the Athenians, and especially, we
are told by Stesimbrotus, when he wished to reproach them, or to
encourage them to do bettor, he used to say, "That is not how the
Lacedaemonians do it." This habit caused many Athenians to regard him
with jealousy and dislike: but the most important ground of accusation
against him was the following. In the fourth year of the reign of king
Archidamus, the son of Zeuxidamus, at Sparta, the Lacedaemonian
territory was visited by the greatest earthquake ever known there. The
earth opened in many places, some of the crags of Taygetus fell down,
and the whole city was destroyed, with the exception of five houses.
It is related that while the boys and young men were practising
gymnastics in the palaestra, a hare ran into the building, and that the
boys, naked and anointed as they were, immediately ran out in pursuit
of it, while the gymnasium shortly afterwards fell upon the young men
who remained and killed them all. Their tomb is at this day called
Seismatia, that is, the tomb of those who perished in the earthquake.

Archidamus, perceiving the great dangers with which this disaster
menaced the state, and observing that the citizens thought of nothing
but saving their most valuable property from the wreck, ordered the
trumpet to sound, as though the enemy were about to attack, and made
every Spartan get under arms and rally round him as quickly as
possible. This measure saved Sparta; for the helots had gathered
together from the country round about, and were upon the point of
falling upon the survivors. Finding them armed and drawn up in order,
they retreated to the neighbouring cities, and openly made war against
the Spartans, having won over no small number of the Perioeki to their
side, while the Messenians also joined them in attacking their own old
enemies. At this crisis the Spartans sent Perikleides as an ambassador
to Athens to demand assistance. This is the man whom Aristophanes
ridiculed in his play as sitting by the altars as a suppliant, with a
pale face and a scarlet cloak, begging for an army.

We are told by Kritias that Ephialtes vigorously opposed his mission,
and besought the Athenians not to assist in restoring a state which
was the rival of Athens, but to let the pride of Sparta be crushed and
trampled in the dust. Kimon, on the other hand, postponing the
interests of his own country to those of the Lacedaemonians, persuaded
the people of Athens to march a numerous bod