the athenian constitution-第7章

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Part　32

　　The　hundred　commissioners　appointed　by　the　Five　Thousand　　drew　up　the　constitution　as　just　stated；　and　after　it　had　been　ratified　by　the　people；　under　the　presidency　of　Aristomachus；　the　existing　Council；　that　of　the　year　of　Callias；　was　dissolved　before　it　had　　completed　its　term　of　office。　It　was　dissolved　on　the　fourteenth　day　of　the　month　Thargelion；　and　the　Four　Hundred　entered　into　office　on　the　twenty…first；　whereas　the　regular　Council；　elected　by　lot；　ought　to　have　entered　into　office　on　the　fourteenth　of　Scirophorion。　Thus　was　the　oligarchy　established；　in　the　archonship　of　Callias；　just　about　a　hundred　years　after　the　expulsion　of　the　tyrants。　The　chief　promoters　of　the　revolution　were　Pisander；　Antiphon；　and　Theramenes；　all　of　them　men　of　good　birth　and　with　high　reputations　for　ability　and　judgement。　When；　however；　this　constitution　had　been　established；　the　Five　Thousand　were　only　nominally　selected；　and　the　Four　Hundred；　together　with　the　ten　officers　on　whom　full　powers　had　been　conferred；　occupied　the　Council…house　and　really　　administered　the　government。　They　began　by　sending　ambassadors　to　the　Lacedaemonians　proposing　a　cessation　of　the　war　on　the　basis　of　the　existing　Position；　but　as　the　Lacedaemonians　refused　to　listen　to　them　unless　they　would　also　abandon　the　command　of　the　sea；　they　broke　off　the　negotiations。

Part　33

　　For　about　four　months　the　constitution　of　the　Four　Hundred　lasted；　and　Mnasilochus　held　office　as　Archon　of　their　nomination　for　two　months　of　the　year　of　Theopompus；　who　was　Archon　for　the　remaining　ten。　On　the　loss　of　the　naval　battle　of　Eretria；　however；　and　the　revolt　of　the　whole　of　Euboea　except　Oreum；　the　indignation　of　the　people　was　greater　than　at　any　of　the　earlier　disasters；　since　they　drew　far　more　supplies　at　this　time　from　Euboea　than　from　Attica　itself。　Accordingly　they　deposed　the　Four　Hundred　and　committed　the　management　of　affairs　to　the　Five　Thousand；　consisting　of　persons　Possessing　a　military　equipment。　At　the　same　time　they　voted　that　pay　should　not　be　given　for　any　public　office。　The　persons　chiefly　responsible　for　the　revolution　were　Aristocrates　and　Theramenes；　who　disapproved　of　the　action　of　the　Four　Hundred　in　retaining　the　direction　of　affairs　entirely　in　their　own　hands；　and　referring　nothing　to　the　Five　Thousand。　During　this　period　the　constitution　of　the　state　seems　to　have　been　admirable；　since　it　was　a　time　　of　war　and　the　franchise　was　in　the　hands　of　those　who　possessed　a　military　equipment。

Part　34

　　The　people；　however；　in　a　very　short　time　deprived　the　　Five　Thousand　of　their　monopoly　of　the　government。　Then；　six　years　after　the　overthrow　of　the　Four　Hundred；　in　the　archonship　of　Callias　　of　Angele；　battle　of　Arginusae　took　place；　of　which　the　results　were；　　first；　that　the　ten　generals　who　had　gained　the　victory　were　all　condemned　by　a　single　decision；　owing　to　the　people　being　led　astray　by　persons　who　aroused　their　indignation；　though；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　some　of　the　generals　had　actually　taken　no　part　in　the　battle；　and　others　were　themselves　picked　up　by　other　vessels。　Secondly；　when　the　Lacedaemonians　proposed　to　evacuate　Decelea　and　make　peace　on　the　basis　of　the　existing　position；　although　some　of　the　Athenians　supported　this　proposal；　the　majority　refused　to　listen　to　them。　In　this　they　were　led　astray　by　Cleophon；　who　appeared　in　the　Assembly　drunk　and　wearing　his　breastplate；　and　prevented　peace　being　made；　declaring　that　he　would　never　accept　peace　unless　the　Lacedaemonians　abandoned　their　claims　on　all　the　cities　allied　with　them。　They　mismanaged　their　opportunity　then；　and　in　a　very　short　time　they　learnt　their　mistake。　The　next　year；　in　the　archonship　of　Alexias；　they　suffered　the　disaster　of　Aegospotami；　the　consequence　of　which　was　that　Lysander　became　master　of　the　city；　and　set　up　the　Thirty　as　its　governors。　He　did　so　in　the　following　manner。　One　of　the　terms　of　peace　stipulated　that　the　state　should　be　governed　according　to　'the　ancient　constitution'。　Accordingly　the　　popular　party　tried　to　preserve　the　democracy；　while　that　part　of　the　upper　class　which　belonged　to　the　political　clubs；　together　with　the　exiles　who　had　returned　since　the　peace；　aimed　at　an　oligarchy；　and　those　who　were　not　members　of　any　club；　though　in　other　respects　they　　considered　themselves　as　good　as　any　other　citizens；　were　anxious　to　restore　the　ancient　constitution。　The　latter　class　included　Archinus；　Anytus；　Cleitophon；　Phormisius；　and　many　others；　but　their　most　prominent　leader　was　Theramenes。　Lysander；　however；　threw　his　influence　on　the　side　of　the　oligarchical　party；　and　the　popular　Assembly　was　compelled　by　sheer　intimidation　to　pass　a　vote　establishing　the　oligarchy。　The　motion　to　this　effect　was　proposed　by　Dracontides　of　Aphidna。

