Callias: A Tale of the Fall of Athens

by Alfred John Church

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  BACK TO ATHENS.

  Callias started about the middle of April, according to our reckoning.His journey to the Bosphorus was much retarded by contrary winds. Forsome days no progress could be made, and it was well into May before hereached Byzantium. There he was fortunate enough to get a passage in aSpartan despatch boat, which took him as far as the port of Corinth,thus carrying him, of course, beyond his destination, but to a pointfrom which it was easy for him to find his way to Athens. It was aboutthe beginning of June when he landed at the Piraeus. He did not doubtfor a moment about the place where his first visit was due. The fact wasthat he had no near relations. The kinsman who was his legal guardianhad always given up the business of looking after his ward's property toHippocles; and now that Callias was his own master, there was littlemore than a friendly acquaintance between the two cousins. The alien'shouse was, he felt, his real home, nor had he given up the hope that inspite of Hermione's strongly expressed determination, he might some daybecome a member of his family.

  Hippocles happened to have just returned from his business at theshipyard, when the young Athenian presented himself at the gate. Nothingcould be warmer than the welcome he gave his visitor.

  THE ACROPOLIS AT THE PRESENT DAY.]

  "Now Zeus and Athene be thanked for this," he cried as he wrung theyoung man's hand. "That you had come back safely from the country of theGreat King I heard. Your friend Xenophon told me so much in a letterthat I had from him about a year ago. Then I heard from him that youwere dangerously ill. After that all was a blank, and I feared theworst. But why not a word all this time?"

  "Pardon me, my dear friend, I think I may say that it was not my fault.For months I was simply too ill to write. When I came back to Trapezus,the winter had begun, and there were no more ships sailing westward. Ishould have written when communications were opened again, but I wasalways in hopes of being allowed by the physician to start, and I had afancy for bringing my own news. And how are you?"

  "I am well enough," replied Hippocles, "but we have been passing throughtimes bad enough to shorten any man's life. I don't speak of trade.There have been troubles there, but when one has ventures all over theworld, it does not matter very much as far as profits are concerned, ifthings do not go right at one place or another. It has been the state ofhome affairs that has been the heaviest burden to bear. I thought we hadtouched the bottom when the city had to surrender to Lysander. But itwas not so, and I might have known better. The Spartans, of course,upset the democracy."

  "Well," interrupted Callias, "I should have thought that that would nothave been by any means an altogether unmixed evil."

  "Yes," said Hippocles, "and there have been times when I have been readyto think the same. But wait till you see an oligarchy in power, reallyin power, I mean, not with a possible appeal to the people, and so achance of having to answer for themselves before them, but with a strongforeign garrison behind them. We had that state of things in Athens formore than half a year. One might almost say that it was like a citytaken by storm. No man's life was safe unless he was willing to do thebidding of the Tyrants--the "Thirty Tyrants" was the nickname of the menthat were in power in those days. Who would have thought that Therameneswould ever have been regretted by honest men? Yet it was so. He thoughthis colleagues were going too far, and opposed them. He was carrying theSenate with him, for many besides him were beginning to feeluncomfortable; so they murdered him. The Thirty had, you must know, asort of sham general assembly--three thousand citizens picked out of thewhole number as holding strong oligarchical opinions. Amongst the lawsthat they had made one was that none of these Three Thousand were to becondemned without a vote of the Senate. The name of Theramenes was, ofcourse, on the list, and, as he had a majority of the Senate with him,he seemed safe. Well what did Critias, who was the leader of the violentparty, do? He filled the outer circle of the Senate house with armedmen, the Senate, you must understand, sitting in the middle surroundedby them. Then he got up and said, 'A good president, when he sees thebody over which he presides about to be duped, does not suffer them tofollow their own counsel. Theramenes has duped you, and I and these menhere will not suffer one who is the enemy of his country to do so anylonger. I have therefore struck his name off the list of the ThreeThousand. This leaves me and my colleagues free to deal with him withoutyour assent.' The Senate murmured, but dared do nothing more. Theofficers came and dragged the man from the altar to which he wasclinging. An hour afterwards he had drunk the hemlock. The gods below bepropitious to him, for great as were his misdeeds he died in a goodcause and as a brave man should die.[80] Things have not been so badsince the 'Thirty' were upset, but there is a sad story to tell you."

