Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-06-13

Grceee--and the chif objects connected NTH
her Hstorv-conciuded.
Among the great men of Greece we NAV.
reckon the celebrated Pericles, the husband
OF Aspas,a, that remarkable woman, who
taught eioquence to Socrates, was well skill
led III politics, and whose excellent qualities,
obscuring her vices, served to impress Peri
clcs with respect for her intellect as well as
to inspire him with greater degree of devo-
tion tc her charms. He was disciple of the
famous -AnaxaToras, philosopher who was
honored with the surname of Intelligence, in
dlcative OF his luminous understanding. The
historians OF Greece consider Pericles among
the most brilliant Of the Athenians. His birth
wasillastriors; and his features and his voice
recalled tc the memory of his ceuntrymen, in a
very toTciblc manner, those of Pisstratus,
whom he still more resembled by his authori-
ty among the people of Athens. He govern
ed them nearly his whole lifetime not by
force OF arms, but by the power of his genius
and the magic of his eloquence. Mcpherson
ever possessed in greater degree than he
did the faculty of subjugating the multitude
to his will, by the arts Unpopular seduction !:
BY some it was said that the sovereign of the
Gods had confded to him the thunder and
the lightning; and by others, that the god
desS OF persuasion dwelt on his lips, adorned
with all her graces. We are to regard these
compliments as a little cxtravagant, but
they are calculated 70 inspire US with high
opinion of the man who, by his mind and his
accomplishments, could extort them from a
people SO witty, opoiite, and so well inform
ed as the Athenians. Pericles supplanted
Cymon in the public favor, and succeeded to
his influence: He filled Athens with the
mastcr-wcrks Ut art, and distributed to the
lin a
the riches of the republic. His reign was
that of the fine arts, which, under him attai-
ned the highest point of perfection. A diff
Guilty IN making out a fair statement. of his
accounts, and the hope that he might be still
enabled tOpreserve his authority by change
OF circumstances, were the causes that indu.
ced Pericles plunge Athens into. the Pelo-
ponnesian war, which was as fatal to him as it
was to his country. He died of the plague
which prevailed during the first campaigns
of that contest.
Alcibiades, the disciple of Socrates. was
one OF the most extraordinary men of anti
guilty he united in his person almost every
good quality and almost every bad one he
was, by turns, the glory and the scourge of
his fellow-citizens. Thirst for power and
the desire of pleasing, were the predominant
features of his Character; and it was chief
ly by means of the second that he satisfied
the first. To pleasing figure and raw
ishing exterior, he joined all the powers of
the mind and all the charms of elocuton The
people liked his courage, they admired his
manners, and, in truth, taken altogether, he
was irresistible: faults, which he took no
pains to conceal, they pardoncd; and if, at
any time, they were forced to condemn him
tor his misdcmeanOrs, they soon fastened to
recall him to their favor. 1t was this temper
OF TIE populace in relation to Alcibiades,
which induced Aristophancs to say, they hate,
out cannot do 7yithont him. In truth he
possessed extraordinary ability in conquering
their affections; to this end he always en-
ployed a feasibility of character and manners
adapted to his situation. He pleased at A.
thens By his gracefulness and sprightliness---
at Sparta by his frugality; in Thrace by his
intemperance; and in Asia by his luxury and
magnihcence. 1t was Alcibiades who plan
ned the expedition against Sicily, and il has
been thought that it might have succeeded II
he had been placed and continued at the
head oft. He was, however, displaced tby
his fcilow-citizens but, doubling their judg-
ment OF his actions, he went over to the enc
my, and was the principal cause of the dis
asters which befel the Athenians. His couft
try1 bel9g upon the brink of ruin, he was re-
callSds Putting himself at the head of the
~ ANTAGONISTS
lahFand yea, re-establshed her affairs, and
returned to the city covered with laurels.
BaDished second time he entered again in
to the interests Of Persia. Finally, being e.
qually dreaded by friends and foes, they u
Dlted to destroy him. Assassns were en-
ployed to set fire in the night to cabin,
which merely served 20 shelter him from the
inclercncy Of the weather, and as he at
tempted to fly from the flames they perced
hiff'-te- death Kit arrozys--- Chus 6erished
the great, the gay, the licentious Alcibiadcs,
who, during the whole course Of his life. was.
emphatcally, Ill tJiincs TO all men.
have spoken of Themistocles in desert
bing the Persian war, when he inspired the
Athcnisns with the noble resolution of aban-
doning their city, intoxicating the admirable
doctrine that in whatsoever place the laws
and institutions Of Athens prevailed that
would be their country. lie was, in his
youth, exceedingly perverse and dissipatcd
ins0much that his father dsinherited him
This reused him to exertion he soon obtain
ed consideration in the state; and Il was
chiefly owing to his sagacity and frmness
that Greece was saved from the Persian
yoke under Xerxes. His desire Of glory and
OF serving his country was so strong, that he
sometimes descended to inferior stations for
the public good, as was the case when he
welded the ron,r,o,I e A.. c. -. A.. -.