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198 198 HISTORY OF GKKECE. kopid plot, of the leal conspirators, or of their farther purposes. The enemy was among themselves, yet they knew not where to lay hands upon him. Amidst the gloomy terrors, political blended with religious, which distracted their minds, all the ancient stories of the last and worst oppressions of the Peisistratid despots, nine- ty-five years before, became again revived, and some new despots, they knew not who, seemed on the point of occupying the acrop- olis. To detect the real conspirators, was the only way of pro- curing respite from this melancholy paroxysm, for which purpose the people were willing to welcome questionable witnesses, and to imprison on suspicion citizens of the best character, until the truth could be ascertained. 1 The public distraction was aggravated by Peisandcr and Char- ikies, who acted as commissioners of investigation, furious and unprincipled politicians, 2 at that time professing exaggerated attachment to the democratical constitution, though we shall find both of them hereafter among the most unscrupulous agents in its subversion. These men loudly proclaimed that the facts disclosed indicated the band of Hermokopid conspirators to be numerous, with an ulterior design of speedily putting down the democracy ; and they insisted on pressing their investigations until full discov- ery should be attained. And the sentiment of the people, collec- tively taken, responded to this stimulus ; though individually, every man was so afraid of becoming himself the next victim arrested, thai when the herald convoked the senate for the purpose of receiving informations, the crowd in the market-place straight- way dispersed. It was amidst such eager thirst for discovery, that a new in- former appeared, Diokleides, who professed to communicate some material facts connected with the mutilation of the Hennas, affirm- ing that the authors of it were three hundred in number. He recounted that, on the night on which that incident occurred, he 1 Tliucyd. vi, 53-60. ov 6oKi/j.uovTf(-ovf /irjvvTuf, fiTJXd nuvras inrd u7foSe%b[i.evoi, diu Kovrjpuv uvtipunuv iriaTiv TTUVV p?70Toi>f TUV TTO^I ' vA.ha/j.f3avovTf Karedovv, xprjaipuTepov riyoiifievoi tlvai paaaviaai TO Trpuy KGL ei'pelv, fj 6iu [MJVVTOV T>ovi]piav TIVU. KOI xpriarbv tioKovvra elva lii'eAsj KTOV dtatjivyEiv deivuv KOiovfievoi, el TI i>f iTripovTievovi of aiJv ru tlaovrai . . y Ancbkid. cle Myst. sect