War. In this war the
Lacedaemonians sent a force to Delphi, and made the Phokaeans, who held
it, give it up to the people of Delphi: but as soon as they were gone
Perikles made an expedition into the country, and restored the temple to
the Phokaeans; and as the Lacedaemonians had scratched the oracle which
the Delphians had given them, on the forehead of the brazen wolf there,
Perikles got a response from the oracle for the Athenians, and carved it
on the right side of the same wolf.

XXII. Events proved that Perikles was right in confining the Athenian
empire to Greece. First of all Euboea revolted, and he was obliged to
lead an army to subdue that island. Shortly after this, news came that
the Megarians had become hostile, and that an army, under the command of
Pleistoanax, king of the Lacedaemonians, was menacing the frontier of
Attica. Perikles now in all haste withdrew his troops from Euboea, to
meet the invader. He did not venture on an engagement with the numerous
and warlike forces of the enemy, although repeatedly invited by them to
fight: but, observing that Pleistoanax was a very young man, and
entirely under the influence of Kleandrides, whom the Ephors had sent to
act as his tutor and counsellor because of his tender years, he opened
secret negotiations with the latter, who at once, for a bribe, agreed to
withdraw the Peloponnesians from Attica. When their army returned and
dispersed, the Lacedaemonians were so incensed that they imposed a fine
on their king, and condemned Kleandrides, who fled the country, to be
put to death. This Kleandrides was the father of Gylippus, who caused
the ruin of the Athenian expedition in Sicily. Avarice seems to have
been hereditary in the family, for Gylippus himself, after brilliant
exploits in war, was convicted of taking bribes, and banished from
Sparta in disgrace. This is more fully set forth in the Life of
Lysander.

XXIII. When Perikles submitted the accounts of the campaign to the
people, there was an item of ten talents, "for a necessary purpose,"
which the people passed without any questioning, or any curiosity to
learn the secret. Some historians, amongst whom is Theophrastus the
philosopher, say that Perikles sent ten talents annually to Sparta, by
means of which he bribed the chief magistrates to defer the war, thus
not buying peace, but time to make preparations for a better defence. He
immediately turned his attention to the insurgents in Euboea, and
proce