ring of winning by force, he next attempted to win by
fraud. A woman of Paros promised to reveal to him a secret which would
place the town in his power, and induced him to visit her at night in a
temple to which only women were admitted. Miltiades accepted the offer,
leaped over the outer fence, and approached the temple. But at that
moment a panic of superstitious fear overcame him. Doubtless fancying
that the deity of the temple would punish him terribly for this
desecration, he ran away in the wildest terror, and sprang back over the
fence in such haste that he badly sprained his thigh. In this state he
was found and carried on board ship, and, the siege being raised, the
fleet returned to Athens.

Here Miltiades found the late favor of the citizens changed to violent
indignation, in which his recent followers took part. He was accused of
deceiving the people, and of committing a crime against the state worthy
of death. The dangerous condition of his wound prevented him from saying
a word in his own defence. In truth, there was no defence to make; the
utmost his friends could do was to recall his service at Marathon. No
Athenian tribunal could adjudge to death, however great the offence, the
conqueror of Lemnos and victor at Marathon. But neither could
forgiveness be adjudged, and Miltiades was fined fifty talents, perhaps
to repay the city the expense of fitting out the fleet.

This fine he did not live to pay. His wounded thigh mortified and he
died, leaving his son Cimon to pay the penalty incurred through his
ambition and personal grudge. Some writers say that he was put in prison
and died there, but this is not probable, considering his disabled
state.

Miltiades had belonged to the old order of things, being a born
aristocrat, and for a time a despot. Themistocles and Aristides were
children of the new state, democrats born, and reared to the new order
of things. They were not the equals of Miltiades in birth, both being
born of parents of no distinction. But, aside from this similarity, they
differed essentially, alike in character and in their life records;
Themistocles being aspiring and ambitious, Aristides, his political
opponent, quiet and patriotic; the one considering most largely his own
advancement, the other devoting his whole life to the good of his native
city.

Themistocles displayed his nature strongly while still a boy. Idleness
and play were not to his taste, and no occasion was lost by hi