Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
He simply shows himself all along a half-lettered, childish writer;
in the words of Diphilus,
-- of wit obese,
O'erlarded with Sicilian grease.
Often he sinks to the very level of Xenarchus, telling us that he
thinks it ominous to the Athenians that their
general, who had victory in his name, was unwilling to take
command in the expedition; and that the defacing of the Hermae was
a divine intimation that they should suffer much in the war by
Hermocrates, the son of Hermon; and, moreover, how it was likely
that Hercules should aid the Syracusans for the sake of Proserpine,
by whose means he took Cerberus, and should be angry with the
Athenians for protecting the Egesteans, descended from Trojan
ancestors, whose city he, for an injury of their king Laomedon, had
overthrown. However, all these may be merely other instances of
the same happy taste that makes him correct the diction of
Philistus, and abuse Plato and Aristotle. This sort of contention
and rivalry with others in matter of style, to my mind, in any
case, seems petty and pedantic, but when its objects are works of
inimitable excellence, it is absolutely senseless. Such actions in
Nicias's life as Thucydides and Philistus have related, since they
cannot be passed by, illustrating as they do most especially his
character and temper, under his many and great troubles, that I may
not seem altogether negligent, I shall briefly run over. And such
things as are not commonly known, and lie scattered here and there
in other men's writings, or are found amongst the old monuments and
archives, I shall endeavor to bring together; not collecting mere
useless pieces of learning, but adducing what may make his
disposition and habit of mind understood.
First of all, I would mention what Aristotle has said of Nicias,
that there had been three good citizens, eminent above the rest for
their hereditary affection and love to the people, Nicias the son
of Niceratus, Thucydides the son of Melesias, and Theramenes the
son of Hagnon, but the last less than the others; for he had his
dubious extraction cast in his teeth, as a foreigner from Ceos, and
his inconstancy, which made him side sometimes with one party,
sometimes with another in public life, and which obtained him the
nickname of the Buskin.
Thucydides came earlier, and, on the behalf of the nobility, was a
great opponent of the measures by which Pericles courted the favor
of the people.
Nicias was a younger man, yet was in some reputation even whilst
Pericles lived; so much so as to have been his colleague in the
office of general, and to have held command by himself more than
once. But on the death of Pericles, he presently rose to the
highest place, chiefly by the favor of the rich and eminent
citizens, who set him up for their bulwark against the presumption
and insolence of Cleon; nevertheless, he did not forfeit the
good-will of the commonalty, who, likewise, contributed to his
advancement. For though Cleon got great influence by his exertions
-- to please
The old men, who trusted him to find them fees.
Yet even those, for whose interest, and to gain whose favor he
acted, nevertheless observing the avarice, the arrogance, and the
presumption of the man, many of them supported Nicias. For his was
not that sort of gravity which is harsh and offensive, but he
tempered it with a certain caution and deference, winning upon the
people, by seeming afraid of them. And being naturally diffident
and unhopeful in war, his good fortune supplied his want of
courage, and kept it from being detected, as in all his commands he
was constantly successful. And his timorousness in civil life, and
his extreme dread of accusers, was thought very suitable in a
citizen of a free State; and from the people's good-will towards
him, got him no small power over them, they being fearful of all
that despised them, but willing to promote one who seemed to be
afraid of them; the greatest compliment their betters could pay
them being not to contemn them.
Pericles, who by solid virtue and the pure force of argument ruled
the commonwealth, had stood in need of no disguises nor persuasions
with the people. Nicias, inferior in these respects, used his
riches, of which he had abundance, to gain popularity. Neither had
he the nimble wit of Cleon, to win the Athenians to his purposes by
amusing them with bold jests; unprovided with such qualities, he
courted them with dramatic exhibitions, gymnastic games, and other
public shows, more sumptuous and more splendid than had been ever
known in his, or in former ages. Amongst his religious offerings,
there was extant, even in our days, the small figure of Minerva in
the citadel, having lost the gold that covered it; and a shrine in
the temple of Bacchus, under the tripods, that were presented by
those who won the prize in the shows of plays. For at these he had
often carried off the prize, and never once failed. We are told
that on one of these occasions, a slave of his appeared in the
character of Bacchus, of a beautiful person and noble stature, and
with as yet no beard upon his chin; and on the Athenians being
pleased with the sight, and applauding a long time, Nicias stood
up, and said he could not in piety keep as a slave, one whose
person had been consecrated to represent a god. And forthwith he
set the young man free. His performances at Delos are, also, on
record, as noble and magnificent works of devotion. For whereas
the choruses which the cities sent to sing hymns to the god were
wont to arrive in no order, as it might happen, and, being there
met by a crowd of people crying out to them to sing, in their hurry
to begin, used to disembark confusedly, putting on their garlands,
and changing their dresses as they left the ships, he, when he had
to convoy the sacred company, disembarked the chorus at Rhenea,
together with the sacrifice, and other holy appurtenances. And
having brought along with him from Athens a bridge fitted by
measurement for the purpose, and magnificently adorned with gilding
and coloring, and with garlands and tapestries; this he laid in the
night over the channel betwixt Rhenea and Delos, being no great
distance. And at break of day he marched forth with all the
procession to the god, and led the chorus, sumptuously ornamented,
and singing their hymns, along over the bridge. The sacrifices,
the games, and the feast being over, he set up a palm-tree of brass
for a present to the god, and bought a parcel of land with ten
thousand drachmas which he consecrated; with the revenue the
inhabitants of Delos were to sacrifice and to feast, and to pray
the gods for many good things to Nicias. This he engraved on a
pillar, which he left in Delos to be a record of his bequest. This
same palm-tree, afterwards broken down by the wind, fell on the
great statue which the men of Naxos presented, and struck it to the
ground.
