Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/281

 *OURTH YEAR OF THE WAR -REVOLT OF MITYLENE. 259 Btityleruean families: at all events they repaired thither, bent on obtaining redress for this outrage, and brought their complaint against Paches before the Athenian dikastery, in that trial of accountability to which every officer was liable at the close of his command. So profound was the sentiment which their case excited, in this open and numerous assembly of Athenian citizens, uhat the guilty commander, not waiting for sentence, slew himself frith his sword in open court. 1 1 See the Epigram of Agathias, 57, p. 377. Agathias, ed. Bonn. 'El^avif Tpifianaipa, nal & xapitaaa Aa/j.a!;if, TJOTT/V fiEV iraTpaf fytyyea Aso^iudof. OKKO (5' J A-&i}val-yai ai)v bTiaaaiv evdade /ct'Acraf TUV MiTv^r/vaiav yuv a/laTrafe Ila^f, Tuv Kovpuv udiKUf jjpaoaaTO, rug 6e avvevvuf EKTavev, uf TTfvaf Tr/de jStrjao/nEvof. Tal 6e KO.T' Alyaioio poov TrAart) halr/ua pea$T]v, KOl TTOTl TUV KpCtVCLUV Mo^OTTiaV dpa[l,ETT]V, Aa[t<{) J' ayyeKirriv akiTrmovoq epya Hu^rjTog fj.eff(j>a IJ.LV elf 6Xor/v K?/pa avvijA.aaa.TTiv. Tola [JLEV, u Kovpa, TrETrovqKaTov a^i (5' enl Trarpav rjKETov, EV S 1 avra KEtaftov uno^tfteva' Ev 6e irovuv aironadov, i^ei TTOTL au/j.a avvtvvuv , if /c/l/ vdf fivupa aaotypoavvaf 6' IT t KUVTEC bfj.opovaf rj TTUTpaf /cat Troaiuv Tny/m Plutarch (Nikias, 6: compare Plutarch, Aristeides, c. 26) states the fat,i, of Paches having slain himself before the dikastery on occasion of his trial of accountability. IIu^7?ra TOV ehovra Ascrpov, of, e^wof tiidovf TTJC oTpaTTjyias, kv avT$ TCJ 6iKaaTeptu anaaufievof Z'ttiof avelhev savTbv, etc. The statement in Plutarch, and that in the Epigram, hang together so perfectly well, that each lends authority to the other, and I think there is good reason for crediting the Epigram. The suicide of Pache's, and that too before the dikasts, implies circumstances very different from those usually brought in accusation against a general on trial : it implies an inten- sity of anger in the numerous dikasts greater than that which acts of pectt lation would be likely to raise, and such as to strike a guilty man with insupportable remorse and humiliation. The story of Lamaxis and flel Kmis would be just of a nature to produce this vehement emotion among the Athenian dikasts. Moreover, the words of the Epigram, peaty a p.iv elf bTioijv KTjpa avv^aauT7)v t are precisely applicable to a self-inflicted death. It would seem by the Epigram, moreover, that, even in the time of Agathias (A.D. 550 the reign of Justinian), there must have been pre- icrved at Mitylene a sepulchral monument commemorating this incident.