Cimon
Cimon (c. 510–450 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general who played an active role in building up the Athenian empire in the period following the Greco-Persian Wars. He was a conservative and opposed the policies of Pericles. His greatest military victory was the defeat of a Persian fleet at the mouth of the River Eurymedon in Pamphylia in 466 BC.
Cimon was born into a wealthy and aristocratic Athenian family. His father, Miltiades, was the victor at the Battle of Marathon, and his mother, Hegesipyle, was a Thracian princess. Cimon was raised in Athens and received a classical education.
Cimon began his political career in the late 490s BC. He was elected strategos, or general, in 478 BC and served in that position for much of the next two decades. As strategos, Cimon led the Athenian fleet in a number of successful campaigns against the Persians. In 477 BC, he helped to capture the island of Eion, which was a major Persian stronghold in the Thracian Chersonese. In 469 BC, he captured the island of Scyros and brought back the bones of the legendary Athenian hero Theseus. And in 466 BC, he defeated a Persian fleet at the Eurymedon River, which was a major victory for the Athenians.
Cimon's military victories helped to expand the Athenian empire and increase Athens's power in the Mediterranean region. He was also a popular figure among the Athenian people, who admired his military prowess and his commitment to traditional Athenian values.
However, Cimon was also a controversial figure. He was a strong supporter of Sparta, and he opposed the policies of Pericles, who was the leader of the democratic faction in Athens. In 461 BC, Cimon was ostracized from Athens, meaning that he was forced to leave the city for ten years. He returned to Athens in 451 BC, but he died the following year while leading an Athenian expedition against Cyprus.
Cimon was a complex and contradictory figure. He was a brilliant military leader, but he was also a conservative aristocrat who opposed the democratic reforms of Pericles. He was a popular figure among the Athenian people, but he was also a controversial figure who was ostracized from the city for a time. Nevertheless, Cimon was one of the most important figures in Athenian history, and he played a key role in building up the Athenian empire after the Greco-Persian Wars.