Chians and Erythrseans sent direct to Sparta. An envoy
from Tissaphernes, the Persian satrap f of Lydia, accompa-
nied them, to propose an alliance with Lacedsemon, on the
part of the Great King. At the same time arrived envoys
from Pharnabazus, the satrap of the country about the Hel-
lespont, desiring that a fleet should be sent to aid revolt
from Athens in his province. It was debated for some time
whither the fleet should first be sent : at length, by the in-
fluence of Alcibiades with Endius, one of the ephors, the
preference was given to the Chians and Erythrseans ; and as
they had sixty ships of their own, it was voted to send forty
to join them, ten of which were to sail immediately.
The Spartans delaying as usual, the Chians, afraid lest
their designs might come to the knowledge of the Athenians,
sent again to urge them. Directions were therefore given
to haul the ships in the Corinthian Gulf across the Isthmus.
As these, with those collected by Agis to aid the Lesbians,
made thirty-nine, it was resolved that one half of them
* This second part of the Peloponnesian war is also called the Dece-
leian war.
t The Persian Satrap answers to the Turkish Pasha.
REVOLT OF THE ALLIES. 259
should proceed at once to Chios. But as this happened to
be the time of the Isthmian games, the Corinthians would
not go till they were ended ; and the Athenians, coming to
them, got proofs of the designs of the Chians, which they
already suspected.
When the games were over, twenty-one ships sailed from
the port of Cenchrea) ; but on the appearance of an Athenian
fleet of equal force, their crews lost courage, and fled to a
port named Peiraeon, on the verge of the Corinthian territory,
toward Epidaurus. The Athenians attacked them, killed
their commander, and damaged several of the ships ; then
leaving a few ships to watch them, they retired, and en-
camped in a neighboring islet. The Corinthians came
to aid the fleet, and as the country thereabouts was desert,
they were at first going to burn the ships ; but they hauled
them up and guarded them.
No ships had yet sailed from Laconia, and, but for the in-
fluence of Alcibiades with Endius, none would have sailed.
He urged on him so much the necessity of getting the
Chians and others to revolt before they heard of what had
just occurred, that five ships under Chalcideus were sent out.
Alcibiades accompanied him ; they landed at Corycos, on
the coast of Asia, and having there consulted with their
Chian friends, by their advice sailed at once to the island,
and by their vaunts of the great fleet which was coming,
induced the people to revolt. The people of Erythrae and
Clazomenae followed their example.
When news reached Athens of the revolt of Chios, the
anxiety was extreme ; and as the danger was esteemed to be
as great as if an enemy were before the Piraeeus, it was held
to justify an application of the thousand talents which had
been set apart in the beginning of the war. Every effort
was made to collect a powerful fleet to prevent a total defec-
tion of the allies. Eight ships under Strombichides were
sent off forthwith to the coast of Asia ; but he was obliged
to take refuge at Samos from a superior force under Chal-
cideus. The Teians now revolted, and Alcibiades soon in-
260 HISTORY OF GREECE.
duced the Milesians to do the same : Lebedos also fell off
at the instance of the Chians. The war between Athens
and the Peloponnesian confederacy now assumes a new ap-
pearance : it is entirely naval ; the scene is transferred to
the coast of Asia, and the Persian government takes a deep
interest in it.
At this time a treaty of alliance was made by Tissapher-
nes, in the name of his master, with the Lacedaemonians.
On the other hand, the Demos at Samos, discovering that
the upper ranks in the island were planning a change, rose
up, killed two hundred and expelled four hundred of them,
seized and divided their houses and lands, and even made
a decree never to intermarry with them.* This event was
of course highly favorable to the Athenian interest in these
parts.
Meantime the fleet at the Corinthian Peirason came out,
beat the Athenian fleet of equal force that was watching it,
and got into Cenchreae. Astyochus came from Sparta to
take the command, and the ships ran out and sailed at dif-
ferent times to the coast of Asia. The Athenian fleet in
that part was also gradually augmented, and soon began to
assume its wonted superiority. Lesbos, where the Chians
had reduced Methymne, the only town faithful to Athens,
was recovered, and Clazomenae returned to her former con-
dition. An Athenian fleet of twenty ships lay at the Isle
of Lade blockading the port of Miletus j and in a landing
made from it, a victory was gained over Chalcideus, who
fell in the action.
