ork about the statue, that they might take it
all off and make out the just weight of it, which Pericles at that time
bade the accusers do. But the repudiation of his works was what brought
envy upon Phidias, especially that where he represents the fight of
the Amazons upon the goddesses' shield, he had introduced a likeness of
himself as a bald old man holding up a great stone with both hands,
and had put in a very fine representation of Pericles fighting with an
Amazon. And the position of the hand, which holds out the spear in front
of the face, was ingeniously contrived to conceal in some degree the
likeness, which, meantime, showed itself on either side.

Phidias then was carried away to Prison, and there died of a disease;
but, as some say, of poison administered by the enemies of Pericles, to
raise a slander, or a suspicion at least, as though he had procured it.
The informer Menon, upon Glycon's proposal, the people made free from
payment of taxes and customs, and ordered the generals to take care that
nobody should do him any hurt. And Pericles, finding that in Phidias's
case he had miscarried with the people, being afraid of impeachment,
kindled the war, which hitherto had lingered and smothered, and blew it
up into a flame; hoping, by that means, to disperse and scatter these
complaints and charges, and to allay their jealousy; the city usually
throwing herself upon him alone, and trusting to his sole conduct,
upon the urgency of great affairs and public dangers, by reason of his
authority and the sway he bore.

These are given out to have been the reasons which induced Pericles
not to suffer the people of Athens to yield to the proposals of the
Lacedaemonians; but their truth is uncertain.

The Lacedaemonians, therefore, and their allies, with a great army,
invaded the Athenian territories, under the conduct of king Archidamus,
and laying waste the country, marched on as far as Acharnae, and there
pitched their camp, presuming that the Athenians would never endure
that, but would come out and fight them for their country's and their
honor's sake. But Pericles looked upon it as dangerous to engage
in battle, to the risk of the city itself, against sixty thousand
men-at-arms of Peloponnesians and Boeotians; for so many they were in
number that made the inroad at first; and he endeavored to appease those
who were desirous to fight, and were grieved and discontented to see how
things went, and gave them good w