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of the Euxine Sea from Pontus to Cherfonefus Taurica, or Crim Tartary. These trophies of naval power were erected, not over ignorant barbarians, but over men, who had the fame language and laws, the fame arts and lineage, who had every thing common with their mother country, except fkill in navigation and prowess in the field.

And here we paufe, to contemplate the ftriking qualities of those chiefs, who diftinguished themfelves fo much in the fervice of liberty and Greece, when the Perfians were driven from her fhores. The illuftrious perfons, who moft contributed to raife Athens to its higheft pitch of martial glory were Miltiades, Themiftocles, Cimon, and Ariftides. Miltiades united the moft acute penetration into the defigns of the enemy, to a perfect acquaintance with his own army; and when it was neceffary to hazard an engagement, he always difplayed his talents in choofing fuch a field of battle as gave him a decided advantage. Themiftocles acquired the greatest renown by directing the whole attention of his countrymen to naval affairs, and fecuring the command of the ocean. Ariftides, equally illuftrious for his integrity, intrepidity, and moderation, fhared the glory of Miltiades in the plains of Marathon, and was diftinguished by his military talents both at Salamis and Platea. By his judicious conduct he strengthened the Grecian confederacy, and provided ample fupplies for the continuance of the war. Cimon, equal in courage to Themiftocles and Miltiades, and fuperior in integrity of con

duct,

duct, brought the navy of Athens to fuch perfection, and encountered the enemy with fuch fuccefs, that Perfia, degraded and beaten both by fea and land, was confined to the limits of her own empire.

It is however melancholy, after viewing these illuftrious perfons in the meridian of their fame, to remark the ftorms of misfortune which obfcured and harraffed fome parts of their lives. Miltiades, perfecuted by a relentless faction, died in prison of the wounds he had received in the fervice of his country. Ariftides, Themiftocles, and Cimon were condemned to exile; and Phocion, the despifer of the gold of Alexander, and the fuccefsful oppofer of the Macedonians, fuffered death by a decree of the people. Such were the rewards bestowed upon perfons the most eminent for military talents and public fervices under a democratical government! The hatred even of that honourable ambition which was excited by the praise of the people themselves, and encouraged by their most distinguished favours; -the moft trifling apprehenfion of an invafion of their liberty, the jealousy of afpiring talents, hurried the popular affemblies of Athens into acts of cruelty, ingratitude, and oppreffion, against their moft deferving patriots, and greatest benefactors.

Nor was lefs feverity in many inftances exercifed against artists and philofophers. Phidias, the most excellent of fculptors, was falfely accused of embezzling part of the gold he had received for deco

rating the ftatue of Minerva, and closed his life in prifon. Anaxagoras, who founded the principles of a pure philofophy, upon the investigation of the works of nature, was profecuted for a charge of impiety, and driven into exile. Even Socrates, his amiable difciple, was condemned to fuffer death".

We have already observed, that these were not the only fufferers under a democratical form of government. The moft numerous clafs of the inhabitants of Greece confifted of flaves-a defcription of perfons, who without any regard to their poffeffing the fame powers and faculties, both of body and mind, as their mafters, were wholly abandoned to the mercy of their defpotic will. They were employed in the moft degrading manner, and, without enjoying the privilege of appealing for redress to the civil magiftrate, or fpeaking in their own defence in a court of juftice, were, upon the most trivial pretences, chaftifed with blows and fcourging, and condemned to the rack. No hopes of future good alleviated their hard condition; for although with a degree of refined policy their increafe was encouraged, they had nothing to bequeath to their offspring, but an inheritance of mifery, and a condition of degraded humanity worse than that of the brute creation. The hiftorian Ælian fays exprefsly, that it was the common opinion of all Greece, that a terrible earthquake,

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which happened 467 years before Chrift, was a judgment from heaven upon the Spartans, for treating their flaves with cruelty2.

In Athens, it must be confeffed, they were treated with lefs cruelty, were under lefs reftraint, and were in many cafes permitted to claim the protection of the laws. Their courage in war was fometimes recompenfed by the gift of liberty; yet even in a state which boafted to be the nurfe of freedom, and the mistress of refinement, there was a public flave market. The Spartans difdained the occupations of agriculture and trade, and committed every low and mechanical employment to the wretched defcendants of the inhabitants of Helos, whofe city they had rafed for refufing to pay them tribute. In return for their faithful fervices, these unfortunate men were treated in the most rigid and barbarous manner, and the dexterity with which their inhuman mafters could furprife and destroy an enemy by ambufcade, was frequently practifed upon their wretched domeftics, while labouring in large parties in the fields.

The conduct of the Greeks to their flaves feems to prove, that they cfteemed liberty and its bleffings their own exclufive privilege. It is indeed a fingular inconfiftency in their character, that at the time when they were exercifing defpotic fway over their wretched domeftics, the orators were employed

2 lift. Var. lib. iii.

in the most severe invectives against arbitrary power, and all Greece was roufed to oppose the tyrants of Perfia and Macedon. Rome alfo, even in the periods of her hiftory moft remarkable for refinement, and civilization, boafted of the multitude of her flaves. In modern times, the fame oppreffive inftitution has been continued, but attended with circumftances of cruelty refpecting the modes by which flaves are procured, which would put a Roman, or a Greek, to the blufh. The innocent and wild natives of the forefts and deferts are fnatched from their beloved fhores, torn from every tender connexion, and condemned to imprifonment and chains, during a tedious and painful voyage, which is only a prelude to greater afflictions. The lamentations of Africa, for the lofs of her unoffending natives, are heard from Guinea to the Cape of Good Hope. The eternal laws of juftice, the tears of humanity, and the mild and merciful principles of Christianity, call not only for a mitigation, but an abolition of this traffic in human flesh. the Europeans, even those who bear the name of Proteftants and of Englifhmen, liften too earnestly to the voice of felf-intereft: their miferable flaves are ftill condemned to drag the chains of bondage, while many of their masters are regardless of their hard condition, their fufferings, and even their despair.

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