Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/48

 26 HISTORY OF GREECE. iug a strong contrast in this respect with his contemporary Diony- sius, whose military energy is so deeply stained by crime and vio- lence. Nikokles, the son of Evagoras, reigned at Salamis after him, and showed much regard, accompanied by munificent pres- ents, to the Athenian Isokrates ; who compliments him as a paci- fic and well-disposed prince, attached to Greek pursuits and arts, conversant by personal study with Greek philosophy, and above all, copying his father in that just dealing and absence of wrong towards person or property, which had so much promoted the comfort as well as the prosperity of the city. 1 We now revert from the episode respecting Evagoras, inter- esting not less from the eminent qualities of that prince than from the glimpse of Hellenism struggling with the Phoenician element in Cyprus, to the general consequences of the peace of Antal- kidas in Central Greece. For the first time since the battle of Mykale in 479 B. c., the Persians were now really masters of all the Greeks on the Asiatic coast. The satraps lost no time in con- firming their dominion. In all the cities which they suspected, they built citadels and planted permanent garrisons. In some cases, their mistrust or displeasure was carried so far as to raze the town altogether. 2 And thus these cities, having already once changed their position greatly for the worse, by passing from easy subjection under Athens to the harsh rule of Lacedsemonian har- mosts and native decemvirs, were now transferred to masters yet more oppressive and more completely without the pale of Hel- lenic sympathy. Both in public extortion, and in wrong doing towards individuals, the commandant and his mercenaries, whom the satrap maintained, were probably more rapacious, and cer- tainly more unrestrained, than even the harmosts of Sparta. Moreover, the Persian grandees required beautiful boys as eu- nuchs for their service, and beautiful women as inmates of their harems. 3 What was taken for their convenience admitted neither 1 Isokrates, Or. iii, (Nikokles) s. 38-48; Or. ix, (Evagoras) s. 100; Or xv, (Permnt.) s. 43. Diodorus (xv. 47) places the assassination of Evago ras in 374 B. c. 8 Isokrates. Or. iv, (Paneg.) s. 142, 156, 190. Tf re iro%ei ruf ' VTU Kvpiuf 7rapei%.7)ev, &GTE ruf fiev KaTaananreiv, lv 6s ratf 3 See Herodot. vi, 9 ; ix, 76.