13.
Whilst the Peloponnesians were coming together in the isthmus, and when they were on their march before they brake into Attica, Pericles the son of Xantippus, who with nine others was general of the Athenians, when he saw they were about to break in, suspecting that Archidamus, either of private courtesy or by command of the Lacedaemonians to bring him into jealousy (as they had before for his sake commanded the excommunication), might oftentimes leave his lands untouched, told the Athenians beforehand in an assembly, ‘that though Archidamus had been his guest, it was for no ill to the state;
and howsoever, if the enemy did not waste his lands and houses as well as the rest, that then he gave them to the commonwealth,’ and therefore desired ‘that for this he might not be suspected.’ Also he advised them concerning the business in hand the same things he had done before, ‘that they should make preparations for the war and receive their goods into the city;
[2]
that they should not go out to battle but come into the city and guard it;
that they should also furnish out their navy, wherein consisted their power, and hold a careful hand over their confederates,’ telling them, ‘how that in the money that came from these lay their strength, and that the victory in war consisted wholly in counsel and store of money.’
[3]
Farther he bade them be confident, ‘in that there was yearly coming into the state from the confederates for tribute, besides other revenue, six hundred talents, and remaining yet then in the citadel six thousand talents of silver coin,’ (for the greatest sum there had been was ten thousand talents wanting three hundred, out of which was taken that which had been expended upon the gate-houses of the citadel and upon other buildings and for the charges of Potidaea)
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‘besides the uncoined gold and silver of private and public offerings, and all the dedicated vessels belonging to the shows and games, and the spoils of the Persian, and other things of that nature, which amounted to no less than five hundred talents.’
[5]
He added farther that ‘much money might be had out of other temples without the city which they might use;
and if they were barred the use of all these, they might yet use the ornaments of gold about the goddess herself’;
and said that ‘the image had about it the weight of forty talents of most pure gold and which might all be taken off;
but having made use of it for their safety,’ he said, ‘they were to make restitution of the like quantity again.’ Thus he encouraged them touching matter of money.
[6]
‘Men of arms,’ he said, ‘they had thirteen thousand besides the sixteen thousand that were employed for the guard of the city and upon the walls.’ For so many at the first kept watch at the coming in of the enemy, young and old together and strangers that dwelt amongst them as many as could bear arms.
[7]
For the length of the Phalerian wall to that part of the circumference of the wall of the city where it joined was thirtyfive furlongs, and that part of the circumference which was guarded (for some of it was not kept with a watch, namely, the part between the long wall and the Phalerian) was forty-three furlongs.
And the length of the long walls down to Piraeus (of which there was a watch only on the outmost) was forty furlongs.
And the whole compass of Piraeus together with Munychia was sixty furlongs, whereof that part that was watched was but half.
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He said farther, ‘they had of horsemen, accounting archers on horseback, twelve hundred;
and sixteen hundred archers;
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and of galleys fit for the sea, three hundred.’ All this and no less had the Athenians when the invasion of the Peloponnesians was first in hand and when the war began.
These and other words spake Pericles, as he used to do, for demonstration that they were likely to outlast this war.
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Thucydides. Thomas Hobbes. translator. London. Bohn. 1843.
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