platææ, the LaLongim. cedæmonians had ordered forces to be levied both within and without Peloponnesus; and made all the preparations necessary for entering the enemy's country. All things being ready, two-thirds of the troops marched to the isthmus of Corinth, and the rest were left to guard the country. Archidamus king of Lacedæmonia, who commanded the army, assembled the generals and chief officers, and calling up the remembrance of the great actions performed by their ancestors, and those they themselves had done, or been eye-witnesses to, he exhorted them to support, with the utmost efforts of their valour, the pristine glory of their respective cities, as well as their own fame. He declared, that the eyes of all Greece were upon them; and that, in expectation of the issue of a war which would determine its fate, they were incessantly addressing heaven in favour of a people, who were as dear to them as the Athenians were become odious: That, however, he could not deny, but that they were going to march against an enemy, who, though greatly inferior to them in numbers and in strength, were nevertheless very powerful, warlike, and daring; and whose courage would doubtless be still more inflamed by the sight of danger, and the laying waste of their territories*: That therefore they must exert themselves to the utmost, to spread an immediate terror in the country they were going to enter, and to inspire the allies with new vigour. The whole army answered in the loudest acclamations of joy, and assured their generals that they would do their duty. The assembly breaking up, Archidamus, still zealous for the welfare of Greece, and meditating how he might best prevent a rupture, the dreadful conse quences of which he foresaw, sent a Spartan to Athens, to endeavour, before they should come to Gnarus primis eventibus metum aut fiduciam gigni. Tacit. Annal. 1. xiii. c. 31. hostilities, to prevail, if possible, with the Athe-Artax. nians to lay aside their designs; since otherwise an Longim. army would soon march into Attica. But the Athenians, so far from admitting him to audience, or hearing his reasons, would not so much as suffer him to come into their city: Pericles having prevailed with the people to make an order, that no herald or ambassador should be received from the Lacedæmonians, till they had first laid down their arms. In consequence of this, the Spartan was commanded to leave the country that very day; and an escort was sent to guard him to the frontiers, and to prevent his speaking to any person by the way. At his taking leave of the Athenians, he told them, that from that day great calamities would ensue to all Greece. Archidamus, seeing no hopes of a reconciliation, marched for Attica, at the head of sixty thousand chosen forces. Pericles, before the Lacedæmonians had entered this country, declared to the Athenians, that should Archidamus, when he was laying waste their territories, spare his (Pericles) lands, either on account of the right of hospitality which subsisted between them, or to furnish his enemies, and those who envied him, with a handle to slander him, as holding intelligence with him, he declared, that from that day he made over all his lands and houses to the city of Athens. He remonstrated to the Athenians, that it was their interest to consume the enemy's troops, by protracting the war; and that, for this purpose, they must immediately remove all their effects out of the country, retire to the city, and shut themselves up in it without ever hazarding a battle. The Athenians, indeed, had not forces enough to take the field and oppose the enemy. Their troops, exclusive of those in garrison, amounted but to thirteen thousand heavy-armed soldiers; and sixteen thousand inhabitants, including the young and old, the citizens as well as others, who were appointed to defend Athens: And besides these, |