  Callias paused awhile. At last he screwed up his courage to put aquestion which he had both longed and feared to put ever since he hadset foot in the house.

  "And your daughter, is she well?"

  "Yes, she is well."

  "And still with you?"

  "Yes, she is at home," briefly answered the father.

  Hermione had in fact, refused several offers which every one else hadthought highly eligible. Hippocles, though by no means anxious to lose adaughter who was not only a companion but a counsellor, was growinganxious at what appeared her manifest determination to remain single. Hewould have dearly liked to have a son-in-law who would be able to takeup in time the burden of his huge business, a burden which he began tofeel already somewhat heavy for his strength. Callias would have beenentirely to his heart, but he had accepted, though not without greatreluctance, his daughter's views on this subject. That she should denythe young Athenian's suit, and yet for his sake dismiss all othersuitors--and this he began to suspect to be the fact--seemed to hispractical mind a quite unreasonable course of action. When a distantkinsman from Italy, a handsome youth of gracious manners and ofunexceptionable character, with even a tincture of culture, wasemphatically refused, Hippocles ventured a remonstrance. Its receptionwas such that he resolved never under any circumstances to repeat it.Hermione had been always the most obedient of daughters, but this rousedher to open rebellion. "Father," she said, "in this matter I am and mustbe a freeborn Italian. A Greek father can arrange a marriage for hisdaughter, but you must not think of it. I shall give myself as my mothergave herself before me--if I could find one as worthy as she did," andshe caught her father's hand and kissed it, breaking at the same timeinto a passion of tears. "Forgive me," she went on in a broken voice,"for setting up myself against you; but if you love me, never speak onthis subject again." And her father resolved that he never would.

  The young Athenian felt a glow of renewed hope pass through him at thefather's reply, studiously brief and cold as it was. Anyhow Hermione wasnot married. What could ever occur to change her purpose he did notcare to speculate. Nevertheless, as long as she did not belong toanother, he need not despair.

  "You will dine with me of course," said Hippocles to his visitor, "bygood luck I have invited Xenophon. Doubtless that is he," he went on, asa kick was heard at the door.[81]

  A few moments afterwards a slave introduced Xenophon; and before the twofriends had finished their greetings it was announced that dinner hadbeen served.

  Hermione was not present at the meal, nor did her father make any excusefor her absence. The presence of any guest not belonging to the regularfamily circle, was sufficient to account for it; and Callias, though hehoped against hope to see her, could not but acknowledge to himself thata meeting would have been highly embarrassing.

  Conversation did not flag during the meal. When it was finished, thehost excused himself on the score of having some business matters onhand which did not brook delay; and Xenophon and Callias were left totalk over each other's adventures.

  When Callias had told the story with which my readers are alreadyacquainted, Xenophon proceeded to give him a brief outline of hisfortunes since they had parted.

  "Well, my dear Callias," he said, "you did not lose much by not beingwi
th us. While we were in danger, we stuck fairly together, though therewere always cowardly and selfish fellows who thought, not of the generalwelfare, but only of their own skins or their own pockets. But when wewere safe at the coast and among friends, then there arose endlessdivision. And, indeed, I must allow that the situation of the army wasvery trying. Here were thousands of men who lived by their pay, andthere was no paymaster. I had a scheme of my own which would really havekept us together. If it could have been carried out, the gathering ofthe Ten Thousand, even though it had failed of its first object, wouldnot have been altogether in vain. I wanted to found a new Greek colony.We might have taken Pharis or some other city of the barbarians; and ifonly half of my comrades had been willing to stay, we might have made arich and powerful place of it before long. But it was not to be. PerhapsI was not worthy of being the founder of such a colony; anyhow thescheme came to nothing. I will tell you how it was. You rememberSilanus, the soothsayer. I never trusted the man. He was quite capableof garbling signs to suit his own advantage. However I could not helpgoing to him on this occasion, as he was the chief of his craft. So Isaid, 'Offer sacrifices and determine the omens concerning this schemeof a new colony.' Now Silanus was about the only man who had any moneyin his pocket. Cyrus had given him three thousand darics[82] for aprophecy that had come true, and he wanted to get home with the spoil.So he was altogether against the idea of a colony. When he hadsacrificed he could not say that the omens were altogether against thescheme; for I knew nearly as much about the matter as he did. What hedid say was that there were indications of a conspiracy against me. Andhe took good care to make them true, for he spread about reports of whatI was going to do that turned the army against me. So the scheme cameto nothing.

