longer any occasion for their services。 This rude dismissal gave great offence at Athens； and annihilated for a time the political influence of Cimon。 The democratical party had from the first opposed the expedition； and it afforded them a great triumph to be able to point to Cimon returning not only unsuccessful but insulted。 That party was now led by Pericles。 A sort of hereditary feud existed between Pericles and Cimon； for it was Xanthippus； the father of Pericles； who had impeached Miltiades； the father of Cimon。 The character of Pericles was almost the reverse of Cimon's。 Although the leader of the popular party； his manners were reserved。 He appeared but little in society； and only in public upon great occasions。 His mind had received the highest polish which that period was capable of giving。 He constantly conversed with Anaxagoras； Protagoras； Zeno； and other eminent philosophers。 To oratory in particular he had devoted much attention； as an indispensable instrument for swaying the public assemblies of Athens。
Pericles seized the occasion presented by the ill success of Cimon； both to ruin that leader and to strike a fatal blow at the aristocratical party。 He deprived the Areopagus of its chief functions； and left it a mere shadow of its former influence and power。 He rendered the election to magistracies dependent simply upon lot； so that every citizen however poor； had an equal chance of obtaining the honours of the state。 Other changes which accompanied this revolutionfor such it must be calledwere the institution of paid DICASTERIES or jury…courts； and the almost entire abrogation of the judicial power of the Senate of Five Hundred。 It cannot be supposed that such fundamental changes were effected without violent party strife。 The poet AEschylus； in the tragedy of the EUMENIDIES； in vain exerted all the powers of his genius in support of the aristocratical party and of the tottering Areopagus； his exertions on this occasion resulted only in his own flight from Athens。 The same fate attended Cimon himself； and he was condemned by ostracism （B。C。 461） to a ten years' banishment。 Nay； party violence even went the length of assassination。 Ephialtes； who had taken the lead in the attacks upon the Areopagus； fell beneath the dagger of a Boeotian； hired by the conservative party to dispatch him。
It was from this period （B。C。 461） that the long administration of Pericles may be said to have commenced。 The effects of his accession to power soon became visible in the foreign relations of Athens。 Pericles had succeeded to the political principles of Themistocles； and his aim was to render Athens the leading power of Greece。 The Confederacy of Delos had already secured her maritime ascendency； Pericles directed his policy to the extension of her influence in continental Greece。 She formed an alliance with the Thessalians； Argos； and Megara。 The possession of Megara was of great importance； as it enabled the Athenians to arrest the progress of an invading army from Peloponnesus； AEgina； so long the maritime rival of Athens； was subdued and made tributary。 The Athenians marched with rapid steps to the dominion of Greece。 Shortly afterwards the battle of OEnophyta （B。C。 456）； in which the Athenians defeated the Boeotians； gave Athens the command of Thebes； and of all the other Boeotian towns。 From the gulf of Corinth to the straits of Thermopylae Athenian influence was now predominant。 During these events the Athenians had continued to prosecute the war against Persia。 In the year B。C。 460 they sent a powerful fleet to Egypt to assist Inarus； who had revolted against Persia； but this expedition proved a complete failure； for at the end of six years the revolt was put down by the Persians； and the Athenian fleet destroyed （B。C。 455）。 At a later period （B。C。 449） Cimon； who had been recalled from exile； sailed to Cyprus with a fleet of 200 ships。 He undertook the siege of Citium in that island； but died during the progress of it； either from disease or from the effects of a wound。 Shortly afterwards a pacification was concluded with Persia； which is sometimes； but erroneously； called 〃the peace of Cimon。〃 It is stated that by this compact the Persian monarch agreed not to tax or molest the Greek colonies on the coast of Asia Minor； nor to send any vessels of war westward of Phaselis in Lycia； or within the Cyanean rocks at the junction of the Euxine with the Thracian Bosporus； the Athenians on their side undertaking to leave the Persians in undisturbed possession of Cyprus and Egypt。 