Untitled - 24grammata.com

ANCIENT GREECE.[CHAP. xm.suffered theirably, he knew how to restrain them if ; theycourage to sink without reason, he could renew their confidence. His administration was therefore nominally thegovernment of the people, but in reality the government ofthe first man." To a character described by such a master,no additions need be made ;but we cannot omit to observe,that Pericles, though so great as a statesman, was not unmindful of the fame of military command. In this the ruleof his conduct seems to have been, great prudence, and toundertake nothing without the greatest probability of success jand such was the confidence reposed in him, that, inthe last fifteen years of hisadministration, he seems to haveheld the place of1general without interruption.^While we render to Pericles the tribute of just admiration, we ought not to .forget that he was favoured by thecircumstances of his times. A man like him is capable ofeffecting much when the state, of which he is the head, isflourishing, and the people itself is constantly unfolding 'talents and powers, of which he must be able to take advantage. Pericles himself never could have played his part asecond time ;how much less those who were his successors !Of these history has but one to mention, of whom we musttake notice, because he belonged, in a certain sense, notmerely to Athens, but to Greece ;we mean Alcibiades.The age in which he appeared was altogether warlike ;andof this he merits the blame. He needed, therefore, the qualifications of a general more than those of a statesman.Stillitmay be said with confidence, that even in better times hewould not have become a Pericles, although he seemeddestined by birth, talents, and fortune to play a similar part.Pencles regarded, in every thing, first the state and thenhimself; Alcibiades, on the contrary, first himself and thenthe state. Is more needed to delineate his character as astatesman ?Vanity was his leadingtrait. He is thus described by the same great historian, who has drawn for usthe picture of Pericles.Although Alcibiades," says he 2"was distinguished among his fellow-citizens for his wealthand consequence, his desires were always greater than his** h.1Namely, after his victory over Ms antagonist, the elder Thucvdides whoOp. ?.62S?6?7