THE LIFE OF PERICLES. 345
should not be glutted with seeing him too oft, nor that they should come much to him: they did see him but at some times, and then he would not talke in euery matter, neither came much abroad among them, but reserued himselfe (as Critolaus said they kept the Salaminian galley at Athens) for matters of great importance. And in the meane season, in other matters of small moment, he dealt by meanes of certaine Orators his familiar friends, amongst whom Ephialtes (as they say) was one: he who tooke away the authp-ritie and power from the court of Areopagus, and did giue too much liberty to the people, as Plato said. Vpon which occasion, as the Comicall Poets say, he became so stout and head-strong, that they could no more holde him backe, then a young vnbridled colt: and tooke such a courage vpon him, that he would obey no more, but inuaded the Isle of Evboea, and set vpon the other Hands. Pericles also because he would fashion a phrase of speech, with a kind of stile altogether agreable to the manner of life and grauitie he had taken upon him: he gaue himselfe to all matters which he had learned of Anaxagoras, shadowing his reasons of natural Philosophic, with artificiall Rhetoricke. For hauing obtained a deepe understanding by studying of Philosophic, and a readie way effectually to end any matter he vndertooke to prooue, (besides that nature had endued him with an excellent wit and capacitie, as the deuine Plato doth write, to bring any thing to serue his purpose), he did so artificially compasse it with eloquence, that he farre passed all the Orators in his time. And for this cause was he (as they say) surnamed Olympius, as much to say, as heauenly or diuine. But some are of opinion he had that surname, by reason of the common buildings and stately workes he raised vp in the city of Athens, that did much set forth the same. Other thinke it was giuen him for his great authority and