124. Shortly before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the enemies of Perikles began a series of attacks upon him through his friends.[668] Pheidias was the first to suffer, and Anaxagoras was the next. That he was an object of special hatred to the religious party need not surprise us, even though the charge made against him does not suggest that he went out of his way to hurt their susceptibilities. The details of the trial are somewhat obscure, but we can make out a few points. The first step taken was the introduction of a psephism by Diopeithes—the same whom Aristophanes laughs at in _The Birds_[669]—enacting that an impeachment should be brought against those who did not practise religion, and taught theories about “the things on high.”[670] What happened at the actual trial is very differently related. Our authorities give hopelessly conflicting accounts.[671] It is no use attempting to reconcile these; it is enough to insist upon what is certain. Now we know from Plato what the accusation was.[672] It was that Anaxagoras taught the sun was a red-hot stone, and the moon earth; and we shall see that he certainly did hold these views (§ 133). For the rest, the most plausible account is that he was got out of prison and sent away by Perikles.[673] We know that such things were possible at Athens. Footnote 668: Both Ephoros (represented by Diod. xii. 38) and the source of Plut. _Per._ 32 made these attacks immediately precede the war. This may, however, be pragmatic; they perhaps occurred earlier. Footnote 669: _Birds_, 988. Aristophanes had no respect for orthodoxy when combined with democratic opinions. Footnote 670: Plut. _Per._ 32 (R. P. 148), where some of the original words have been preserved. The phrase τὰ θεῖα and the word μετάρσια are archaisms from the ψήφισμα. Footnote 671: These accounts are repeated by Diog. ii. 12-14. It is worth while to put the statements of Satyros and Sotion side by side in order to show the unsatisfactory character of the biographical tradition:— │ _Sotion._ │ _Satyros._ _Accuser._ │Kleon. │Thoukydides s. of Melesias. _Charge._ │Calling the sun a red-hot │Impiety and Medism. │mass. │ _Sentence._ │Fined five talents. │Sentenced to death in absence. Hermippos represents Anaxagoras as already in prison under sentence of death when Perikles shamed the people into letting him off. Lastly, Hieronymos says he never was condemned at all. Perikles brought him into court thin and wasted by disease, and the judges acquitted him out of compassion! The Medism alleged by Satyros no doubt comes from Stesimbrotos, who made Anaxagoras the friend of Themistokles instead of Perikles. This, too, explains the accuser’s name (Busolt, _Gr. Gesch._ p. 306, n. 3). Footnote 672: _Apol._ 26 d. Footnote 673: