KIMONO

(ca. 510-449 BC BC. )

The Athenian general and politician.

Cimon came from an aristocratic family through both parents. His father, Miltiades, belonged to the genus Filaidov. After the death of his brother Stesagera Miltiades inherited all his fortune and power in the Chersonese. Here, becoming a tyrant, he was forced to submit to the Persian king Darius, and in the Persian fleet was involved with their ships in an expedition against the Scythians. Miltiades did not want to obey the Persians, and when the opportunity to destroy them, he proposed to destroy the bridge over the Ister (Danube), to condemn the Persians to the death. But his proposal was not supported and Miltiades′s plans became known to Darius. To avoid punishment, Miltiades fled Chersonese.

In the year 500 BC AD. he supported the revolt of Ionian Greeks against Persian rule and won the island of Lemnos, who conveyed to Athens. The uprising was soon crushed, and Miltiades again had to flee from the Persians to Athens. There he was tried for the harsh treatment of the Athenians in the Chersonese, but later acquitted. And when the hundred-thousandth the army of the Persians invaded Attica (490 BC AD. ) Miltiades was elected one of nine strategies for waging war against Darius. He became the de facto leader of the Athenian army and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persians at Marathon. The following year he opposed the islands, joined the Persians, but this trip was for him a failure. After a month′s siege of the island of Paros, he was forced to return to Athens without the glory and empty vessels. Miltiades Political opponents have accused him of abusing the public trust that, under the laws of Solon, punishable by death. At the Court of Miltiades was taken to the bed, as he received the wounds did not allow him to walk. To say he also could not, for it attributed to friends. Past Merit Miltiades had been ignored, and the decision of the court he had to pay a fine of 50 talents - the cost of an unsuccessful campaign. Pay such a large sum he could not and so was imprisoned in debt house, where he died.

Mother Cimon was the daughter of a Thracian king Olora - Gegesipila. Along this line, Cimon was in relationship to the Greek historian Thucydides.

In his youth Cimon not been irreproachable conduct and in his hometown, according to Plutarch, "enjoyed a bad reputation. " Outstanding Miltiades fine lay a disgrace to his son. Poverty made it impossible to find a kimono for her sister, her birth Elpiniki appropriate party, but soon one of the wealthy Athenian, Kallio, offered himself as a husband for Elpiniki and for this must pay a fine. Cimon gave his consent - the duty of the family was removed.

Military experience Cimon acquired during the lifetime of his father, when he participated with him in the campaigns. Simple soldier he fought in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC by BC. , And his determination and courage were noted. And two years later had command of Cimon the Athenian fleet in the obschegrecheskogo fleet.

In 478 BC AD. Athenian commander Cimon helped Aristide to achieve hegemony over the states, recently liberated from Persian rule. Cimon fought actively for the establishment of the Delian League and every year elected strategist. He managed to uncover a conspiracy Spartan commander Pausanias, leading negotiations with the Persians, and to expel him from Byzantium. Cimon and fought with the pirates, eliminating their base on the island of Skyros. Capturing Skyros, Cimon brought to Athens the remains of the legendary hero Theseus - the king of Athens, killed and buried, according to legend, on this island.

Photo — «Kimono»

In 470 BC AD. Cimon was led by the Athenian fleet and continued to struggle with the Persians. Turning to the fleet of 300 ships to Asia Minor, Cimon forced province Kariyu and Lycia to secede from the Persians. In the battle of Cyprus Cimon routed the Persian fleet, and crossing into Pamphylia, landed at the mouth of the river Evrimedona, which dealt a severe defeat the Persian army. Then he drove the Persians out of Thrace, conquered several islands and brought military action in Egypt. Initially kimono with success, but then the king Ahasuerus, collecting a large fleet, locked the kimono on the Nile River from Memphis, and relegating the water, and set the Greek ships aground. Then Cimon burned ships and ready for a desperate defense, forced the Persians to accept peace.

After the Greco-Persian wars Cimon advocated a policy of rapprochement with Sparta for a greater elevation of Athens. But this policy was directly opposite to that which was held by Pericles and his supporters. Even in the years 465-463 BC by BC. Cimon took the island Fasos which is renowned for its wealth. Fasos decided to withdraw from the Athens Union, but Cimon destroyed the island fleet and severely cracked down on residents of the island. And now Pericles decided to use this incident to undermine the credibility of the kimono. The leaders of the Democratic Party accused the kimono in that he did not move troops against the king of Macedonia, which supported Fasosu, which made the victory complete. Thank Cimon at the time was still very high and he was able to defend himself, although his position still slightly shaken.

In 462 BC AD. Sparta has asked Athens for help against rebellious helots. The aid Sparta was sent a detachment of 400 men led by Cimon. With the arrival of the detachment in Sparta situation has not changed, that has led the Spartans Athenians suspected of treason, and the Athenian garrison had been ordered to leave again. In Athens, it was seen as an insult, and the popularity of kimono, which called for friendship with Sparta, came to an end.

In 460 BC AD. Cimon was ostracized and banished from Athens for ten years.

The war between Athens and Sparta, Cimon led the ranks of the Athenian troops. He requested permission to take part in the decisive battle, but was refused. Athens lost the battle, many close friends Cimon had fallen in battle. Then again, public opinion turned in favor of a kimono. Pericles himself invited him to return from exile before the expiration of its term.

Returning, Cimon was working towards a peace with Sparta, and when peace was made, he received the command of a large new fleet.

Getting up at the head of the fleet, Kimon continued fighting against the Persians. He again defeated the Persian fleet at Cyprus and the Persian army in Cilicia and besieged the main stronghold of Cyprus - Salamis. He forced Artaxerxes to conclude an extremely profitable for the Greek world. By its terms, the Persians undertook to liberate all the Greek cities in Asia Minor, not a single warship of the Persians did not have to appear in the space between the Pont Evksinski and Pamphylia, and the troops the Persians were not supposed to approach these shores for a distance three-day transition.

Cimon′s death was unexpected. He died during the siege of the Phoenician city Kitiya in 449 BC AD. And not waiting for ratification of the treaty. Kimon feared that the enemies will use his death to once again attack the Athenians. Therefore, when dying, he told to conceal his death until his return to Athens. Plutarch wrote about it this way: "The fleet returned to Athens under the leadership of Cimon, who died thirty days ago.

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