a smaller history of greece-第38章

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。　　Among　the　most　prominent　of　the　thirty　names　were　those　of　Critias　and　Theramenes。　　The　proposal　was　of　course　carried。　　Lysander　himself　addressed　the　Assembly；　and　contemptuously　told　them　that　they　had　better　take　thought　for　their　personal　safety；　which　now　lay　at　his　mercy；　than　for　their　political　constitution。　　The　committee　thus　appointed　soon　obtained　the　title　of　the　Thirty　Tyrants；　the　name　by　which　they　have　become　known　in　all　subsequent　time。　　After　naming　an　entirely　new　Senate；　and　appointing　fresh　magistrates；　they　proceeded　to　exterminate　their　most　obnoxious　opponents。　　But　Critias；　and　the　more　violent　party　among　them；　still　called　for　more　blood；　and　with　the　view　of　obtaining　it；　procured　a　Spartan　garrison；　under　the　harmost　Callibius；　to　be　installed　in　the　Acropolis。　　Besides　this　force；　they　had　an　organized　band　of　assassins　at　their　disposal。　　Blood　now　flowed　on　all　sides。　Many　of　the　leading　men　of　Athens　fell；　others　took　to　flight。

Thus　the　reign　of　terror　was　completely　established。　　In　the　bosom　of　the　Thirty；　however；　there　was　a　party；　headed　by　Theramenes；　who　disapproved　of　these　proceedings。　　But　his　moderation　cost　him　his　life。　　One　day　as　he　entered　the　Senate…　house；　Critias　rose　and　denounced　him　as　a　public　enemy；　and　ordered　him　to　be　carried　off　to　instant　death。　　Upon　hearing　these　words　Theramenes　sprang　for　refuge　to　the　altar　in　the　Senate…house；　but　he　was　dragged　away　by　Satyrus；　the　cruel　and　unscrupulous　head　of　the　〃Eleven；〃　a　body　of　officers　who　carried　into　execution　the　penal　sentence　of　the　law。　　Being　conveyed　to　prison；　he　was　compelled　to　drink　the　fatal　hemlock。　　The　constancy　of　his　end　might　have　adorned　a　better　life　after　swallowing　the　draught；　he　jerked　on　the　floor　a　drop　which　remained　in　the　cup；　according　to　the　custom　of　the　game　called　COTTABOS；　exclaiming；　〃This　to　the　health　of　the　GENTLE　Critias！〃

Alcibiades　had　been　included　by　the　Thirty　in　the　list　of　exiles；　but　the　fate　which　now　overtook　him　seems　to　have　sprung　from　the　fears　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　or　perhaps　from　the　personal　hatred　of　Agis。　　After　the　battle　of　AEgospotami；　Pharnabazus　permitted　the　Athenian　exile　to　live　in　Phrygia；　and　assigned　him　a　revenue　for　his　maintenance。　　But　a　despatch　came　out　from　Sparta；　to　Lysander；　directing　that　Alcibiades　should　be　put　to　death。　Lysander　communicated　the　order　to　Pharnabazus；　who　arranged　for　carrying　it　into　execution。　　The　house　of　Alcibiades　was　surrounded　with　a　band　of　assassins；　and　set　on　fire。　　He　rushed　out　with　drawn　sword　upon　his　assailants；　who　shrank　from　the　attack；　but　who　slew　him　from　a　distance　with　their　javelins　and　arrows。　　Timandra；　a　female　with　whom　he　lived；　performed　towards　his　body　the　last　offices　of　duty　and　affection。　　Thus　perished　miserably；　in　the　vigour　of　his　age；　one　of　the　most　remarkable；　but　not　one　of　the　greatest；　characters　in　Grecian　history。　　With　qualities　which；　properly　applied；　might　have　rendered　him　the　greatest　benefactor　of　Athens；　he　contrived　to　attain　the　infamous　distinction　of　being　that　citizen　who　had　inflicted　upon　her　the　most　signal　amount　of　damage。

Meantime　an　altered　state　of　feeling　was　springing　up　in　Greece。　Athens　had　ceased　to　be　an　object　of　fear　or　jealousy；　and　those　feelings　began　now　to　be　directed　towards　Sparta。　　Lysander　had　risen　to　a　height　of　unparalleled　power。　　He　was　in　a　manner　idolized。　　Poets　showered　their　praises　on　him；　and　even　altars　were　raised　in　his　honour　by　the　Asiatic　Greeks。　　In　the　name　of　Sparta　he　exercised　almost　uncontrolled　authority　in　the　cities　he　had　reduced；　including　Athens　itself。　　But　it　was　soon　discovered　that；　instead　of　the　freedom　promised　by　the　Spartans；　only　another　empire　had　been　established；　whilst　Lysander　was　even　meditating　to　extort　from　the　subject　cities　a　yearly　tribute　of　one　thousand　talents。　　And　all　these　oppressions　were　rendered　still　more　intolerable　by　the　overweening　pride　and　harshness　of　Lysander's　demeanour。

