Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III Historical Survey (continued): Cimon, Pericles. In the period which follows we come to the age of Cimon. Aristides organised the naval league, but it was under the leadership of Cimon the son of Miltiades that the Athenian empire was built up. Our knowledge of him is mainly derived from Plutarch. As he was the last representative, in a supreme position on the conservative side, of the old aristocracy of Attica, and came into conflict with Pericles and the popular party, it is necessary to say something about him, the more so as he has been unduly disparaged, in contrast with Pericles, by writers of a certain school. Professor Bury, for example, whose history seems to be now largely accepted for educational purposes, disposes of him as follows : ' The son of Miltiades had been at first regarded as a youth of little promise. His grandfather was nicknamed " Simpleton " ; and he was supposed to have inherited a wit poorer than that of the ordinary Athenian. Fond of the wine-cup and leading a disorderly life, he was not a man of liberal education; and a writer of memoirs, who knew him, described him as Pelopon- nesian rather than Athenian—uncultivated but honest and downright. He lived with his step-sister Elpinice, and they both affected Lacedaemonian manners. Aristides seems to have discerned his military ability and to have introduced him to public life. His simplicity, geniality, and lavish hospitality rendered him popular; his military successes confirmed his influence.' This, however, is Plutarch's account: ' Stesimbrotus of Thasos, who lived about the same tune as Cimon, says that he was never taught music (fiova-iKv) or any other of the liberal studies usual among the Greek upper classes, and that he was altogether without Attic smartness and facility...