my within their walls. The latter opinion seemed, for awhile, to prevail: it was urged, that it would be rashness itself to face so powerful and well appointed an army, with a handful of men. It was alleged, that the soldiers would gather cour age from their security behind the walls; and that the forces of Sparta, without, might make a diversion, in case of a sal ly from within. Miltiades, however, declared for the contra ry opinion; and showed, that the only means to exalt the courage of their own troops, and to strike a terror into those of the enemy, was to advance boldly towards them, with an air of confidence and desperate intrepidity.

Aristides, also, strenuously embraced this opinion, and exerted all his masculine eloquence to bring over the rest The question being put, when the suffrages came to be taken, the opinions were equal on each side of the argument It now, therefore, remained for Callimachus, the polemarch who had a right of voting as well as the ten command. ers, to give his opinion, and decide this important debate. It was to him, Miltiades addressed himself, with the utmost earnestness; alleging, that the fate of his country was now in his power; that his single vote was to determine whether his country should be enslaved, or free; that his fame might now, by a single word, be made equal to that of Harmodius and Aristogiton, who were the authors of Athenian liberty

Thus exhorted, Callimachus did not long debate, but gave his voice in favour of an open engagement; and Miltiades, thus seconded, prepared to marshal up his little army for the great encounter.

In the mean time, it appeared, that so many leaders, com manding in succession, served only to perplex and counteract each other. Aristides perceived that the command, which changes every day, must be incapable of projecting or exe cuting any uniform design: he therefore gave it as his opinion, that it was necessary to invest the whole power in one single person; and to induce his colleagues to conform, he himself set the first example of resignation. When the day came, on which it was his turn to command, he resigned it to Miltiades, as the more able and experienced general; and the other commanders, warmed by so generous a preference, followed his example.

Miltiades, thus invested with the supreme command, which was now the post of highest danger, like an experienced general, endeavoured, by the advantage of his ground, to make up his deficiency in strength and numbers. He was sensible, that, by extending his front to oppose the enemy, he must weaken it too much, and give their dense body the

advantage. He therefore drew up his army at the foot of a mountain, so that the enemy could not surround him, or charge him in the rear. On the flanks, on each side, he caused large trees to be thrown down, which were cut for the purpose; and these served to guard him from the Persian cavalry, which generally wheeled on the flanks, in the height of an engagement.

Datis, on his side, was sensible of this advantageous disposition; but, relying on his superiority of numbers, and unwilling to wait till the Spartan reinforcements should arrive, he determined to engage.

Now, was to be fought, the first great battle in which the Greeks had ever engaged. It was not like any of their former civil contests, arising from jealousy, and terminating in an easy accommodation: it was a battle that was to be decided with the greatest monarch of the earth, with the most numerous army that had been hitherto seen in Europe. This was an engagement that was to decide the liberty of Greece; and, what was infinitely of greater moment, the future progress of refinement among mankind. Upon the event of this battle, depended the complexion which the manners of the west were hereafter to assume; whether it was to adopt Asiatic customs with its conquerors, or to go on modelling itself upon Grecian refinements, as was afterwards the case. This, therefore, may be considered as one of the most important battles that ever were fought; and the event was as little to be expected, as the success was glorious,

The signal was no sooner given, than the Athenians, without waiting the Persian onset, rushed in upon their ranks, with desperate rapidity, as if wholly regardless of safety. The Persians regarded this first step of the Athenians as the result of madness, and were more inclined to despise them as maniacs, than oppose them as soldiers-However, they were quickly undeceived. It had never before been the custom of the Greeks to run on with this headlong valour; but, comparing the number of their own forces, with that of the enemy, and expecting safety only from rashness, they determined to break through the enemy's ranks, or fall in the attempt. The greatness of their danger added to their courage, and despair did the rest.

The Persians, however, stood their ground, with great intrepidity, and the battle was long, fierce, and obstinate. Miltiades had made the wings of his army exceedingly strong, but had left the main body more weak, and not so deep. Having but ten thousand men to oppose to such a numerous

army, he supposed the victory could be obtained by no other means than strengthening his flanks; not doubting, that when his wings were once victorious, they would be able to wheel upon the enemy's main body, on either side, and thus puł them easily to rout.

The Persians, therefore, finding the main body weakest, attacked it with their utmost vigour. It was in vain, that Aristides and Themistocles, who were stationed in this post of danger, endeavoured to keep their troops to the charge. Courage and intrepidity were unable to resist the torrent of increasing numbers; so that they were at last obliged to give ground. But, in the mean time, the wings were victorious: and now, just as the main body were fainting under the unequal encounter, these came up, and gave them time to recover their strength and order.

Thus, the scale of victory quickly began to turn in their favour; and the Persians, from being the aggressors, now be gan to give ground in turn, and, being unsupported by fresh forces, they fled to their ships, with the utmost precipitation. The confusion and disorder was now universal; the Athenians followed them to the beach, and set many of their ships on fire.

