Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/345

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EESTOKATIOR. 323 iti, Peiroeus, Konon commemorated his great naval victory by a golden wreath in the acropolis, as well as by the erection of a tem- ple in Peiraeus to the honor of the Knidian Aphrodite, who was worshipped at Knidus with peculiar devotion by the local popula- tion. 1 He farther celebrated the completion of the walls by a splendid sacrifice and festival banquet. And the Athenian people not only inscribed on a pillar a public vote gratefully recording the exploits of Konon, but also erected a statue to his honor. 2 The importance of this event in reference to the future history of Athens was unspeakable. Though it did not restore to her either her former navy, or her former empire, it reconstituted her as a city, not only self-determining, but even partially ascendant. It reanimated her, if not into the Athens of Perikles, at least into that of Isokrates and Demosthenes ; it imparted to her a second fill of strength, dignity, and commercial importance, during the half century destined to elapse before she was finally overwhelmed by the superior military force of Macedon. Those who recollect the extraordinary stratagem whereby Themistokles had contrived (eighty-five years before) to accomplish the fortification of Athens, in spite of the base but formidable jealously of >P ar t a an d her Peloponnesian allies, will be aware how much the consummation f the Themistoklean project had depended upon accident. Now, also, Konon in his restoration was favored by unusual combinations, such as no one could have predicted. That Pharnabazus should conceive the idea of coming over himself to Peloponnesus with a fleet of the largest force, was a most unexpected contingency. He was influenced neither by attachment to Athens, nor seemingly by considerations of policy, though the proceeding was one really con- ducive to the interests of Persian power, but simply by his own violent personal wrath against the Lacedaemonians. And this wrath probably would have been satisfied, if, after the battle of Knidus, he could have cleared his own satrapy of them completely. It was his vehement impatience, when he found himself unable to expel his old enemy, Derkyllidas, from the important position of 1 Demosthen. cont. Androtion. p. 616. c. 21. Pausanias (i, 1, 3) still saw this temple in Peiraeus veiy near to the sea ; five hundred and fifty years afterwards. 2 Demosthen. cont. Leptin. c. 16. p. 477, 478 ; Athenseus, i, 3 ; Cornelia* Nepos, Conon, c. 4.