Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/303

GRECIAN AFFAIRS AFTER THE PERSIAN INVASION. 279 wrong-doers to be deposed and perhaps punished, exiles to be restored, and all the disturbance and suspicions accompanying so great a change of political condition as well as of foreign policy, — the influence of the leading men at Athens must have been great in determining the treatment of particular individuals. Themistokles, placed at the head of an Athenian squadron and sailing among the islands, partly for the purposes of war against Persia, partly for organizing the new confederacy, — is affirmed to have accepted bribes without scruple, for executing sentences just and unjust, — restoring some citizens, expelling others, and even putting some to death. We learn this from a friend and guest of Themistokles, — the poet Timokreon of lalysus in Rhodes, who had expected his own restoration from the Athenian commander, but found that it was thwarted by a bribe of three talents from his opponents ; so that he was still kept in exile on the charge of medism. The assertions of Timokreon, personally incensed on this ground against Themistokles, are doubtless to be considered as passionate and exaggerated : nevertheless, they are a valuable memorial of the feelings of the time, and are far too much in harmony with the general character of this eminent man to allow of our disbelieving them entirely. Timokreon is as emphatic in his admiration of Aristeides as in his censure of Themistokles, whom he denounces as " a lying and unjust traitor." ' Such conduct as that described by this new Archilochus, even making every allowance for exaggeration, must have caused Themistokles to be both hated and feared among the insular allies, whose opinion was now of considerable importance to the Athenians. A similar sentiment grew up partially against him in Athens itself, and appears to have been connected with suspi- cions of treasonable inclinations towards the Persians. As the Persians could oflfer the highest bribes, a man open to corruption might naturally be suspected of inclinations towards their cause ; and if Themistokles had rendered preeminent service against them, so also had Pausanias, whose conduct had undergone so fatal a change for the worse. It was the treason of Pausanias, suspected and believed against him by the Athenians even when ' Phitarch, Themist. c. 21