Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/117

99 COUNTER-UK VOLUTION AT AUGOS. 99 Athens, such abuse was pretty sure to be speedy as well as flagrant Especially the chosen regiment of the Thousand men in the vigor of their age, and proud of their military prowess as well as of their wealthier station construed the new oligarchical government which they had helped to erect as a period of individual license to themselves. The behavior and fate of their chief, Bryas, illustrates the general demeanor of the troop. After many other outrages against persons of poorer condition, he one day met in the streets a wedding procession, in which the person of the bride captivated his fancy. lie caused her to be violently torn from her company, carried her to his house, and possessed himself of her by force. But in the middle of the night, this high-spirited woman revenged herself for the outrage by putting out the eyes of the ravisher while lie was fast asleep :' a terrible revenge, which the pointed clasp-pins of the feminine attire sometimes enabled women 2 to take upon those who wronged them. Having contrived to make her escape, she found conceal- ment among her friends, as well as protection among the people generally against the indignant efforts of the chosen Thousand to avenge their leader. From incidents such as this, and from the multitude of petty insults which so flagitious an outrage implies as coexistent, we are not surprised to learn that the Demos of Argos soon recov- ered their lost courage, and resolved upon an effort to put down their oligarchical oppressors. They waited for the moment when the festival called the Gymnoprcdiae was in course of being sol- emnized at Sparta, a festival at which the choric performances of men and boys were so interwoven with Spartan religion as well as bodily training, that the Lacedaemonians would make n military movement until they were finished. At this critical moment, the Argeian Demos rose in insurrection, and after a sharp contest gained a victory over the oligarchy, some of whom were slain, while others only saved themselves by flight. Even at the first instant of danger, pressing messages had been sent to Sparta for aid. But the Lacedaemonians at first peremptorily 1 Pausnnias, ii, 20, 1. 2 Sec Ilcrxlot. v, 87 5 Euripid. Ilecub. 1152, and the note of Musgrave on line 1135 of that drama.