It is plain that much of this might be vainglory, and the mere
desire of popularity and applause; yet from other qualities and
carriage of the man, one might believe all this cost and public
display to be the effect of devotion. For he was one of those who
dreaded the divine powers extremely, and, as Thucydides tells us,
was much given to arts of divination. In one of Pasiphon's
dialogues, it is stated that he daily sacrificed to the gods, and
keeping a diviner at his house, professed to be consulting always
about the commonwealth, but for the most part, inquired about his
own private affairs, more especially concerning his silver mines;
for he owned many works at Laurium, of great value, but somewhat
hazardous to carry on. He maintained there a multitude of slaves,
and his wealth consisted chiefly in silver. Hence he had many
hangers-on about him, begging and obtaining. For he gave to those
who could do him mischief, no less than to those who deserved well.
In short, his timidity was a revenue to rogues, and his humanity to
honest men. We find testimony in the comic writers, as when
Teleclides, speaking of one of the professed informers, says: --
Charicles gave the man a pound, the matter not to name,
That from inside a money-bag into the world he came;
And Nicias, also, paid him four; I know the reason well,
But Nicias is a worthy man, and so I will not tell.
So, also, the informer whom Eupolis introduces in his Maricas,
attacking a good, simple, poor man: --
How long ago did you and Nicias meet?
I did but see him just now in the street.
The man has seen him and denies it not,
'Tis evident that they are in a plot.
See you, O citizens! 'tis fact,
Nicias is taken in the act.
Taken, Fools! take so good a man
In aught that's wrong none will or can.
Cleon, in Aristophanes, makes it one of his threats: --
I'll outscream all the speakers, and make Nicias stand aghast!
Phrynichus also implies his want of spirit, and his easiness to be
intimidated in the verses,
A noble man he was, I well can say,
Nor walked like Nicias, cowering on his way.
So cautious was he of informers, and so reserved, that he never
would dine out with any citizen, nor allowed himself to indulge in
talk and conversation with his friends, nor gave himself any
leisure for such amusements; but when he was general he used to
stay at the office till night, and was the first that came to the
council-house, and the last that left it. And if no public
business engaged him, it was very hard to have access, or to speak
with him, he being retired at home and locked up. And when any
came to the door, some friend of his gave them good words, and
begged them to excuse him, Nicias was very busy; as if affairs of
State and public duties still kept him occupied. He who
principally acted this part for him, and contributed most to this
state and show, was Hiero, a man educated in Nicias's family, and
instructed by him in letters and music. He professed to be the son
of Dionysius, surnamed Chalcus, whose poems are yet extant, and had
led out the colony to Italy, and founded Thurii. This Hiero
transacted all his secrets for Nicias with the dinners; and gave
out to the people, what a toilsome and miserable life he led, for
the sake of the commonwealth. "He," said Hiero, "can never be
either at the bath, or at his meat, but some public business
interferes. Careless of his own, and zealous for the public good,
he scarcely ever goes to bed till after others have had their first
sleep. So that his health is impaired, and his body out of order,
nor is he cheerful or affable with his friends, but loses them as
well as his money in the service of the State, while other men gain
friends by public speaking, enrich themselves, fare delicately, and
make government their amusement." And in fact this was Nicias's
manner of life, so that he well might apply to himself the words of
Agamemnon: --
Vain pomp's the ruler of the life we live,
And a slave's service to the crowd we give.
He observed that the people, in the case of men of eloquence, or of
eminent parts, made use of their talents upon occasion, but were
always jealous of their abilities, and held a watchful eye upon
them, taking all opportunities to humble their pride and abate
their reputation; as was manifest in their condemnation of
Pericles, their banishment of Damon, their distrust of Antiphon the
Rhamnusian, but especially in the case of Paches who took Lesbos,
who, having to give an account of his conduct, in the very court of
justice unsheathed his sword and slew himself. Upon such
considerations, Nicias declined all difficult and lengthy
enterprises; if he took a command, he was for doing what was safe;
and if, as thus was likely, he had for the most part success, he
did not attribute it to any wisdom, conduct, or courage of his own,