The Athenian Constitution   

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