  "This did one good thing, however, for it helped us on our way home.Trapezus and the other colonies in the east of the Euxine did not relishthe idea of a new Greek city which might turn out to be a formidablerival. So they offered to transport the army to the Hellespont and tofurnish pay from the first new moon after the departure. This seemed agood offer, and I recommended the soldiers to close with it, and saidthat I gave up my scheme. 'Only,' I said, 'let us all keep together andlet any one who leaves us be counted a malefactor.' For I did not choosethat my friend the soothsayer should get the better of it.

  "Well, we set sail; our first halt was at Sinope, which is roughlyspeaking, about halfway between Trapezus and Byzantium. Then the armywanted to make me commander-in-chief. Happily the omen was against it,and I was able to decline. We started again, and got to Heraclea. Thepeople were very hospitable; but some scoundrels in the army wanted tolay a contribution upon the city. Chirisophus, the Spartan--I shouldhave told you that on my refusal the army gave him the chiefcommand--refused to have anything to do with such an abominablebusiness, and I backed him up. Of course the city shut its gates againstus, and we got nothing at all. After this the army broke up into three.One of the divisions, made up of Arcadians and Achaeans, the mostunscrupulous and greedy of the whole number, got into serious troublewhen they were trying to plunder the country, and I had to rescue them,for two thousand men had stuck to me when the army was thus broken up.Then the other division under Chirisophus were nearly as badly off, andI had to get them out of a scrape. After this they came together again,and it was made a matter of death for anyone to propose a separation.

  "It was well we did, for everyone seemed bent on treating us asvillanously as possible. Would you believe that the Spartan governor ofByzantium actually sold as slaves four hundred soldiers who had foundtheir way into the city? It is true that they were stragglers and had nobusiness there; but it was an abominable act. At last, one Seuthes, whohad been chief of the Odrysians, and deposed by a usurper, offered totake the whole army into his pay, if we would help him to recover hisdominions. Every man was to receive a stater[83] per month, the captainstwice, and the generals four times as much. Also he offered lands, oxento plough it with, and a city with walls. In fact the colony schemeseemed likely to be carried out after all. To me he was very munificentin his promises. I was to have one of his daughters to wife and a cityof my own."

  "What did you say to that?" said Callias.

  "Well, the only one of these things that Seuthes really had in hispossession was the daughter. I saw the young lady, handsome I willallow, and tall; but, oh, such a savage! As for the money, and the land,and the oxen, and the towns, walled and unwalled, we had to get them forhim and then have our portion back. However, it seemed to me the bestthing for the army to do, and I advised the men to that effect, and theyagreed, only it was provided that we were never to march more than sevendays' journey from the seacoast. We had all had enough of marches upthe country. Then Seuthes gave us a feast by way of striking thebargain.

  "It was a wonderful scene, and some day I must tell you all about it.But I must own that for a time I felt as uncomfortable as ever I did inmy life. After dinner when the bowl had passed round two or three times,in came a Thracian leading a white horse. He took the bowl from thecup-bearer, and said, 'Here is a health to thee, King Seuthes. Let megive you this horse. Mounted on him thou shalt take whom thou wilt, andwhen thou retirest from the battle thou shalt dread no pursuer.' Thenanother gave a slave, and another some robes for the Queen, and a fourtha silver saucer and a finely embroidered carpet. All the while I wassitting in an agony, for I was in the place of honor, and had nothing tooffer. However 'our lady of Athens,' who is the inspirer of cleverdevices, and, it may be Father Bacchus also, for I had drained two orthree cups, helped me out of my difficulty. When the cup-bearer handedme the goblet, I rose and said, 'King Seuthes, I present you with myselfand these my trusty comrades. With their help you will recover the landsthat were your forefathers' and gain many new lands with them. Nor shallyou win lands only, but horses many, and men many, and fair women also.'Up got the King, at this, and we drained the cup together.

