The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Cimon

CIMON, kī-mȯn, Athenian general and statesman: b. about 502 B.C.; d. Citium, Cyprus, 449 B.C. He was a son of the great Miltiades. He fought against the Persians in the battle of Salamis 480 B.C., and shared with Aristides the chief command of the fleet sent to Asia to deliver the Greek colonies from the Persian yoke. The return of Aristides to Athens soon after left Cimon at the head of the whole naval force of Greece. He conquered the pirate-island of Scyros, subdued all the cities on the coast of Asia Minor, pursued the Persian fleet up the Eurymedon, destroyed more than 200 of their ships, and then, having landed, on the same day entirely defeated their army 469 B.C. He employed the spoil which he had taken in the embellishment of Athens, and in 463 reduced the revolted Thasians; but the popular leaders, beginning to fear his power, charged him on his return with having been corrupted by the king of Macedon. The charge was dropped, but when Cimon's policy of friendship to the Lacedæmonians ended in the latter insulting the troops sent by Athens to their aid, his opponents secured his banishment. He retired into Bœotia, and his request to be allowed to fight with the Athenians against the Lacedæmonians in 457 at Tanagra was refused. Eventually Cimon was recalled at the instance of Pericles to conclude a peace with Lacedæmon. He died while besieging Citium in Cyprus. His ‘Life’ was written by Cornelius Nepos.