Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/287

 THRASYBULUS AT PHYLE. 265 under the influence of Lysander, the Athenian emigrants had obtained shelter in all the states bordering on Attica. It was from Bceotia that they struck the first blow. Thrasybulus, Anytus, and Archinus, starting from Thebes with the sympathy of the Theban public, and with substantial aid from Ismenias and other wealthy citizens, at the head of a small band of exiles stated va- riously at thirty, sixty, seventy, or somewhat above one hundred men, 1 seized Phyle, a frontier fortress in the mountains north of Attica, lying on the direct road between Athens and Thebes. Probably it had no garrison ; for the Thirty, acting in the inter- ,. est of Lacedaemonian predominance, had dismantled all the out- ' lying fortresses in Attica ;~ so that Thrasybulus accomplished his purpose without resistance. The Thirty marched out from Athens to attack him, at the head of a powerful force, comprising the Lacedaemonian hoplitcs who formed their guard, the Three Thou- sand privileged citizens, and all the knights, or horsemen. Prob- ably the small company of Thrasybulus was reinforced by fresh accessions of exiles, as soon as he was known to have occupied the fort. For by the time that the Thirty with their assailing force arrived, he was in condition to repel a vigorous assault made by the younger soldiers, with considerable loss to the aggressors. Disappointed in this direct attack, the Thirty laid plans for blockading Phyle, where they knew that there was no stock of provisions. But hardly had their operations commenced, when a snow-storm fell, so abundant and violent, that they were forced to abandon their position and retire to Athens, leaving much of their baggage in the hands of the garrison at Phyle. In the language of Thrasybulus, this storm was characterized as provi- dential, since the weather had been very fine until the moment preceding, and since it gave time to receive reinforcements which 1 Xcnoph. Hcllcn. ii, 4, 2 ; Diodor. xiv, 32 ; Pausan. i, 29, 3 ; Lysias, Or. xiii, cont. Agorat. sect. 84 ; Justin, v, 9 ; ^Eschines, cont. Ktesiphon, c. 62, p. 437 ; Demosth. cont. Timokrat. c. 34, p. 742. ./Eschines allots more than one hundred followers to the captors of Phyle. The sympathy which the Athenian exiles found at Thehes is attested in a fragment of Lysias r.p. Dionys. Hal. Jud. de Lysi;, p. 594 (Fragm. 47, ed. Bekker). VOL. VIII. 12
 * Lysias, Or. xii, cot Eratosth. sect. 41, p. 124.