Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/72

 50 HISTORY OF GREECE. own restoration, as he had before made to Peisander aud the oligarchical party. Thrasybulus and his colleagues either sin- cerely believed him, or at least thought that his restoration afford- ed a possibility, not to be neglected, of obtaining Persian aid, without which they despaired of the war. Such possibility would at least infuse spirit into the soldiers ; while the restoration was now proposed without the terrible condition which had before accompanied it, of renouncing the democratical constitution. It was not without difficulty, however, nor until after more than one assembly and discussion, 1 that Thrasybulus prevailed on the armament to pass a vote of security and restoration to Alkibiades. As Athenian citizens, the soldiers probably were unwilling to take upon them the reversal of a sentence solemnly passed by the democratical tribunal, on the ground of irreligion with suspicion of treason. They were, however, induced to pass the vote, after which Thrasybulus sailed over to the Asiatic coast, brought across Alkibiades to the island, and introduced him to the assembled armament. The supple exile, who had denounced the democracy so bitterly, both at Sparta, and in his correspond- ence with the oligarchical conspirators, knew well how to adapt himself to the sympathies of the democratical assembly now be- fore him. He began by deploring the sentence of banishment passed against him, and throwing the blame of it, not upon the injustice of his countrymen, but upon his own unhappy destiny. 2 He then entered upon the public prospects of the moment, pledg ing himself with entire confidence to realize the hopes of Persian alliance, and boasting, in terms not merely ostentatious but even extravagant, of the ascendant influence which he possessed over Tissaphernes. The satrap had promised him, so the speech went 1 Thucyd. viii, 81. QpaavflovlLOf, uei re r^f aiirfig fievof, tiredy fieTsarTjaE ra irpaypaTa, UGTE naruysiv r e A, of tx' iKKhijaiaf siretae rd :r/l^i?of ruv ffrpariuTuv, etc. rijf (pvyrff k-Kijr iuaa.ro nal avuhofyvparo 6 ' A?./a/?t attyf, etc. Contrast the different language of Alkibiades, vi, 92 ; viii, 47. For the word fyfupopuv, compare i, 127. Nothing can he more false and perverted than the manner in which tha proceedings of Alkibiades, during this period, are presented in the Oration of Isokrates do Bigis. sects. 18-23.
 * Thacyd. viii, 81. yevoftevrjc 6e iKirf.Tiaia TT/V re 16'iav t-vfiopu9