Acropolis. The golden statue of the goddess was made by Phidias, and his
name appears upon the basement in the inscription. Almost everything was
in his hands, and he gave his orders to all the workmen--as has been
said before--because of his friendship with Pericles.

When the speakers of Thucydides' party complained that Pericles had
wasted the public money, and destroyed the revenue, he asked the people
in the assembly whether they thought he had spent much. When they
answered, "Very much indeed," he said in reply; "Do not, then, put it
down to the public account, but to mine; and I will inscribe my name
upon all the public buildings." When Pericles said this, the people,
either in admiration of his magnificence of manner, or being eager to
bear their share in the glory of the new buildings, shouted to him with
one accord to take what money he pleased from the treasury, and spend it
as he pleased, without stint. And finally, he underwent the trial of
ostracism with Thucydides, and not only succeeded in driving him into
exile, but broke up his party.

As now there was no opposition to encounter in the city, and all parties
had been blended into one, Pericles undertook the sole administration of
the home and foreign affairs of Athens, dealing with the public revenue,
the army, the navy, the islands and maritime affairs, and the great
sources of strength which Athens derived from her alliances, as well
with Greek as with foreign princes and states. Henceforth he became
quite a different man: he no longer gave way to the people, and ceased
to watch the breath of popular favor; but he changed the loose and
licentious democracy which had hitherto existed, into a stricter
aristocratic, or rather monarchical, form of government. This he used
honorably and unswervingly for the public benefit, finding the people,
as a rule, willing to second the measures which he explained to them to