BRIBERY IN CLASSICAL ATHENS Kellam ... - Historia Antigua

Conover Bribery in Classical Athens Chapter Two
use of dōrodokia. 48 In the first place, his bribe of Plistoanax does not seem to have been
the only time he sent money to the Spartan leaders. Theophrastus records that every year
Pericles “flattered” (qerapeu/wn) Spartan officials with ten talents in order to buy himself
time (paraskeuasa/menoj, Plut. Per. 23.2), an image that directly recalls Cimon’s
description of bribe-taking proxenoi “flattered” by the Ionians and Thessalians
(qerapeu/wntai, Plut. Cim.14.4). If these payments were, in fact, regular payments
among an inter-city network of elites, then the use of public funds to underwrite this
network would have come into direct conflict with their significance as monies of empire.
Telling in this respect is the precise way in which Thucydides praises Pericles’
incorruptibility. In two different passages, the historian describes Pericles as “stronger
than money” (xrhma/twn krei/sswn, Thuc. 2.60.5) and “manifestly taking absolutely no
gifts of money” (xrhma/twn te diafanw=j a)dwro/tatoj, Thuc. 2.65.8). Both phrases
come from defenses of Pericles’ leadership over the dēmos, as opposed to the dēmos’ rule
over Pericles. As such, both serve as implicit justifications for why Pericles’ own
particular actions were legitimate even though they effectively transformed the
democracy into a mere name covering up the reality of “rule by the first man” (u(po\ tou=
prw/tou a)ndro\j a)rxh/, Thuc. 2.65.9). 49 While claims of dōrodokia problematized the
relationship between individual citizens and public monies, Thucydides’ praise of
Pericles’ incorruptibility serves as a defense of that very relationship. All of these
48 Plut. Per. 23.1. Indeed, a character in Aristophanes later jokes about the scene (Ar. Nu. 858-9), but such
a joke may only have highlighted just how much Pericles had gotten away with.
49 He was followed in this respect by Plutarch’s verbatim praise of Pericles’ incorruptibility: cf.
a)dwrota/tou perifanw=j genome/nou kai\ xrhma/twn krei/ttonoj, Plut. Per. 15.3. Note how this differs
markedly from Plutarch’s passing mention (catalogue?) of Aristides’ and Ephialtes’ incorruptibility: Plut.
Cim. 10.8; similarly, Plut. Arist. 3.3 is not a justification for Aristides’ political role.
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