THE very flattering Reception my Hiftory of the Roman Commonwealth has received, has encouraged me to attempt, on the fame plan, and with the fame views, A Hiftory of the Grecian States: thofe States which, though inconfiderable in their extent, gave law to the furrounding nations, and brought favage man, who till then wandered in the wilds of ignorance and barbarity, into the pale of civil fociety, and forced the rude customs of favages to yield to the refinements of the polite arts and fciences. Though her lofty domes are now no more visible, though her ftately and hagnificent cities have been long fince levelled with the earth, and the martial fpirit has ceafed to exift on Grecian foil; yet the deeds of her Heroes, Legislators, and Philofophers, will die only with Time itself. After what has been advanced in the Pre› face to my Roman Hiftory, little need fur ther be faid in apology for this publication. I fhall, therefore, only juft mention the three heroes of my Frontispiece, HOMER was the most celebrated and illuftrious of all the Poets of antiquity; and yet we are not certain of what part of Greece he was a native; nor do we know A 2 know exactly the time of his birth, though he is generally supposed to have lived about eight hundred and forty years before Christ. No nation in the world has produced poems XENOPHON was fo celebrated a Greek Hiftorian, that they called him the Attic The character of DEMOSTHENES, the most celebrated Athenian Orator, will be found in different parts of this work. We have here only to add, that, when Anti- pater fucceeded Alexander, he fled to fave his life; and, in order to avoid falling in- to his enemy's hands, he fwallowed poi- fon, which he had prepared and kept for CONTENTS. С НА Р. I. A View of the earliest State of Greece -The Laws of Lycurgus-The Death of that great Legislator Page I CHA P. II. The Athenians appoint Draco their Lawmaker-He is fucceeded by Solon-Salamis taken-The Seven Wife Men-The Areopagus, and Council of Four Hundred-Pififtratus ufurps the Government of Athens-The Death of Solon Page II CHAP. III. Character of Ariftides and ThemiftoclesBattle of Marathon-Singular Bravery of Cyndarus-The Perfians make an ineffectual Attempt to furprize Athens-Honours paid to Miltiades-Death of that brave General-Piety of his Son Cimon Page 18 CHAP. IV. Xerxes fets out for the Cnquest of GreeceHis Vanity and Prefumption-His immenfe Army-Builds a Bridge across the Hellefpont-Lands in Europe and marches inta into Greece-The Lacedemonians wait for him at the Straits of ThermopylaNoble Death of Leonidas and his Followers-The Greeks gain an Advantage over the Perfian Fleet---Athenstaken and de molished-Battle of Salamis -Xerxes retreats difgracefully from Greece Page 26 CHAP. V. Mardonius, the Perfian General, defeated and killed-The Perfians finally quit Greece -Character of Ariftides--A terrible Plague breaks out at Athens-Character of Pericles He changes the Government of Athens into a Kind of Monarchy-Death of Pericles - Character of AlcibiadesHis Death-Character of Socrates-His Speech against the Accufations of MelitusDeath of Socrates-Veneration paid to his Memory Page 37 CHAP. VI. Agefilaus chofen King of Sparta-Defeats the Perfians-Sparta takes the Lead of Athens-The Thebans take the Lead of the Spartans-Character of Epimanondas -Battle of Leuctra-Celebrated Battle of Mantinea Death of Epimanondas Page 60 СНАР. |