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 PERICLES PERIGEE 293 sway. Beginning as an ally, he in a few years reduced a portion of the confederate states to the condition of tributaries, arid bound the rest to military service and a conformity of foreign policy. Upon each of the subject states he imposed a democratic form of gov- ernment, and transferred important trials from the local courts to the tribunals of the capital. The annual tribute or contribution to the con- federate fund, the custody of which had al- ready been transferred from Delos to Athens, he raised from 460 talents ($500,000) to 600 talents; although the object of its establish- ment, namely, to resist a Persian invasion, no longer occupied the public mind. During his administration, 1,000 Athenians were settled in the Thracian Chersonese, 500 in the island of Naxos, and 250 in the island of Andros. He appropriated the Greek city of Sinope, on the shores of the Euxine, for the maintenance of 600 Athenian citizens. The islands of Lem- nos, Imbros, and Scyros, together with a large tract in Euboea, were covered with Athenian proprietors. Colonies were planted at Thurii in Italy, near the site of the ancient Sybaris, and at Amphipolis on the Strymon. To the former foreigners were invited from all parts of Greece. The overshadowing influence of Pericles made him an object of envy, jealousy, and hatred. His public and private life were both in turn assailed. When the Peloponnesian war impended, the hostile faction excited the public mind against him to a dangerous pitch. But his influence continued predominant. An attempt, instigated by the Lacedaemonians, was made to sacrifice him on account of a taint of sacrilege in his family (see ALOM^EONID^E), but it failed. His enemies tried to wound him through his friends. Anaxagoras, the philoso- pher, was indicted for impiety and banished. Aspasia was included in the same charge, but the eloquence of Pericles moved the dicastery to acquit her. Scandals were propagated to sully his character in connection with this remarkable woman. (See ASPASIA.) Unable to ruin his reputation, his enemies attacked him through his friends. Phidias was unsuc- cessfully indicted for embezzlement, and sub- sequently for impiety in having introduced among the figures on the shield of his statue of Athena portraits of himself and of Pericles, for which he was imprisoned. In the first campaign of the Peloponnesian war Pericles was denounced for his defensive policy; in the second campaign he took command of a fleet and devastated the coast of the Pelopon- nesus. On his return he was charged with peculation, fined, and deprived of his com- mand, but soon afterward was reflected gen- eral. The plague carried off many of his friends, his sister, and his sons Xanthus and Paralus ; but, either by the repeal of the law respecting legitimacy which was adopted by his influence, or by a special vote, his son Pericles by Aspasia was legitimated. Pericles fell a victim to the prevailing epidemic about a year afterward. When dying, he reminded those who stood about his bed, recounting his deeds, " that not a citizen of Athens had been obliged to put on mourning on his account." Plato extols his "majestic intelligence," and Thucydides describes him as " powerful from dignity of character as well as from wisdom." See "The Age of Pericles," by W. Watkiss Lloyd (2 vols., London, 1875). PERIER. I. Casimir, a French statesman, born in Grenoble, Oct. 21, 1777, died in Paris, May 16, 1832. He was a son of one of the founders of the bank of France, and retired from the army to join his brother in banking, which made him rich and influential. In 1817 he was elected to the chamber of deputies, and became one of the most conspicuous leaders of the op- position. After vainly attempting to avert the revolution of 1830, he was made a member of the provisional executive committee and presi- dent of the chamber. He was the recognized leader of what Guizot called " the middle class tory party " (juste-milieii), and succeeded Laf- fitte, March 13, 1831, as Louis Philippe's prime minister. He energetically opposed all revolu- tionary movements and needless intervention in foreign affairs, though his administration was marked by the expedition to Antwerp in behalf of Belgian independence, to Portugal for the overthrow of Dom Miguel, and to An- cona to check Austria. He fell a victim to the cholera, on its first appearance in France. Charles de R6musat wrote a notice of his life appended to Opinions et discours de Casimir Perier (4 vols., Paris, 1838). II. Augnste Casi- mir Victor Laurent (who changed his surname in 1873 to CASiMra-PfiKiER), a French statesman, son of the preceding, born in Paris, Aug. 20. 1811. He spent 14 years in the diplomatic ser- vice, was a deputy from 1846 to 1848, and a member of the legislative assembly from 1849 to Dec. 2, 1851. In September, 1870, the Ger- mans arrested him at his country seat, and de- tained him till February, 1871. On the 8th of that month he was elected to the assem- bly as a partisan of Thiers, and displayed much ability in financial legislation. He was minis- ter of the interior from Oct. 11, 1871, to Feb. 2, 1872, when he retired on account of the opposition to the removal of the assembly to Paris ; he resumed the office in May, 1873, but after a few days he withdrew with Thiers. In 1874 he proposed a constitutional bill, which was rejected by the assembly, July 24. He has published numerous works on financial and political questions, and one on Charlotte Cor- day, with new documents. PERIGEE (Gr. Trept, about, and 757, earth), the opposite of apogee, and, as commonly under- stood, that point of the orbit of the moon where she is nearest the earth. The term is also some- times used to denote that point of the orbit of the earth where it is nearest the sun ; the sun is then said to be in perigee. It is also used in old treatises on astronomy to signify the least distance of a planetary body from the earth.