On this occasion, it was, that Cynægyrus, the brother of the poet Eschylus, seized, with his hand, one of the ships that the enemy was pushing off from the shore. The Persians within, seeing themselves thus arrested, cut off his right hand that held the prow: he then laid hold of it with his left, which they also cut off; at last, he seized it with his teeth and in that manner expired.

Seven of the enemy's ships were taken, above six thousand Persians were slain, without reckoning those who were drowned in the sea, as they endeavoured to escape, or those who were consumed when the ships were set on fire.

Of the Greeks, not above two hundred men were killed; among whom, was Callimachus, who gave his vote for bring ing on the engagement. Hippias, who was the chief incendiary of the war, is also thought to have fallen in this battle; though some say he escaped, and died miserably at Lemnos. Such, was the famous battle of Marathon, which the Persians were so sure of gaining, that they had brought marble into the field, to erect a trophy.

Just after the battle, an Athenian soldier, whose name was Eucles, still covered with blood and wounds, quitted the army, and ran to Athens, to carry his fellow-citizens the news of the victory. His strength just sufficed to reach the city; and, throwing himself into the door of the first house, he uttered three words, Rejoice, we triumph, and instantly expired.

While a part of the army marched forward to Athens, to protect it from the attempts of the enemy, Aristides remained on the field of battle, to guard the spoil and the prisoners; and, although gold and silver were scattered about the enemy's deserted camp, in abundance, though their tents and galleys were full of rich furniture and sumptuous apparel, he would not permit any of it to be embezzled, but reserved it, as a common reward, for all who had any share in obtaining the victory.

Two thousand Spartans, also, whose laws would not permit them to march until the full of the moon, now came into the field; but the action being over the day before, they had an opportunity only of paying due honours to those who gained so glorious a victory, and to bring back the news to Sparta. Of the marble the Persians had brought with them, the Athenians made a trophy; being carved by Phidias into a statue, in honour of the goddess Nemesis, who had a temple near the field of battle.

In the mean time, the Persian fleet, instead of sailing directly back to Asia, made an attempt to surprise Athens, before the Greek forces could arrive from Marathon. But the latter had the precaution to move directly thither; and performed their march with so much expedition, that, though it was forty miles from Marathon, they arrived there in one day. In this manner, the Greeks not only expelled their enemies, but confirmed their security.

By this victory, the Grecians were taught to know their own strength, and not to tremble before an enemy, terrible only in name. This taught them, through the whole of succeeding ages, to imitate their ancestors with an ardent emulation, and inspired them with a wish not to degenerate from he Grecian glory.

Those Athenians that were slain in battle, had all the honour immediately paid them, that was due to their merit. Illustrious monuments were erected to them, in the very place where the battle was fought; upon which, their names, and the tribe to which they belonged, were inscribed. There were set up three distinct sets of monuments; one for the Atheni ans, one for the Plateans, and a third for the slaves who had been enrolled into their troops upon that urgent occasion. . But their gratitude to Miltiades, spoke a nobleness of mind, that far surpassed expensive triumphs, or base adulation. Sensible that his merits were too great for money to repay, they caused a picture to be painted, by Polygnotus, one of the most celebrated artists; where Miltiades was represented, at the head of the ten commanders, exhorting the soldiers, and setting them an example of their duty. This picture was pre

served for many ages, with other paintings of the best masters, in the portico, where Zeno afterwards instituted his school of philosophy.

An emulation seemed to take place in every rank of life Polygnotus valued himself so much upon the honour of being A. M. appointed to paint this picture, that he gave his labour for nothing. In return for such generosity, the Am 3514. phictyons assigned him a public lodging in the city, where he might reside during pleasure.

But, though the gratitude of the Athenians to Miltiades, was very sincere, yet it was of no long continuance. This fickle and jealous people, naturally capricious, and now, more than ever, careful of preserving their freedom, were willing to take every opportunity of mortifying a general, from whose merit they had much to fear.

Being appointed, with seventy ships, to punish those isl ands that had favoured the Persian invasion; and having rais. ed the siege of Paros, upon a false report of the arrival of the enemy's fleet; he returned, unsuccessfully to Athens, where he was accused, by one Xantippus, of having taken a bribe from Persia. As he was not in a condition to answer this charge, being confined to his bed by a fall he received at Paros, the accusation prevailed against him, and he was condemned to lose his life.

The manner of executing criminals found guilty of great offences, was by throwing them into the Barathrum, a deep pit; from which, none were ever seen to return. This sentence was pronounced against him; but his former services were such as to have this punishment commuted into a penalty of fifty talents, the sum which it had cost the state in fitting out the late unsuccessful expedition.

Not being rich enough to pay this sum, he was thrown intc prison; where, the bruise on his thigh growing worse, from bad air and confinement, it turned at last to a gangrene, and put an end to his life and misfortunes.

Cimon, his son, who was at that time very young, signali sed his piety, on this occasion. As this ungrateful city would not permit the body of Miltiades to be buried, until all his debts were paid, this young man employed all his interest among his friends, and strained his utmost credit to pay the fine, and procure his father's body an honourable interment