As the Athenians were now so strong at sea, they re-
solved to attempt the reduction of Chios. The admirals
Leon and Diomedon occupied the CEnussian Islands before
it, and made descents from them, from Lesbos and the coast
of Erythrae. The Chians, every where defeated, were obliged
to shut themselves up in their town, leaving their rich lands
* This looks like retaliation for a similar act on the part of the aristo-
crats, when the power was theirs.
WAR ON THE COAST OF ATTICA. 261
to be ravaged. Chios was the most wealthy and fertile of
all the islands; since the Medic war it had seen no enemy,
and it therefore now presented the greater quantity of plun-
der. As of course there was an Athenian party in it who
were planning a surrender, the principal men sent to call
Astyochus, who was at Erythrae, and he came with four
ships to their aid.
Toward the end of the summer there came from Athens
forty-eight triremes under Phrynichus, Onomacles, and Sci-
ronides, carrying one thousand Athenian, fifteen hundred
Argive, and one thousand other hoplites. Having touched
at Samos, they proceeded and landed near Miletus. Eight
hundred Milesians, the Peloponnesians of Chalcideus, and
some mercenaries in the pay of Tissaphernes, advanced to
engage them : the satrap himself was at hand with his cav-
alry. In this action it was remarked, that the Ionians beat
the Dorians, for the Milesians defeated the Argives, while
the Athenians routed the Peloponnesians. Victory remained
with the Athenians, who forthwith began to vallate the isth-
mus in which Miletus stood.
But that very evening a fleet of twenty-two Sicilian ships
under Hermocrates, and thirty-three Peloponnesian under
Theramenes, arrived off Miletus. They stopped in the bay
at a place named Teichiussa, and Alcibiades, who had been
in the battle, hastened down and implored them to aid Mi-
letus without delay, or all Ionia would be lost. They there-
fore prepared for action in the morning; but Phrynichus,
having seen their superiority in force, would not let his
colleagues engage them, and the Athenians had retired in
the night to Samos. The Argives were so mortified by their
defeat that they now went home.
It were tedious to enumerate the various transactions
which now took place. Reinforcements arrived on both
sides, and the Athenians in particular became so strong that
they were able to divide their forces, sending thirty triremes
with troops to Chios, and retaining seventy-four at Samos
for another attempt on Miletus.
262 HISTORY OF GREECE.
The aristocratic party at Lesbos having opened a com-
munication with Astyochus, he had hopes of gaining over
that island ; but the Corinthians and the other allies were
adverse to any attempt on it, on account of the former failure.
He then proposed to the Chians to join in it ; they, however,
fearing to diminish their forces at home, declined. Pedaritus,
the Lacedaemonian commander at Chios, joined in the re-
fusal ; and Astyochus, highly offended, sailed away to Mile-
tus, vowing not to assist them when they should need it.
The Athenians now fortified Delphinion, a strong place on
the coast not far from the town of Chios. As was usual
when an enemy had thus fixed himself in a country, the
slaves began to run away in great numbers. The Chians,
we are told, had more slaves than any other people except
the Lacedaemonians, and owing to their number, treated them
with great severity ; they therefore gladly sought refuge with
the Athenians, and being well acquainted with the country,
were able to do much mischief to their former masters.
Pedaritus and the Lacedaemonian party were afraid to stir,
on account of the strength of the opposite party. He sent
to Astyochus, praying him to come to his aid before the
fortification of Delphinion was completed ; and on his
refusal, he sent to complain of him at Lacedaemon. In con-
sequence of this complaint, as a fleet of twenty-seven ships
under Antisthenes, promised to Pharnabazus, was now about
to sail, eleven commissioners were sent out, who were to in-
quire into the conduct of Astyochus, and, if they saw reason,
to take the command from him and give it to Antisthenes.
This fleet having taken a circuitous route, from dread of
the Athenians, arrived at Caunos, on the coast of Caria.
Word was then sent to Miletus for the fleet there to come
and join it. Astyochus, who was now at length going to
the aid of Chios, deemed it his first duty to proceed to Cau-
nos. On coming to Cuidos, he learned that the Athenian
admiral Charminus was with twenty ships on the look-out
for the fleet at Caunos. During the night he fell in with
the Athenians near the Isle of Syme. Charminus, in the
INTRIGUES OF ALCIBIADES. 263
morning, seeing only the left of the Peloponnesian fleet,
which was dispersed, and taking it for the one he was look-
ing for, attacked it, and sunk three ships and disabled some
others ; but the whole fleet soon appeared and began to
surround him, and he fled to Halicarnassus with the loss
of six ships. The Peloponnesian fleets joined, and sailed to
Cnidos, having raised a trophy on Syme. The Athenian
fleet from Samos came and offered battle, but the Pelopon-
nesians would not come out.