During the progress of these events； the states which formed the Confederacy of Delos； with the exception of Chios； Lesbos； and Samos； had gradually become； instead of the active allies of Athens； her disarmed and passive tributaries。 Even the custody of the fund had been transferred from Delos to Athens。 The purpose for which the confederacy had been originally organised disappeared with the Persian peace； yet what may now be called Imperial Athens continued； for her own ends； to exercise her prerogatives as head of the league。 Her alliances； as we have seen； had likewise been extended in continental Greece； where they embraced Megara； Boeotia； Phocis； Locris； together with Troezen and Achaia in Peloponnesus。 Such was the position of Athens in the year 448 B。C。； the period of her greatest power and prosperity。 From this time her empire began to decline； whilst Sparta； and other watchful and jealous enemies； stood ever ready to strike a blow。
In the following year （B。C。 447） a revolution in Boeotia deprived Athens of her ascendency in that country。 With an overweening contempt of their enemies； a small band of 1000 Athenian hoplites； chiefly composed of youthful volunteers belonging to the best Athenian families； together with a few auxiliaries； marched under the command of Tolmides to put down the revolt； in direct opposition to the advice of Pericles； who adjured them to wait and collect a more numerous force。 The enterprise proved disastrous in the extreme。 Tolmides was defeated and slain near Chaeronea； a large number of the hoplites also fell in the engagement； while a still larger number were taken prisoners。 This last circumstance proved fatal to the interests of Athens in Boeotia。 In order to recover these prisoners； she agreed to evacuate Boeotia； and to permit the re…establishment of the aristocracies which she had formerly overthrown。 But the Athenian reverses did not end here。 The expulsion of the partisans of Athens from the government of Phocis and Locris； and the revolt of Euboea and Megara； were announced in quick succession。 The youthful Pleistoanax； king of Sparta； actually penetrated； with an army of Lacedaemonians and Peloponnesian allies； as far as the neighbourhood of Eleusis； and the capital itself； it is said； was saved only by Pericles having bribed the Spartan monarch。 Pericles reconquered Euboea； but this was the only possession which the Athenians succeeded in recovering。 Their empire on land had vanished more； speedily than it had been acquired； and they were therefore induced to conclude； at the beginning of B。C。 445； a THIRTY YEARS' TRUCE with Sparta and her allies； by which they consented to abandon all the acquisitions which they had made in Peloponnesus； and to leave Megara to be included among the Peloponnesian allies of Sparta。
From the Thirty Years' Truce to the commencement of the Peloponnesian war； few political events of any importance occurred。 During these fourteen years （B。C。 445…431） Pericles continued to enjoy the sole direction of affairs。 His views were of the most lofty kind。 Athens was to become the capital of Greece； and the centre of art and refinement。 In her external appearance the city was to be rendered worthy of the high position to which she aspired； by the beauty and splendour of her public buildings； by her works of art in sculpture； architecture； and painting； and by the pomp and magnificence of her religious festivals。 All these objects Athens was enabled to attain in an incredibly short space of time； through the genius and energy of her citizens and the vast resources at her command。 No state has ever exhibited so much intellectual activity and so great a progress in art as was displayed by Athens in the period which elapsed between the Thirty Years' Truce and the breaking out of the Peloponnesian war。 She was the seat and centre of Grecian literature。 The three great tragic poets of Greece were natives of Attica。 AEschylus； the earliest of the three； had recently died in Sicily； but Sophocles was now at the full height of his reputation； and Euripides was rapidly rising into notice。 Aristophanes； the greatest of the Grecian comic poets； was also born in Attica； and exhibited plays soon after the beginning of the Peloponnesian war。 Herodotus； the Father of History； though a native of Halicarnassus in Asia Minor； resided some time at Athens； and accompanied a colony which the Athenians sent to Thurii in Italy。 Thucydides； the greatest of Greek historians； was an Athenian； and was a young man at this period。
Colonization； for which the genius and inclination of the Athenians had always been suited； was another method adopted by Pericl