Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/477

 KLEON AND BRASIDAS. i{ ; renewed their 'nstances to obtain a vigorous prosecution oi the war, and renewed them with great additional strength of argu- ment ; the question being now open to considerations of political prudence, without any binding obligation. "At this time (observes Thucydides) 1 the great enemies of peace were, Brasidas on one side, and Kleon on the other : the former, because he was in full success and rendered illustrious by the war ; the latter, because he thought that if peace were concluded, he should be detected in his dishonest politics, and be less easily credited in his criminations of others." As to Brasi- das, the remark of the historian is indisputable : it would be wonderful, indeed, if he, in whom so many splendid qualities were brought out by the war, and who had moreover contracted obligations with the Thracian towns which gave him hopes and fears of his own, entirely apart from Lacedtemon, it would be wonderful if the war and its continuance were not in his view the paramount object. In truth, his position in Thiace consti tuted an insurmountable obstacle to any solid or steady peace, independently of the dispositions of Kleon. But the coloring which Thucydides gives to Kleon's support of the war is open to much greater comment. First, we may well raise the question, whether Kleon had any real interest in war, whether his personal or party consequence in the city was at all enhanced by it. He had himself no talent or compe- tence for warlike operations, which tended infallibly to place ascendency in the hands of others, and to throw him into the shade. As to his power of carrying on dishonest intrigues with success, that must depend on the extent of his political ascen dency; while matter of crimination against others, assuming him to be careless of truth or falsehood, could hardly be wanting either in war or peace ; and if the war brought forward unsuc- the one year's truce. I conceive that the Pythian games were celebrated about July or August. In an earlier part of this History (ch. xxviii, vol iv, p. 67), I said that they were celebrated in autumn; it ought rather to be " towards the end of summer." 1 Thucyd. r, 16. Kheuv re nal Bpacridaf, olirep u[i<]>OTpu-&EV ijvavTiovvTO TT) elprjvr/, 6 fiev, 6tu Tb evrv^elv re Kal ripacrdai /c uelv, 6 6, ytvo(ievriq j/ovxia? Kara^avearepo^ vopi&v uv thai 'tal tnriOTjTepof dtOfJa^uv, etc.