While the Peloponnesians were at Cnidos, the aristocratic
party in the Dorian island of Rhodes sent to invite them
thither ; and as they hoped, if they gained to their side this
wealthy island, they should be independent of Tissaphernes,
with whom they were not on very good terms, they sailed
thither with ninety-four ships, and the island forthwith
revolted. The Athenian fleet came from Samos too late
to prevent the defection.
Alcibiades had been for some time suspected by the
Spartans; orders had even been sent out to Astyochus to
put him to death. King Agis was particularly hostile to
him, on account, it is alleged, of his too great intimacy with
his queen. He therefore sought refuge with Tissaphernes,
over whose mind he acquired great influence, which he im-
mediately began to exercise to the injury of his former friends.
He first told him that the pay which, according to treaty, he
issued to their seamen was too great ; for the Athenians, who
knew so much of such matters, did not give more than the
half of it, and that out of prudence, not parsimony. By his
advice the satrap declared that till he learned the King's
pleasure he must reduce the pay from a drachma to half a
drachma a day. Against this Hermocrates remonstrated
warmly, and Tissaphernes was induced to make a small
addition to it. Alcibiades further impressed on the satrap
that it was not for the King's interest that the war should
end, and either side get a decided superiority, but to keep up
a balance of power between them, letting the Lacedaemonians
be superior on land, the Athenians at sea. For this pur-
264 HISTORY OF GREECE.
pose he advised him not to bring up the Phoenician fleet,
as he had engaged, but to go on promising, and keep the
Peloponnesians from righting, and supply provisions spar-
ingly. Tissaphernes acted according to this advice, and in
consequence of it nothing of importance was effected by
this great fleet.
But the main object of Alcibiades was to procure his
restoration to his country. Secure of his influence with the
satrap, he sent to communicate with the principal persons
in the army at Samos, and told them that if the democracy
at home was replaced by an oligarchy, so that he could
return with safety, he would assure them of the friendship
of Tissaphernes. This proposal was listened to readily by
the trierarchs and other respectable persons, for they were
of themselves anxious to dissolve the democracy, in which
the Demos, led but too often by unprincipled demagogues,
exercised all power, while all the burdens (which were now
peculiarly heavy) fell on the men of property. They there-
fore sent some persons to speak with Alcibiades ; and on
their making a favorable report, measures were taken to
carry the plan into execution. The soldiers and sailors,
when the matter was first broached to them, did not relish
the idea of parting with their power; but the information
that the King would be their paymaster soon reconciled
them to a change. Phrynichus, however, was not to be
gained : he treated the arguments in favor of it with con-
tempt : Alcibiades, he said, (as was true,) cared neither for
oligarchy nor democracy ; all he wanted was some change
which would enable his cronies to recall him. It was idle
to suppose that the King would prefer the friendship of the
Athenians to that of the Peloponnesians ; and they were
much mistaken if they thought that an oligarchy would have
superior attractions for the allied states, whose only object
was to be independent, and who knew well that the gentry,
(xaXol xuyudol,) as they were called, were to the full as
griping and oppressive as the demos, whose power was a
refuge to the oppressed, and moderated the severity of the
INTRIGUES OF ALCIBIADES. 265
great. He therefore declared he would have nothing to do
with Alcibiades. His opposition, however, was unheeded,
and Peisander and some others were sent to Athens to try
and effect the proposed changes.
It will be observed that for many years there had been
three parties in Athens ; the aristocratic, the democratic,
and the oligarchic. The first, always respectable in a free
state, was composed of the descendants of the ancient Eu-
patrides or nobles, men who really loved their country, and
served it faithfully in peace and war. Its policy was amity
with Lacedsemon and peace in general : Cimon, and lately
Nicias, had been its leaders, but it was now unfortunately
without a head ; the generals of the republic were almost
always of it.* The democratic party had been led by Cleon,
who was succeeded by Hyperbolos ; but he had been ostra-
cised,t and no one had yet taken his place. The oligarchic
party, of which Alcibiades had been a distinguished mem-
ber, was composed of men of talent and ambition, who cared
little for the real interests of their country, satisfied if, in
any way, they could be at the head of it. Many members
of the aristocracy belonged to this party; and some demo-
crats, such as Peisander, also came over to it : in talent and
activity it had now a decided superiority.
