Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/101

 THE FIVE THOUSAND. 79 suffrage ext2nsive, but not universal. The number had been first invented ty Antiphon and the leaders of the Four Hundred, to cloak their own usurpation and intimidate the democracy : next, it served the purpose of Theramenes and the minority of the Four Hundred, as a basis on which to raise a sort of dynastic opposition, to use modern phraseology, within the limits of the oligarchy ; that is, without appearing to overstep principles acknowledged by the oligarchy themselves : lastly, it was em- ployed by the democratical party generally as a convenient mid- dle term to slide back into the old system, with as little dispute as possible ; for Alkibiadt-s and the armament had sent word home that they adhered to the Five Thousand, and to the abolition of salaried civil functions. 1 But exclusive suffrage of the so-called Five Thousand, espe cially with the expansive numerical construction now adopted, was of little value either to themselves or to the state ; 2 while it was an insulting shock to the feelings of the excluded multitude, especially to brave and active seamen like the parali. Though prudent as a step of momentary transition, it could not stand, nor was any attempt made to preserve it in permanence, amidst a community so long accustomed to universal citizenship, and where the necessities of defence against the enemy called for energetic efforts from all the citizens. Even as to the gratuitous functions, the members of the Five Thousand themselves would soon become tired, not less than the poorer freemen, of serving without pay, as senators or in other ways ; so that nothing but absolute financial deficit would pre- vent the recstablishment, entire or partial, of the pay. 2 And that deficit was never so complete as to stop the disbursement of 1 Thucyd. viii, 86. 1 Thucyd. viii, 92. TO fiev Ka-aarijaai ^ero^ovf roaovrouf, uvrtKpvf uv 6t][iov qyoiinEvoi, etc. tionum, part i, nos. 147, 148, which attest considerable disbursements for the diobely in 410-409 B.C. Nor does it seem that there was much diminution during these same years in the private expenditure and ostentation of the Chorugi at the festivals and other exhibitions : see the Oration xxi, of Lysias 'Aa9?.')y/a Aw/xwJa t/of, c. 1,2, pp. 698-700, Reiske.
 * See the valuable financial inscriptions in M. Boeckh's Corpus Inscrip-