Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/207

 25-28] THE MUTILATION OF THE HERMAE 199 whole management of the expedition. Then the prepar- ations began. Lists for service were made up at home and orders given to the allies. The city had newly recovered from the plague and from the constant pressure of war; a new population had grown up; there had been time for the accumulation of money during the peace ; so that there was abundance of everything at command. While they were in the midst of their preparations, the 27 Hermae or square stone figures carved Meanwhile occurs the after the ancient Athenian fashion, and outrage on the Hennat: . !• 1 i. i-u J the unknown authors Stand mg everywhere at the doorways, .,. j /■ ° -' -^ 0/ ti are suspected of both of temples and private houses, designs against the in one night had nearly all of them democracy. throughout the city their faces mutilated. The offenders were not known, but great rewards were publicly offered for their detection, and a decree was passed that any one, whether citizen, stranger, or slave, might without fear of punishment disclose this or any other profanation of which he was cognisant. The Athenians took the matter greatly to heart — it seemed to them ominous of the fate of the expedition ; and they ascribed it to conspirators who wanted to effect a revolution and to overthrow the democracy. Certain metics and servants gave information, not 28 indeed about the Hermae, but about Information is given the mutilation of other statues which "bout some other pro- had shortly before been perpetrated by ^""j «5'^- ^/"*'«" •^ '■ '■ •' and others are accused some young men in a drunken frolic: of celebrating the myste- they also said that the mysteries were "« '« private houses. repeatedly profaned by the celebration of them in private houses, and of this impiety they accused, among others, Alcibiades. A party who were jealous of his influence over the people, which interfered with the permanent establishment of their own, thinking that if they could get rid of him they would be supreme", took up and exaggerated VOL. II. P
 * Cp. ii. 65 fin.