Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/297

 GREEIAN AFFAIRS AFTER THE PERSIAN INVASION. 273 even at this period, — such an injunction would probably have produced the slaughter of two human victims : on the present occasion, Athene, or Hikesius, the tutelary god of supphants, was supposed to be satisfied by two brazen statues ; not, however, without some attempts to make out that the expiation was inade- quate.i Thus perished a Greek who reached the pinnacle of renown simply from the accidents of his lofty descent, and of his being general at Platcea, where it does not appear that he displayed any superior qualities. His treasonable projects implicated and brought to disgrace a man far greater than himself, the Athenian Themistokles. The chronology of this important period is not so fully known as to enable us to make out the full dates of particular events ; but we are obliged — in consequence of the subsequent events connected with Themistokles, whose flight to Persia is tolerably well marked as to date — to admit an interval of about nine years between the retirement of Pausanias from his command at By- zantium, and his death. To suppose so long an interval engaged in treasonable correspondence, is perplexing ; and we can only explain it to ourselves very imperfectly by considering that the Spartans were habitually slow in their movements, and that the suspected regent may perhaps have communicated with partisans, real or expected, in many parts of Greece. Among those whom he sought to enlist as accomplices was Themistokles, still in great power, — though, as it would seem, in declining power, — at Athens : and the charge of collusion with the Persians connects itself with the previous movement of political parties in that city. The rivalry of Themistokles and Aristeides had been greatly appeased by the invasion of Xerxes, which had imposed upon both the peremptory necessity of cooperation against a common enemy. Nor was it apparently resumed, during the times which immediately succeeded the return of the Athenians to their country : at least we hear of both in effective service, and in prominent posts. Themistokles stands forward as the contriver of the city walls and architect of Peiraeus : Aristeides is com- mander of the fleet, and first organizer of the confederacy of ' Thucyd. i, 133, 134; Pausanias, iii, 17, 9. VOL. V. 12* 18oc.