Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/413

 91, 9^] THERAMENES THE TRIMMER 405 and fell dead. The man who dealt the blow escaped ; his accomplice, an Argive, was seized -, rhrynidius is assas- and put to the torture by order of the ,-,„„/,^ 7-/,, „„„„;^ Four Hundred, but did not disclose any o///ie oligarchy, scadly name or say who had instigated the ^"^f'S"''<i h Them- . . ., motes noivgron< bolder. deed. All he would confess was that j-,,^ ^^/,/-,;-^ „,;,„ ,,,„.^ a number of persons used to assemble buildmg the fort sme at the house of the commander of the "" "'^S<^'-^h Aksicks. . 1 1 • 1 I Theraiucncs promises frontier guard, and in other houses. ^,^^ ^^„,, Hwidred to No further measures followed ; and go and release him. so Theramenes and Aristocrates, and He pretends to rate the . ., , , ^ soldiers, hut in reality the other citizens, whether members of ,o„„i^,, ^t their con- the Four Hundred or not, who were dud. After a seem of of the same mind, were emboldened to /»"""'', /« "'/"c/' '/'« ,, ■ , 1 T^ X 1 T-> 1 l<-^o parties nearly come take decided steps. For the Pelopon- ^^ /;^^^^^ ^,^^ y^^.^ .^ nesians had already sailed round from demolished to the cry of Las, and having overrun Aegina had ' Let the Five Thousand cast anchor at Epidaurus ; and Thera- menes insisted that if they had been on their way to Euboea they would never have gone up the Saronic gulf to Aegina and then returned and anchored at Epidaurus, but that some one had invited them for the purposes which he had always alleged ; it was impossible therefore to be any longer indifferent. After many insinuations and inflam- matory harangues, the people began to take active measures. The hoplites who were at work on the fortification of Eetionea in the Piraeus, among whom was Aristocrates with his own tribe, which, as taxiarch, he commanded, seized Alexicles, an oligarchical general who had been most concerned with the clubs, and shut him up in a house. Others joined in the act, including one Hermon, who commanded the Peripoli stationed at Munychia; above all, the rank and file of the hoplites heartily approved. The Four Hundred, who were assembled in the council- house when the news was brought to them, were ready in a moment to take up arms, except Theramenes and his associates, who disapproved of their proceedings ; to these