of circumstances, on which the plot
of the "Hellenica" hinges, see Grote, "H. G." x. 100-108. Cf.
Soph. "Oed. Tyr." 450; "Antig." 1066; Thuc. v. 116; "Hellenica
Essays," "Xenophon," p. 382 foll. This passage is perhaps the key
to the historian's position.

There was a man named Phyllidas--he was secretary to Archias, that is,
to the polemarchs. (2) Beyond his official duties, he had rendered his
chief other services, and all apparently in an exemplary fashion. A
visit to Athens in pursuance of some business brought this man into
contact with a former acquaintance of his, Melon, one of the exiles
who had fled for safety to Athens. Melon had various questions to ask
touching the sort of tyranny practised by Archias in the exercise of the
polemarchy, and by Philip. He soon discovered that affairs at home were
still more detestable to Phyllidas than to himself. It only remained
to exchange pledges, and to arrange the details of what was to be done.
After a certain interval Melon, accompanied by six of the trustiest
comrades he could find among his fellow-exiles, set off for Thebes. They
were armed with nothing but daggers, and first of all crept into the
neighbourhood under cover of night. The whole of the next day they lay
concealed in a desert place, and drew near to the city gates in the
guise of labourers returning home with the latest comers from the
fields. Having got safely within the city, they spent the whole of that
night at the house of a man named Charon, and again the next day in the
same fashion. Phyllidas meanwhile was busily taken up with the concerns
of the polemarchs, who were to celebrate a feast of Aphrodite on going
out of office. Amongst other things, the secretary was to take this
opportunity of fulfilling an old undertaking, which was the introduction
of certain women to the polemarchs. They were to be the most majestic
and the most beautiful to be found in Thebes. The polemarchs, on their
side (and the character of the men is sufficiently marked), were looking
forward to the pleasures of the night with joyful anticipation. Supper
was over, and thanks to the zeal with which the master of the ceremonies
responded to their mood, they were speedily intoxicated. To their
oft-repeated orders to introduce their mistresses, he went out and
fetched Melon and the rest, three of them dressed up as ladies and the
rest as their attendant maidens. Having brought them into the treasury
of the polem