To return to our narrative : Phrynichus knew that his
situation was a perilous one ; in hopes, therefore,' of de-
stroying Alcibiades, he secretly sent information to Asty-
ochus of what he was about. But Astyochus went straight
* The Athenians, as long as they had an aristocracy, always chose
their chief magistrates and generals out of it. The same was the case
in the Italian republics of the Middle Ages.
t In the struggle between Nicias and Alcibiades, they were preparing
to try their strength at ostracism. Hyperbolos exerted himself to have
one or other of them banished ; but they secretly coalesced, and he him-
self was ostracised. The people, it is said, (Plut. Nicias, 11,) were so
vexed at having thus degraded the ostracism, that they abolished it.
The real cause of the ostracism's going out of use was more probably
the misfortunes and revolutions of Athens, and the consequent extinc-
tion of the aristocracy.
23 h h
266 HISTORY OF GREECE.
to Magnesia, and told the whole (with a view, it was said,
to his own private interest) to Alcibiades and the satrap.
Alcibiades forthwith sent to inform his friends at Samos of
what Phrynichus had done, and to require his death. Phryn-
ichus, reduced to desperation, wrote again to Astyochus,
blaming him for not having kept the secret, and offering to
enable him to destroy the whole Athenian fleet and army at
Samos. Astyochus acted as before, and Phrynichus, on
learning that he had done so, called the army together before
Alcibiades' letter arrived ; and telling them that he had it
on good authority that it was the intention of the enemy to
attack them, he urged them to set about raising works for
the defence of the place. Presently came a letter from
Alcibiades, but no credit was given to it, as his only object,
it was thought, was to injure Phrynichus.
Peisander had meantime arrived at Athens. At first he
met with great opposition from the enemies of Alcibiades
and the friends of the democracy ; but when he asked them
separately what other plan they had for saving the country,
now that the Peloponnesians were equal to them at sea, had
more allies, and were supplied with money by the King and
Tissaphernes, they were obliged to confess that they had
none. He added, that they might afterwards change any
thing they did not like in the new constitution. A decree
was finally passed that Peisander and ten others should have
full powers to treat with Tissaphernes and Alcibiades, and
Diomedon and Leon were sent out to replace Phrynichus
and Scironides in their command.
Peisander and his colleagues proceeded without delay to
Asia. Alcibiades, conscious that his influence over the
satrap was not so great as he had represented it, for
Tissaphernes feared the Peloponnesians, and wished the two
parties to wear each other out, resolved, in the negotiation
which he managed in his presence, to throw, if possible, the
blame of breaking it off on the Athenians, and thus save his
own credit. He therefore first demanded that all Ionia and
the adjacent islands should be ceded to the King. Contrary
REVOLUTION AT ATHENS. 267
to his expectation, no objection was made ; and, in a third
conference, he required that the King should be allowed to
build ships of war, and to sail with as many as he pleased
on his own coast.* On hearing this demand, the Athenians,
deeming themselves deceived by him, broke off the confer-
ence in anger and returned to Samos.
Tissaphernes forthwith set out for Caunos, and made a
new treaty with the Lacedaemonians, by which he engaged
to continue the pay to the fleet ; for he feared that if he
withheld it, they might be beaten by the Athenians, or their
crews might desert, and in either case the Athenians would
get the upper hand without his aid ; or they might begin
to plunder the country. He also prepared to bring up the
Phoenician fleet he had promised.
Early in the next spring, (Ol. 92, 2,) a Spartan named
Dercyllidas came with a small force by land from Miletus
to the Hellespont : Abydos revolted at once, and two days
after, its example was followed by Lampsacus ; but Strom-
bichides came from Chios with twenty-four ships, landed,
defeated the Lampsacenes, and took and plundered the town.
Having made an ineffectual attempt on Abydos, he crossed
over, and put Sestos in a state of defence. The Chians were
at this time stronger than they had been of late. In an at-
tack on the Athenian works in the last year, Pedaritus had
fallen ; but Leon, an enterprising officer, who commanded
twelve triremes at Miletus, sailed to Chios ; twenty-four
Chian ships came out to join him, and their combined fleet
engaged the Athenian fleet of thirty-two ships. Night sep-
arated the combatants, and Leon entered the town and
took the command.
