Book II - Wilbourhall.org

242 eOYKYATAOY tsTYTVPA^El B.they learnt that Pericles had invaded the Megarid with thewhole of the Athenian forces. Similar expeditions wereundertaken annually (sometimes twice a year, in the springand autumn, iv. 66) until 424 B.C., when Nisaea was captured.32. In the late autumn, the Athenians fortified Atalanta toprotect Euboea from Locrian pirates.33. When the Athenian fleet had left Acamania, Euarchusrecovered Astacus with help from Corinth.34. At the close of the campaign the Athenians buried thebones of their dead with much ceremony in the Ceramicus.And every year this ceremony was repeated : for this was acustom of the Athenians. The funeral oration was deliveredthis year by Pericles himself.35-46. The historian's report of the speech delivered byPericles. The general introduction is followed by a specialintroduction to the first and most important part of the bodyof the speech ; that is to say, to that part which containsa description of the ideal Athens and of the ideal Athenian,Athens and the Athenians as Pericles desire them to be, andas, in his view, they might be—nay, as they almost were.'Athens is a liberal education to Greece,' and even herenemies admit her greatness, (c. 41.)The Athenian is versatile and patriotic, able to live in anyland, yet loving his own above all others. It is this ideal, thistrue Athens that the citizens must keep before their minds.They must love their city, (ipaffral yiyvo/xevoi aiiTrjs) as Platosays* philosophers are lovers of the ideal and the true (fpaa-ralTov dvTot re /cat dXTj^eioj) : must be her true philosopher-citizens,learning their lesson of self-devotion from the pattern of Greece.Then they would prove to the world that Athenian versatility(eiiTpaireXla) meant something more than the mere cunningwhich the Thebans associated with that quality, that theAthenian character was as far above the Spartan as theAthenian ideal of eXevdepia was above the Spartan ideal ofevvoixia. Next the orator praised the fallen, exhorted hishearers to be like them, and bade the relatives not to weep forthose who had brought them to such great honour by oneglorious act never to be forgotten.The oration closed with a short peroration remarkable forits calm dignity and unaffected simplicity.47. Openins? of the campaign of 430 B.C. The secondinvasion of Attica had but begun wlien a mysterious epidemic* See Rep. 501 D, 487 d, 493 a, 486 d, for the importance of the wordsepaarai, &xpr)iyTO%, TraiSevffts, eiJ^a/Ms-