  "Seuthes was not going to let the grass grow under his feet. When weleft the banqueting tent--this was at sunset because we wanted to setthe guards about our camp--the King, who, for all his potations, was assober as a water-drinker, sent for the generals and said, 'My neighborshave not yet heard of this alliance of ours. Let us go and take them bysurprise.' And so we did. We went that night and brought back bootyenough to pay for our day's pay, I warrant you.

  "Well, we went on fighting for Seuthes for two months till we hadconquered the whole countryside for him. Then the conquered tribesflocked to him--give a Thracian plenty to eat and drink and good pay andhe will fight in any quarrel--till he did not want any more. Thatperhaps was not to be wondered at, but, like the mean hound that he was,he tried to get out of paying us.

  "Just at this moment when I thought that we should have to settle withthe sword for judge, Sparta declared war against the Persians and wantedall the men she could get. So Thuisbron, their commander-in-chief, cameover and engaged the men at the same rate of pay that Seuthes was givingor rather promising. We never got anything but a wretched fragment fromthe King.

  "By this time I had had about enough of campaigning of this fashion. Nota drachma had I made. In fact I was poorer than when I set out. I hadeven to sell my favorite horse, but Thuisbron bought it back for me.

  "Just at the last I had a stroke of luck. That is another story I musttell you some day. But fortunately we took prisoners a Persian noblewith his wife and children, his horses and cattle and all that he had.The next day I left the army, but before I went they gave me the pick ofthe beasts of all kinds. It was a handsome present, I can tell you."

  "So, on the whole," said Callias, "you came pretty well out of thebusiness. You returned at least not poorer than you went, you have wonfor yourself a name which those who come after us will not, I take it,forget, and you helped, at least, to save the lives of many Greeks fromperishing shamefully by the hands of the barbarians. Are you notcontent?"

  "Yes," replied Xenophon, "all the more content on account of one thingyou have not mentioned. For this indeed pleases me in the matter
that weGreeks have now found a way by which we may both go to the capital ofthe Persians and return therefrom. Verily, I sometimes wish we had notbeen so eager to retreat, but had stopped and made ourselves masters ofthe country of our enemies. Perhaps we were not strong enough; but, if Ican see so far into the future, some one will do this hereafter, andGreece will be avenged of all that she has suffered at the hands of thebarbarians."

  "The Master will be glad," Callias went on after a pause.

  The "Master" of course was Socrates. Xenophon looked at the young manwith some surprise.

  "You seem very confident on this point. He indeed was always somewhatdoubtful, and certainly there are great difficulties when you come tolook into it a little more closely."

  "I really do not know what you mean," answered Callias; "you have seenhim I suppose, for you have been in Athens several days and know what hethinks."

  For a few moments Xenophon stared at the speaker in utter perplexity.Then a light broke in upon him. "What," he cried, "you do not know? Youhave not heard?"

  "Know what? Have heard what? You speak in riddles."

  "That he is dead."

  The young man covered his face with his hands. After a few minutes herecovered calmness enough to speak. "No, indeed, I did not know it. Inever thought of such a thing. He seemed so full of life and vigor. Yethe must have been an old man, not far from seventy I suppose, for he wasmore than forty at Delium.[84] Tell me of what did he die?"

  "They killed him."

  "Killed him! Who killed him?"

  "The people of Athens."

  FOOTNOTES:

  [80] The last scene of his life is described by Xenophon. I give thepassage with some explanation. When he drank the fatal cup he threw thedregs on the floor with the peculiar jerk given in playing the game ofCottabos. This game had several forms; but the feature common to themall was the heaving of wine out of a cup. Sometimes the object seems tohave been a kind of fortune telling. A guest when he had finished hiscup would jerk out any dregs that might be left. At the same time henamed the guest who was to drink next, and the sound made by the dropsfalling was supposed to give some omen good or bad. "To the graciousCritias," said Theramenes. It was to be a prophecy of his fate. As amatter of fact Critias fell a few weeks afterward in a battle withThrasybulus and the exiles of the democratic party.

  [81] It was usual to kick not to knock with the hand.

  [82] About $18,000.

  [83] Something less than $6.

  [84] The battle of Delium (between the Boeotians and the Athenians)was fought in 424. The precise age of Socrates at the time of his deathwas seventy.