Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/62

40 HISTOKY OF GKELCK. ens should suffer their liberties to be overthrown by a band of four hundred conspirators, while the great mass of them not only loved their democracy, but had arms in their hands to defend it, that even their enemy and neighbor Agis, at Dekeleia, could hardly imagine the revolution to be a fact accomplished. "We shall see presently that it did not stand, nor would it probably have stood, had circumstances even been more favorable, but the accomplishment of it at all, is an incident too extraordinary to be passed over without some words in explanation. We must remark that the tremendous catastrophe and loss of blood in Sicily had abated the energy of the Athenian character generally, but especially had made them despair of their foreign relations ; of the possibility that they could make head against enemies, increased in number by revolts among their own allies, and farther sustained by Persian gold. Upon this sentiment of despair is brought to bear the treacherous delusion of Alkibiades, offering them the Persian aid ; that is, means of defence and suc- cess against foreign enemies, at the price of their democracy. Reluctantly the people are brought, but they are brought, to en- tertain the proposition : and thus the conspirators gain their first capital point, of familiarizing the people with the idea of such a change of constitution. The ulterior success of the conspiracy when all prospect of Persian gold, or improved foreign position, was at an end is due to the combinations, alike nefarious and skilful, of Antiphon, wielding and organizing the united strength of the aristocratical classes at Athens ; strength always exceed- ingly great, but under ordinary circumstances working in fractions disunited and even reciprocally hostile to each other, restrained by the ascendant democratical institutions, and reduced to cor- rupt what it could not overthrow. Antiphon, about to employ this anti-popular force in one systematic scheme, and for the ac- complishment of a predetermined purpose, keeps still within the same ostensible constitutional limits. He raises no open mutiny : he maintains inviolate the cardinal point of Athenian political morality, respect to the decision of the senate and political assem- bly, as well as to constitutional maxims. But he knows well that the value of these meetings, as political securities, depends upon entire freedom of speech ; and that, if that freedom be suppres sed,the assembly itself becomes a null' ty, or rather an instrument