The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-11-13
Selrtt Mistellanq.
A GREEK AARON BURR,
BY STEPHEN T. BYINGTON.

Alcibiades was rich young man;
also a smart young man; also a fast
young man. He was an orphan, and
was under the guardianship Of his un-
Gle Pericles. who was undisputedly the
foremost statesman of A thens about B.
c. 45O. The family of Pericles and
Alcibiades was of the most aristocratic
and cultured. Alcibiades himself was
beautiful Ga matter as important i'll
man as in woman, according to Athe
nian ideas), talented in every way, and
a universal favorite, except among
jealous husbands and his political op-
ponents. Even the disadvantage of a
lisp could not prevent him from being
one of the most effective orators of his
time,-perhaps the most effective in
Greece after his uncle's death. His
social standing may be judged from
the fact that, when he refused to learn
hute-playing because it swelled the lips
and spoiled the looks, this was enough
to set the fashion; the art, previously
a gentlemanly one, was thenceforth
relegated to slaves.
Alcibiades's character may be illus
trated by the history of his marriage.
On a wager, without provocation, he
gave thrashing to Hipponicus, a man
of the highest rank in family, wealth,
aid reputation. The next morning he
called on HipponiCus, laid off his only
garment, and presented himself to be
logged, or otherwise punished, till Hip
ponicus WIS satisfied. Hipponicus
forgave him on the spot, and atterward
gave him his daughter in marriage.
She made good wife, but could not
stand the way her husband staid out
nights; therefore she left him and went
home to her brother Alcibiades pro
fessed not to care bit. To get com
plete legal separation, the woman had
to appear personally before the mayor
and file declaration. AS she was
crossing the public square to do this,
Alcibiades came up, seized her, and
carried her home by force, nobody dar
ing to interfere. She did not try to
leave him again.
l have spoken of his uncle and guar
dian, Pericles. Pericles was man of
genius, too, a politician Of high charac-
ter and typical patriot. AS such, he
induced Athens to begin IL war that
was to make her the mistress of all
Greece. 1t mi ght have gone Oh all
right, if Pericles had lived; but unfor-
tunately he died in the early part Of
the war, and his place as l>ader of the
aristocratic party fell to Alcibiades.
Alcibiades did very well at first for
Il y OulIS lcIl, W iItll lil lilt IT,
sources of Athens were stalked on an
expedition against Syracuse, Alcibia-
des was made one of the commanders
AS he was about to start. he was ac-
cused of sacrilege. He wished to stay
and be tried, but was ordered to sail.
AS soon as his personal magnetism was
ont of the way, however, the charge
was pressed, and he was summoned
home to stand his trial Though Gas
was afterward provedD not guilty, he
considered it unsafe to obey the sum-
mons under these circumstances: APP
parently he considered also that his
country had lost it's claim on him by
treating him so. At any rate, he de-
serted to the enemy.
At Sparta he became the leading
spirit of the war against Athens by his
military genius and his knowledge Of
the weak points in the Athenian posi-