Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/60

 a8 HISTORY OF GREECE. it immensely augmented the means of intimidation possessed by the Four Hundred at home, by exaggerating the impression of their supposed strength. For the citizens generally were made to believe that there were five thousand real and living partners in the conspiracy ; while the fact that these partners were not known and could not be individually identified, rather aggravated the reigning terror and mistrust ; since every man, suspecting that his neighbor might possibly be among them, was afraid to com- municate his discontent or propose means for joint resistance. 1 In both these two ways, the name and assumed existence of the Five Thousand lent strength to the real Four Hundred conspira- tors. It masked their usurpation, while it increased their hold on the respect and fears of the citizens. As soon as the public assembly at Kolonus had, with such seeming unanimity, accepted all the propositions of Peisander, they were dismissed ; and the new regiment of Four Hundred were chosen and constituted in the form prescribed. It now only remained to install them in the senate-house. But this could not be done without force, since the senators were already within it ; having doubtless gone thither immediately from the assembly, where their presence, at least the presence of the prytanes, or senators of the presiding tribe, was essential as legal presidents. They had to deliberate what they would do under the decree just passed, which divested them of all authority. Nor was it impos- sible that they might organize armed resistance ; for which there seemed more than usual facility at the present moment, since the occupation of Dekeleia by the Lacedaemonians kept Athens in a condition like that of a permanent camp, with a large proportion of the citizens day and night under arms. 2 Against this chance the Four Hundred made provision. They selected that hour of TOVTOV tv fie pel, y av rcCf Treira/uff^A/oif dony, rove T-paKooiov< eaeffdai, rtuf 6e TT/V -Koikiv fj.i]5evl Tpoiry tiiaQdeipetv, etc. Compare also c. 97. 1 Compare the striking passage (Thucyd. viii, 92) cited in my previous note. their provisions in the market-place and carrying them home, in the Lysis- trata, 560 : a comedy represented about December 412 or January 411 B.C, three months earlier than the events here narrated.
 * See the jests of Aristophanes, about the citizens all in armor, buying