Even　in　Sparta　itself　the　conduct　of　Lysander　was　beginning　to　inspire　disgust　and　jealousy。　　Pausanias；　son　of　Plistoanax；　who　was　now　king　with　Agis；　as　well　as　the　new　Ephors　appointed　in　September；　B。C。　404；　disapproved　of　his　proceedings。　　The　Thebans　and　Corinthians　themselves　were　beginning　to　sympathise　with　Athens；　and　to　regard　the　Thirty　as　mere　instruments　for　supporting　the　Spartan　dominion；　whilst　Sparta　in　her　turn　looked　upon　them　as　the　tools　of　Lysander's　ambition。　　Many　of　the　Athenian　exiles　had　found　refuge　in　Boeotia：　　and　one　of　them　Thrasybulus；　with　the　aid　of　Ismenias　and　other　Theban　citizens；　starting　from　Thebes　at　the　head　of　a　small　band　of　exiles；　seized　the　fortress　of　Phyle　in　the　passes　of　Mount　Parnes　and　on　the　direct　road　to　Athens。　　The　Thirty　marched　out　to　attack　Thrasybulus；　at　the　head　of　the　Lacedaemonian　garrison　and　a　strong　Athenian　force。　　But　their　attack　was　repulsed　with　considerable　loss。

Shortly　afterwards　Thrasybulus　marched　from　Phyle　to　Piraeus　which　was　now　an　open　town；　and　seized　upon　it　without　opposition。　　When　the　whole　force　of　the　Thirty；　including　the　Lacedaemonians；　marched　on　the　following　day　to　attack　him；　he　retired　to　the　hill　of　Munychia；　the　citadel　of　Piraeus；　the　only　approach　to　which　was　by　a　steep　ascent。　　Here　he　drew　up　his　hoplites　in　files　of　ten　deep；　posting　behind　them　his　slingers　and　dartmen。　　He　exhorted　his　men　to　stand　patiently　till　the　enemy　came　within　reach　of　the　missiles。　　At　the　first　discharge　the　assailing　column　seemed　to　waver；　and　Thrasybulus；　taking　advantage　of　their　confusion；　charged　down　the　hill；　and　completely　routed　them；　killing　seventy；　among　whom　was　Critias　himself。　　The　loss　of　their　leader　had　thrown　the　majority　into　the　hands　of　the　party　formerly　led　by　Theramenes；　who　resolved　to　depose　the　Thirty　and　constitute　a　new　oligarchy　of　Ten。　　Some　of　the　Thirty　were　re…elected　into　this　body；　but　the　more　violent　colleagues　of　Critias　were　deposed　and　retired　for　safety　to　Eleusis。　　The　new　government　of　the　Ten　sent　to　Sparta　to　solicit　further　aid；　and　a　similar　application　was　made　at　the　same　time　from　the　section　of　the　Thirty　at　Eleusis。　　Their　request　was　complied　with；　and　Lysander　once　more　entered　Athens　at　the　head　of　a　Lacedaemonian　force。　　Fortunately；　however；　the　jealousy　of　the　Lacedaemonians　towards　Lysander　led　them　at　this　critical　juncture　to　supersede　him　in　the　command。　　King　Pausanias　was　appointed　to　conduct　an　army　into　Attica；　and　when　he　encamped　in　the　Academus　he　was　joined　by　Lysander　and　his　forces。　　It　was　known　at　Athens　that　the　views　of　Pausanias　were　unfavourable　to　the　proceedings　of　Lysander；　and　the　presence　of　the　Spartan　king　elicited　a　vehement　reaction　against　the　oligarchy；　which　fear　had　hitherto　suppressed。　　All　parties　sent　envoys　to　Sparta。　　The　Ephors　and　the　Lacedaemonian　Assembly　referred　the　question　to　a　committee　of　fifteen；　of　whom　Pausanias　was　one。　　The　decision　of　this　board　was：　　That　the　exiles　in　Piraeus　should　be　readmitted　to　Athens；　and　that　there　should　be　an　amnesty　for　all　that　had　passed；　except　as　regarded　the　Thirty　and　the　Ten。

When　these　terms　were　settled　and　sworn　to；　the　Peloponnesians　quitted　Attica；　and　Thrasybulus　and　the　exiles；　marching　in　solemn　procession　from　Piraeus　to　Athens；　ascended　to　the　Acropolis　and　offered　up　a　solemn　sacrifice　and　thanksgiving。　　An　assembly　of　the　people　was　then　held；　and　after　Thrasybulus　had　addressed　an　animated　reproof　to　the　oligarchical　party；　the　democracy　was　unanimously　restored。　　This　important　counter…　revolution　took　place　in　the　spring　of　403　B。C。　　The　archons；　the　senate　of　500；　the　public　assembly；　and　the　dicasteries　seem　to　have　been　reconstituted　in　the　same　form　as　before　the　capture　of　the　city。

Thus　was　terminated；　after　a　sway　of　eight　months；　the　despotism　of　the　Thirty。　　The　year　which　contained　their　rule　was　not　named　after　the　archon；　but　was　termed　〃the　year　of　anarchy。〃　　The　first　archon　drawn　after　their　fall　was　Euclides；　who　gave　his　name　to　a　year　ever　afterwards　memorable　among　the　Athenians。

For　the　next　few　years　the　only　memorable　event　in　the　history　of　Athens　is　the　death　of　Socrates。　　This　celebrated　philosopher