Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/398

390 OLIGARCHY AT ATHENS [vill how matters stood, had contrived to steal away and get back to Samos, where he told the soldiers with much aggravation the news from Athens, how they were punish- ing everybod5' with stripes, and how no one might speak a word against the government ; he declared that their wives and children were being outraged, and that the oligarchy were going to take the relations of all the men serving at Samos who were not of their faction and shut them up, intending, if the fleet did not submit, to put them to death. And he added a great many other falsehoods. 75 When the army heard his report they instantly rushed upon the chief authors of the recent The army at Santos oligarchy who were present, and their are beside theittselvcs, r ^ , i • i i But instead of taking Confederates, and tried to stone them. violent measures they But they Were deterred by the warn- are f>ersuadrd by Tliras- jpgg ^f tijg moderate party, who begged yllus and T/irasybiilus , . i • i • i io prodaim, and swear them uot to ruui everythmg by violence allegiance to, the de- while the enemy were lying close to mocracy. TheSamians them, prow threatening prow. Thrasy- untte with them in the . , . -, i -t-i h P^^y, bulus the son of Lycus, and 1 hrasyllus, who were the chief leaders of the re- action, now thought that the time had come for the open proclamation of democracy among the Athenians at Samos, and they bound the soldiers, more especially those of the oligarchical party, by the most solemn oaths to maintain a democracy and be of one mind, to prosecute vigorously the war with Peloponnesus, to be enemies to the Four Hundred, and to hold no parley with them by heralds. All the Samians who were of full age took the same oath, and the Athenian soldiers determined to make common cause with the Samians in their troubles and dangers, and invited them to share their fortunes. They considered that neither the Samians nor themselves had any place of refuge to which they could turn, but that, whether the Four Hundred or their enemies at Miletus gained the day, they were doomed.