The Athenian democracy was now dissolved. When Pei-
sander and his colleagues came to Samos, they found their
party strong in the army. The Samians themselves were
now desirous of oligarchy, and all things looked so favor-
able that they thought they might venture to effect the de-
* See above, p. 144, note.
268 HISTORY OF GREECE.
sired change without Alcibiades. As the advantages were
to be all their own, they agreed to contribute largely from
their private funds for all the necessary expenses. It was
decided that Peisander and five of his colleagues should pro-
ceed to Athens, taking care to establish oligarchies in such
places as they came to : the other five were sent in different
quarters with the same design. One of these, Diotrephes,
came to the Isle of Thasos, on his way to Thrace, and dis-
solved the democracy there. When he was gone, the Tha-
sians rebuilt their town wall ; such of their citizens as the
Athenians had banished, and who were with the Lacedae-
monians, returned ; ships were -procured, and the isle then
revolted ! The same occurred in several other places ; for
the oligarchic party every where naturally looked up to
Lacedaemon, and they were dubious of the turn things might
take at Athens.
Peisander, when he was leaving Athens the preceding
year, had charged the oligarchic clubs or societies, (fv^w/uo-
alai,)* which had long existed in the city, to exert them-
selves to the utmost for the overthrow of the democracy.
They had been by no means inactive, and had even assassi-
nated a leading demagogue named Androcles, and some
others, from whom they apprehended opposition. By dint
of terror for no one knew their numbers, or who were of
them they had gained absolute authority over the senate
and the assembly ; the orators were all of their party ; every
thing that was to be spoken was previously arranged among
them ; if any one rose to oppose, he was sure before long to
die a sudden death.
When Peisander arrived, an assembly was held, and ten
* The members of these clubs were bound to stand by and support
each other in all contests for office in the state and in trials in the courts
of justice. Like all societies of the kind, they were, as we see, little
scrupulous about the means they employed. There were similar aris-
tocratic clubs at Rome, (Dion. Hal. iv. 30 ; xi. 3. Livy, ix. 26,) and also
democratic ones, (sodalitates, Hist, of Rome, pp. 402, 450.) Carthage
also had political clubs.
REVOLUTION AT ATHENS. 269
persons were chosen to draw up a constitution against a cer-
tain day. On that day the assembly was held at the temple
of Poseidon at Colonos, about ten stadia from the city. The
Ten simply proposed that any Athenian might be free to
bring forward what measures he pleased. This being agreed
to, and fear thus removed, Peisander urged that the ma-
gistracies should be new-modelled, and pay be no longer
given to those in office ; that five presidents (n^oeSgoi,)
should be appointed, who then should elect one hundred
persons, each of whom should choose three, and that these
four hundred should form a council, with unlimited powers ;
that the Four Hundred, and they alone, might convene the
assembly whenever they pleased, which assembly was to con-
tain only five thousand persons, men of property and of
bodily vigor.
Though Peisander was thus put forward, he was in reality
but an instrument. The person who had planned and ar-
ranged the whole was Antiphon, a man equal to any of his
time in ability ; * but his eminent qualities had made him an
object of suspicion to the ignorant Demos and its selfish
leaders, and he never entered on public affairs, but only aided
with his advice those engaged in public or private suits.
Another active agent was Theramenes, son of Hagnon, also
a man of ability and eloquence.t Fear and hatred of Alci-
biades had now induced Phrynichus to join the cause of
oligarchy. These and other able men succeeded in inducing
the Athenian people to resign the liberty which they had
now enjoyed for a century, more than half of which time
they had exercised sovereignty over so many states. In
any other part of Greece this revolution would probably
have been attended with massacre and bloodshed ; it is to
the honor of Athens that the blood of her own citizens
never ran down her streets.
The next step was to dismiss the council of Five Hundred.
* He is styled by Wachsmuth the Sieyes of Athens,
t Theramenes was nicknamed Buskin, (xudonvoc) from his readiness
to change sides, as the dramatic buskin was made to fit either foot.
23*
270 HISTORY OF GREECE.
As all the Athenians were now daily under arms on account
of the enemy in Deceleia, on a certain day those who were
not of the party were allowed to go about their affairs as