Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/38

 16 HISTORY OP GREECE. hetseries, which were habitual and notorious at Ataens ; associa tions, bound together by oath, among the wealthy citizens, partly for purposes of amusement, but chiefly pledging the members to stand by each other in objects of political ambition, in judicial trials, in accusation or defence of official men after the period of office had expired, in carrying points through the public assembly, etc. Among these clubs were distributed most of " the best citizens, the good and honorable men, the elegant men, the well known, the temperate, the honest and moderate men," 1 etc., to employ that complimentary phraseology by which wealthy and anti-popular politicians have chosen to designate each other, in ancient as well as in modern times. And though there were doubtless individuals among them who deserved these appella- tions in their best sense, yet the general character of the clubs was not the less exclusive and oligarchical. In the details of political life, they had different partialities as well as different antipathies, and were oftener in opposition than in cooperation with each other. But they furnished, when taken together, a formidable anti-popular force ; generally either in abeyance or disseminated in the accomplishment of smaller political measures and separate personal successes ; but capable, at a special crisis, of being evoked, organized, and put in conjoint attack, for the subversion of the democracy. Such was the important move- ment now initiated by Peisander. He visited separately each of these clubs, put them into communication with each other, and exhorted them all to joint aggressive action against their common enemy the democracy, at a moment when it was already intimi- dated and might be finally overthrown. 3 rff, ol -yvupiftot, oi ouypovef, etc. : le parti honnete ct modere, etc, 2 About these gwupoffiat im 6'iKaif aal apxalf, political and judicial asso ciations, see above, in this History, vol. iv, ch. xxxvii, pp. 399, 400 ; vol. vi, ch. li. pp. 290, 291 : see also Hermann Biittner, Geschichte der politischen, Hetfflrieen zu Athen. pp. 75, 79, Leipsic, 1840. There seem to have been similar political clubs or associations at Car- thage, exercising much influence, and holding perpetual banquets as a means of largess to the poor, Aristotel. Polit ii, 8,2 ; Livy, xxxiii, 46 ; xxxiv, 61 ; compare Klnge, ad Aristotle. De Polit. Carthag. pp. 46-127, "Wratisl. 1824 The like political associations were both of long duration among th