Part　35

　　In　this　way　were　the　Thirty　established　in　power；　in　the　archonship　of　Pythodorus。　As　soon；　however；　as　they　were　masters　of　the　city；　they　ignored　all　the　resolutions　which　had　been　passed　relating　to　the　organization　of　the　constitution；　but　after　　appointing　a　Council　of　Five　Hundred　and　the　other　magistrates　out　of　a　thousand　selected　candidates；　and　associating　with　themselves　ten　Archons　in　Piraeus；　eleven　superintendents　of　the　prison；　and　three　hundred　'lash…bearers'　as　attendants；　with　the　help　of　these　　they　kept　the　city　under　their　own　control。　At　first；　indeed；　they　behaved　with　moderation　towards　the　citizens　and　pretended　to　administer　the　state　according　to　the　ancient　constitution。　In　pursuance　of　this　policy　they　took　down　from　the　hill　of　Areopagus　the　laws　of　　Ephialtes　and　Archestratus　relating　to　the　Areopagite　Council；　they　also　repealed　such　of　the　statutes　of　Solon　as　were　obscure；　and　abolished　the　supreme　power　of　the　law…courts。　In　this　they　　claimed　to　be　restoring　the　constitution　and　freeing　it　from　　obscurities；　as；　for　instance；　by　making　the　testator　free　once　for　all　to　leave　his　property　as　he　pleased；　and　abolishing　the　existing　limitations　in　cases　of　insanity；　old　age；　and　undue　female　influence；　in　order　that　no　opening　might　be　left　for　professional　accusers。　In　other　matters　also　their　conduct　was　similar。　At　first；　then；　they　acted　on　these　lines；　and　they　destroyed　the　professional　accusers　　and　those　mischievous　and　evil…minded　persons　who；　to　the　great　　detriment　of　the　democracy；　had　attached　themselves　to　it　in　order　to　curry　　favour　with　it。　With　all　of　this　the　city　was　much　pleased；　and　thought　that　the　Thirty　were　doing　it　with　the　best　of　motives。　But　so　soon　　as　they　had　got　a　firmer　hold　on　the　city；　they　spared　no　class　of　citizens；　but　put　to　death　any　persons　who　were　eminent　for　wealth　or　birth　or　character。　Herein　they　aimed　at　removing　all　whom　they　had　reason　to　fear；　while　they　also　wished　to　lay　hands　on　their　　possessions；　and　in　a　short　time　they　put　to　death　not　less　than　fifteen　hundred　persons。

