Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/264

 242 HISTORY OF GREECE. with them from exile a long arrear of vengeance yet to be - t >. peased. Kritias knew well that the numerous population of Athens were devotedly attached, and had good reason to be attached, to their democracy ; that the existing government had Deen imposed upon them by force, and could only be upheld by force ; that its friends were a narrow minority, incapable of sus- taining it against the multitude around them, all armed ; that there were still many formidable enemies to be got rid of, so that it was indispensable to invoke the aid of a permanent Lacedae- monian garrison in Athens, as the only condition not only of their stability as a government, but even of their personal safety. In spite of the opposition of Theramenes, JEschines and Aristoteles, two among the Thirty, were despatched to Sparta to solicit aid from Lysander ; who procured for them a Lacedaemonian garri- son under Kallibius as harmost, which they engaged to maintain without any cost to Sparta, until their government should be con- firmed by putting the evil-doers out of the way. 1 Kallibius was not only installed as master of the acropolis, full as it was of the mementos of Athenian glory, but was farther so caressed and won over by the Thirty, that he lent himself to everything which they asked. They had thus a Lacedaemonian military force constantly at their command, besides an organized band of youthful satellites and assassins, ready for any deeds of violence ; and they proceeded to seize and put to death many citizens, who were so distinguished for their courage and patriotism, as to be likely to serve as leaders to the public discontent. Several of the best men in Athens thus successively perished, while Thrasy- bulus, Anytus, and many others, fearing a similar fate, fled out of Attica, leaving their property to be confiscated and appro- priated by the oligarchs ; 2 who passed a decree of exile agains' them in their absence, as well as against Alkibiades. 3 1 Xenoph. Hellen. ii, 3, 13. lex; &rj rovf novrjpofy enTrod&v KaraaTTjaaivTO TT)V irohirelav. 30, p. 375. 3 Xenoph. Hellen. ii. 3, 42 ; ii, 4, 14. oi 6s Ka2 aiix o/rwf a6'.wvi>~ re, dA^ oti<T eiridripovvTeQ ityvyatiEvofisda, etc. Isokrate's, Orat. xvi, De Bigis, s. 46. p. 355,
 * Xenoph. Hellen. ii. 3, 15, 23, 42 ; Isokrat. cont. Kallimach. Or. xviii, B