Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/41

ANTIPHON. -THERAMENES. 19 nis silent assistance in political and judicial debates, as a sort of chamber-counsel, was highly appreciated and largely paid. Now such were precisely the talents required for the present occasion ; while Antiphon, who hated the democracy for having hitherto kept him in the shade, gladly bent his full talents towards its subversion. Such was the man to whom Peisander, in departing, chiefly confided the task of organizing the anti-popular clubs, for the consummation of the revolution already in immediate prospect. His chief auxiliary was Theramenes, another Athenian, now first named, of eminent ability and cunning. His father (either nat- ural or by adoption), Agnon, was one of the probuli, and had formerly been founder of Amphipolis. Even Phrynichus whose sagacity we have already had occasion to appreciate, and who, from hatred towards Alkibiades, had pronounced himself decidedly against the oligarchical movement at Samos became zealous in forwarding the movement at Athens, after his dismissal from the command. He brought to the side of Antiphon and Theramenes a contriving head not inferior to theirs, coupled with daring and audacity even superior. Under such skilful leaders, the anti-popular force of Athens was organized with a deep skill, and directed with a dexterous wickedness, never before witnessed in Greece. At the time when Peisander and the other envoys reached Ionia, seemingly about the end of January or beginning of Feb- ruary 411 B.C., the Peloponnesian fleet had already quitted Mile- tus and gone to Knidus and Rhodes, on which latter island Leon and Diomedon made some hasty descents, from the neighboring island of Chalke. At the same time the Athenian armament at Chios was making progress in the siege of that place and the construction of the neighboring fort at Delphinium. Pedaritus, the Lacedaemonian governor of the island, had sent pressing messages to solicit aid from the Peloponnesians at Rhodes, but no aid arrived ; and he therefore resolved to attempt a general O/ <n vdtKtiv tTnaruftevoi, whom Xenophon specifies as being so eminent- ly useful to a person engaged in a lawsuit, are probably the persons who knew how to address the dikastery effectively in support of his case (Xen ph. Mcmorab. i, 2, 51).