The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [282]
6. And also concerning the navigation of the sea, that they might henceforward pass to and fro and trade securely and be at peace among themselves.
7. Upon this errand there were twenty men above fifty years of age, sent by commission;
8. Five to summon the Ionians and Dorians in Asia, and the islanders as far as Lesbos and Rhodes;
9. Five to visit all the places in the Hellespont and Thrace, up to Byzantium; and five more to go to Boeotia and Phocis and Peloponnesus,
10. And from thence to pass through the Locrians over to the neighbouring continent as far as Acarnania and Ambracia;
11. And the rest to take their course through Euboea to the Oetaeans and the Malian Gulf,
12. And to the Achaeans of Phthiotis and the Thessalians;
13. All of them to treat with the people as they passed,
14. And persuade them to come and take their part in the debates for settling the peace and jointly regulating the affairs of Greece.
15. Nothing came of this, nor did the cities send deputies, as was desired;
16. Because the Lacedaemonians, suspecting Pericles’ intentions, subverted the plan underhandedly.
17. But the plan shows the calibre of Pericles and the greatness of his thoughts.
18. In his military conduct, he gained a great reputation for wariness:
19. He would not by his goodwill engage in any fight which had too much risk;
20. He did not envy the glory of generals whose rash adventures were luckily favoured with brilliant success, however they were admired by others;
21. Nor did he think them worthy of his imitation, but always used to say to his citizens that, so far as lay in his power, they should never die.
22. When Pericles saw Tolmides son of Tolmaeus, made confident by his former successes and flushed with the honour his military actions had procured him,
23. Making preparations to attack the Boeotians in their own country when there was no likely opportunity,
24. And seeing also that Tolmides had prevailed with the bravest and most enterprising of the youth to enlist themselves as volunteers in the service,
25. He endeavoured to withhold him and to advise him from it in the public assembly,
26. Telling him in a memorable saying of his, which still goes about, that,
27. If he would not take Pericles’ advice, yet he would not do amiss to wait and be ruled by time, the wisest counsellor of all.
28. This saying, at that time, was but slightly commended;
29. But within a few days after, when news was brought that Tolmides had been defeated and slain in battle near Coronea,
30. And that many brave citizens had fallen with him, it gained Pericles great repute as well as goodwill among the people,
31. For wisdom and for love of his countrymen.
Chapter 40
1. But of all his expeditions, that to the Chersonese gave most satisfaction and pleasure,
2. Having proved the safety of the Greeks who inhabited there. For he took with him a thousand fresh citizens of Athens to give new strength and vigour to the cities,
3. And by fortifying the neck of land which joins the peninsula to the continent with bulwarks and forts from sea to sea,
4. He put a stop to the inroads of the Thracians, who lay all about the Chersonese,
5. And closed the door against a continual and grievous war, with which that country had been long harassed,
6. Lying exposed to the encroachments of barbarous neighbours.
7. Nor was Pericles less admired and talked of abroad for his sailing around the Peloponnesus,
8. Having set out from Pegae, or The Fountains, the port of Megara, with a hundred galleys.
9. For he not only laid waste the sea-coast, as Tolmides had done before, but also, advancing far up into the mainland with the soldiers he had on board,
10. By the terror of his appearance drove many within their walls;
11. And at Nemea, with main force, routed and raised a trophy over the Sicyonians, who stood their ground and joined battle with him.
12. And having taken on board a supply of soldiers into the galleys out of Achaia, then in league with Athens, he crossed with the fleet to the opposite continent,
13. And, sailing