Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/314

 292 HISTORY OF GREECE. oath, which Aristotle mentions as having been taken in vavioai oligarchical cities, to contrive as much evil as possible to the people. 1 So much the more complete was the reaction of sen- timent towards the antecedent democracy, even in the minds of those who had been before discontented with it. To all men, rich and poor, citizens ivnd metics, the comparative excellence of the democracy, in respect of all the essentials of good govern- mentj was now manifest. With the exception of those who had identified themselves with the Thirty as partners, partisans, or instruments, there was scarcely any one who did not feel that his life and property had been far more secure under the former democracy, and would become so again if that democracy were revived. 2 It was the first measure of Thrasybulus and his companions, pfter concluding the treaty with Pausanias, and thus reentering the city, to exchange solemn oaths, of amnesty for the past, with those against whom they had just been at war. Similar oaths of amnesty were also exchanged with those in Elensis, as soon as that town came into their power. The only persons excepted from this ami.dsty were the Thirty, the Eleven who had presided over the execution of all their atrocities, and the Ten who had governed in Peirasus. Even these persons were not peremptorily banished : opportunity was offered to them to come in and take their trial of accountability (universal at Athens in the case of every magistrate on quitting office) ; so that, if acquitted, they would enjoy the benefit of the amnesty as well as all others. 3 We know that Eratosthenes, one of the Thirty, afterwards returned to Athens ; since there remains a powerful harangue of Lysias, invoking justice against him as having brought to death Polemarchus, the brother of Lysias. Eratosthenes was 1 Aristot. Polit, v, 7, 19. Kat r <%/ nanavove laofiai^ KOI (3ovfei>au 5, Tl U.V tX(J KQKOV. The complimentary epitaph upon the Thirty, cited ir the Schcl. on JEscliines, praising them as having curbed, for a short time, the inso- lence of the accursed Demos of Athens, is in the same spirit : see K. F. Hermann, Siaats-Alterthumer der Griechen, s. 70, note 9. 8 Plato, Epist-U. vii, p. 324. Kdi 6puv STJ rov rot)f uvdpaf h p6vy 6A)> Xpvcbv uTrodeiZavrac 'rrjv tyirpoadev Ttofareiai, etc.
 * Andokides de Mysteriis, s. 90.