Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/415

 92-94] APPEARANCE OF A SPARTAN FLEET 407 share in the government would be downright democracy, while at the same time the mystery tended to make the people afraid of one another. The next day the Four Hundred, although much dis- 93 turbed, met in the council-chamber. j,,, ,„,^,-^,^ ,„„,.^,^ Meanwhile the hoplitcs in the Piraeus from the Phaeus to the let go Alexicles whom they had seized, ^^->'- '^'", ^f'"" ^««- and havmg demolished the fort went them and try mgotia- to the theatre of Dionysus near Muny- Hon. They promise to chia; there piling arms they held an P''^^i^' ^'^ "^'"^ of, , , , , , the Five Thousand ; assembly, and resolved to march at ^„t ^j ,^,/,^„, z;^, ^^„^ once to the city, which they accordingly Hundred are to be did, and again piled arms in the temple ^^^'^^<'«'- of the Dioscuri. Presently deputies appeared sent by the Four Hundred. These conversed with them singly, and tried to persuade the more reasonable part of them to keep quiet and restrain their comrades, promising that they would publish the names of the Five Thousand, and that out of these the Four Hundred should be in turn elected in such a manner as the Five Thousand might think fit. In the meantime they begged them not to ruin everything, or to drive the city upon the enemy. The discussion became general on both sides, and at length the whole body of soldiers grew calmer, and turned their thoughts to the danger which threatened the commonwealth. They finally agreed that an assembly should be held on a fixed day in the theatre of Dionysus to deliberate on the restor- ation of harmony. When the day arrived and the assembly was on the 94 point of meeting in the theatre of ^, ., , '^ 1 A J • ■°'"' wcanivhuc the Dionysus, news came that Agesandri- Lacedaemonian squad- das and his forty-two ships had crossed ron approaches nearer^ over from Megara, and were sailing «" '^''^. ^ -?^"^"' ,. r-. 1 • T- consternation. along the coast of Salamis. Lvery man of the popular party thought that this was what they had been so often told by Theramenes and his friends, and that the ships were sailing to the fort, happily now VOL. II. E e