Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/252

 230 HISTORY OF GREECE. the Lacedaemonian commander had always one, and the another, corresponding, Theramenes went back to Athens. As he entered the city, a miserable crowd flocked round him, in dis- tress and terror lest he should have failed altogether in his mission. The dead and the dying had now become so numerous, that peace at any price was a boon ; nevertheless, when he announced in the assembly the terms of which he was bearer, strongly recommend- ing submission to the Lacedaemonians as the only course now open, there was still a high-spirited minority who entered their protest, and preferred death by famine to such insupportable disgrace. The large majority, however, accepted them, and the acceptance was made known to Lysander. 1 It was on the 1 6th day of the Attic month Munychion, 2 about the middle or end of March, that this victorious commander sailed into the Peiraeus, twenty-seven years, almost exactly, after that surprise of Plataea by the Thebans, which opened the Pelo- ponnesian war. Along with him came the Athenian exiles, several of whom appear to have been serving with his army, 3 and assisting him with their counsel. To the population of Athens generally, his entry was an immediate relief, in spite of the cruel degradation, or indeed political extinction, with which it was accompanied. At least it averted the sufferings and horrors of famine, and permitted a decent interment of the many unhappy victims who had already perished. The Lacedaemonians, both naval and military force, under Lysander and Agis, continued in occupation of Athens until the conditions of the peace had been fulfilled. All the triremes in Peiraeus were carried away by Ly- sander, except twelve, which he permitted the Athenians to retain : the ephors, in their skytale, had left it to his discretion what number he would thus allow. 4 The unfinished ships in the dock- 1 Xenoph. Hellen. ii, 2, 23. Lysias (Orat. xii, cont. Eratosth. s. 71) lays the blame of this wretched and humiliating peace upon Theramenes, who plainly ought not to be required to bear it ; compare Lysias. Orat. xiii, cont. Agorat. sects. 12-20. 8 Plutarch, Lysand. c. 15. He says, however, that this was also the day on which the Athenians gained the battle of Salamis. This is incorrect : ibat victory was gained in the month Boedromion. 4 Xencph. Hellen. ii, 2, 20 ; ii, 3, 8 ; Plutarch, Lysand. c. 14. He girea its contents of the skytale verbatim.
 * Xenoph. Hellen. ii, 2, 18.