Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/52

34 84 HISTORY OF <;KKI:CK. Athenian public assembly, we find the insolence of wealth and high social position not only admitted as a fact, but vindicated as a just morality ; and the history of his life, as well as many other facts in Athenian society, show that if not approved, it was at least tolerated in practice to a serious extent, in spite of the restraints of the democracy. Amidst such unprincipled exorbitances of behavior, Alkibiades etood distinguished for personal bravery. He served as a hoplite in the army under Phormion at the siege of Potidaea in 432 B.C. Though then hardly twenty years of age, he was among the most forward soldiers in the battle, received a severe wound, and was in great danger; owing his life only to the exertions of Sokrates, who served in the ranks along with him. Eight years afterwards, Alkibiades also served with credit in the cavalry at the battle of Delium, and had the opportunity of requiting his obligation to Sokrates, by protecting him against the Boeotian pursuers. As a rich young man, also, choregy and trierarchy became incumbent upon him ; expensive duties, which, as we might expect, he discharged not merely with sufficiency, but with osten- tation. In fact, expenditure of this sort, though compulsory up to a certain point upon all rich men, was so fully repaid, to all those who had the least ambition, in the shape of popularity and influ- ence, that most of them spontaneously went beyond the requisite minimum for the purpose of showing themselves off. The first appearance of Alkibiades irr public life is said to have been as a donor, for some special purpose, in the ekklesia, when various itizens were handing in their contributions : and the loud ap- plause which his subscription provoked was at that time so novel and exciting to him, that he suffered a tame quail which he car- ried in his bosom to escape. This incident excited mirth and sympathy among the citizens present : the bird was caught and restored to him by Antiochus, who from that time forward ac quired his favor, and in after days became his pilot and confiden tial lieutenant. 1 To a young man like Alkibiades, thirsting for power and pre of their boyish years; though the subject is one upon which the full o>; dence cannot well be p-oduced and discussed. 1 Plutarch, Alkibiades, c. It'.