itory of Tanagra, and,
as the Athenians at once marched out to attack them, Kimon came back
from exile, took his place in full armour among the ranks of his own
tribe, and hoped by distinguishing himself in the battle amongst his
fellow citizens to prove the falsehood of the Laconian sympathies with
which he had been charged. However, the friends of Perikles drove him
away, as an exile. On the other hand, Perikles fought more bravely in
that battle than he had ever fought before, and surpassed every one in
reckless daring. The friends of Kimon also, whom Perikles had accused of
Laconian leanings, fell, all together, in their ranks; and the Athenians
felt great sorrow for their treatment of Kimon, and a great longing for
his restoration, now that they had lost a great battle on the frontier,
and expected to be hard pressed during the summer by the Lacedaemonians.
Perikles, perceiving this, lost no time in gratifying the popular wish,
but himself proposed the decree for his recall; and Kimon on his return
reconciled the two States, for he was on familiar terms with the
Spartans, who were hated by Perikles and the other leaders of the common
people. Some say that, before Kimon's recall by Perikles, a secret
compact was made with him by Elpinike, Kimon's sister, that Kimon was
to proceed on foreign service against the Persians with a fleet of two
hundred ships, while Perikles was to retain his power in the city. It is
also said that, when Kimon was being tried for his life, Elpinike
softened the resentment of Perikles, who was one of those appointed to
impeach him. When Elpinike came to beg her brother's life of him, he
answered with a smile, "Elpinike, you are too old to meddle in affairs
of this sort." But, for all that, he spoke only once, for form's sake,
and pressed Kimon less than any of his other prosecutors. How, then, can
one put any faith in Idomeneus, when he accuses Perikles of procuring
the assassination of his friend and colleague Ephialtes, because he was
jealous of his reputation? This seems an ignoble calumny, which
Idomeneus has drawn from some obscure source to fling at a man who, no
doubt, was not faultless, but of a generous spirit and noble mind,
incapable of entertaining so savage and brutal a design. Ephialtes was
disliked and feared by the nobles, and was inexorable in punishing those
who wronged the people; wherefore his enemies had him assassinated by
means of Aristodikus of Tanagra. This we are tol