Part　36

　　Theramenes；　however；　seeing　the　city　thus　falling　into　ruin；　was　displeased　with　their　proceedings；　and　counselled　them　to　cease　such　unprincipled　conduct　and　let　the　better　classes　have　a　share　in　the　government。　At　first　they　resisted　his　advice；　but　when　his　proposals　came　to　be　known　abroad；　and　the　masses　began　to　associate　themselves　with　him；　they　were　seized　with　alarm　lest　he　should　make　himself　the　leader　of　the　people　and　destroy　their　despotic　power。　Accordingly　they　drew　up　a　list　of　three　thousand　citizens；　to　whom　they　announced　that　they　would　give　a　share　in　the　constitution。　Theramenes；　however；　criticized　this　scheme　also；　first　on　the　ground　that；　while　proposing　to　give　all　respectable　citizens　a　share　in　the　constitution；　they　were　actually　giving　it　only　to　three　thousand　persons；　as　though　all　merit　were　confined　within　that　number；　and　secondly　because　they　were　doing　two　inconsistent　things；　since　they　made　the　government　rest　on　the　basis　of　　force；　and　yet　made　the　governors　inferior　in　strength　to　the　governed。　However；　they　took　no　notice　of　his　criticisms；　and　for　a　long　time　put　off　the　publication　of　the　list　of　the　Three　Thousand　and　kept　to　themselves　the　names　of　those　who　had　been　placed　upon　it；　and　every　time　they　did　decide　to　publish　it　they　proceeded　to　strike　out　some　of　those　who　had　been　included　in　it；　and　insert　others　who　had　been　omitted。

Part　37

　　Now　when　winter　had　set　in；　Thrasybulus　and　the　exiles　occupied　Phyle；　and　the　force　which　the　Thirty　led　out　to　attack　them　met　with　a　reverse。　Thereupon　the　Thirty　decided　to　disarm　the　　bulk　of　the　population　and　to　get　rid　of　Theramenes；　which　they　did　in　the　following　way。　They　introduced　two　laws　into　the　Council；　which　they　commanded　it　to　pass；　the　first　of　them　gave　the　Thirty　　absolute　power　to　put　to　death　any　citizen　who　was　not　included　in　the　list　of　the　Three　Thousand；　while　the　second　disqualified　all　persons　from　participation　in　the　franchise　who　should　have　assisted　in　the　demolition　of　the　fort　of　Eetioneia；　or　have　acted　in　any　way　against　the　Four　Hundred　who　had　organized　the　previous　oligarchy。　Theramenes　had　done　both；　and　accordingly；　when　these　laws　were　ratified；　he　became　excluded　from　the　franchise　and　the　Thirty　had　full　power　to　put　him　to　death。　Theramenes　having　been　thus　removed；　they　disarmed　all　the　people　except　the　Three　Thousand；　and　in　every　respect　showed　a　great　advance　in　cruelty　and　crime。　They　also　sent　ambassadors　to　Lacedaemonian　to　blacken　the　character　of　Theramenes　and　to　ask　for　help；　and　the　Lacedaemonians；　in　answer　to　their　appeal；　sent　Callibius　as　military　governor　with　about　seven　hundred　troops；　who　came　and　occupied　the　Acropolis。

Part　38

　　These　events　were　followed　by　the　occupation　of　Munichia　by　the　exiles　from　Phyle；　and　their　victory　over　the　Thirty　and　their　partisans。　After　the　fight　the　party　of　the　city　retreated；　and　next　day　they　held　a　meeting　in　the　marketplace　and　deposed　the　　Thirty；　and　elected　ten　citizens　with　full　powers　to　bring　the　war　to　a　termination。　When；　however；　the　Ten　had　taken　over　the　　government　they　did　nothing　towards　the　object　for　which　they　were　elected；　but　sent　envoys　to　Lacedaemonian　to　ask　for　help　and　to　borrow　money。　Further；　finding　that　the　citizens　who　possessed　the　franchise　were　displeased　at　their　proceedings；　they　were　afraid　lest　they　should　be　deposed；　and　consequently；　in　order　to　strike　terror　into　them　（in　which　design　they　succeeded）；　they　arrested　Demaretus；　one　of　the　most　eminent　citizens；　and　put　him　to　death。　This　gave　　them　a　firm　hold　on　the　government；　and　they　also　had　the　support　of　　Callibius　and　his　Peloponnesians；　together　with　several　of　the　Knights；　for　some　of　the　members　of　this　class　were　the　most　zealous　among　the　citizens　to　prevent　the　return　of　the　exiles　from　Phyle。　When；　however；　the　party　in　Piraeus　and　Munichia　began　to　gain　the　upper　hand　in　the　war；　through　the　defection　of　the　whole　populace　to　them；　the　party　in　the　city　deposed　the　original　Ten；　and　elected　another　Ten；　consisting　of　men　of　the　highest　repute。　Under　their　administration；　and　with　their　active　and　zealous　cooperation；　the　treaty　of　reconciliation　was　made　and　the　populace　returned　to　the　city。　The　most　prominent　members　of　this　board　were　Rhinon　of　Paeania　and　Phayllus　of　Acherdus；　who；　even　before　the　ar