archs' residence, (3) he returned himself and announced to
Archias and his friends that the women would not present themselves
as long as any of the attendants remained in the room; whereupon they
promptly bade all withdraw, and Phyllidas, furnishing the servants with
a stoup of wine, sent them off to the house of one of them. And now at
last he introduced the mistresses, and led them to their seats beside
their respective lords. It was preconcerted that as soon as they were
seated they were to throw aside their veils and strike home. That is one
version of the death of the polemarchs. (4) According to another, Melon
and his friends came in as revellers, and so despatched their victims.

(2) Lit. "to Archias and his (polemarchs)"; but the Greek phrase does
not, as the English would, imply that there were actually more
than two polemarchs, viz. Archias and Philippus. Hypates and
Leontiades belonged to the faction, but were neither of them
polemarchs.

(3) Lit. "Polemarcheion."

(4) Or, "and so, according to the prevalent version of the matter, the
polemarchs were slain. But some say that..."

That over, Phyllidas, with three of the band, set off to the house of
Leontiades. Arrived there, he knocked on the door, and sent in word that
he had a message from the polemarchs. Leontiades, as chance befell, was
still reclining in privacy after dinner, and his wife was seated beside
him working wools. The fidelity of Phyllidas was well known to him, and
he gave orders to admit him at once. They entered, slew Leontiades, and
with threats silenced his wife. As they went out they ordered the door
to be shut, threatening that if they found it open they would kill every
one in the house. And now that this deed was done, Phyllidas, with two
of the band, presented himself at the prison, telling the gaoler he had
brought a man from the polemarchs to be locked up. The gaoler opened the
door, and was at once despatched, and the prisoners were released. These
they speedily supplied with arms taken from the armoury in the stoa,
and then led them to the Ampheion, (5) and bade them take up a position
there, after which they at once made a proclamation calling on all
Thebans to come out, horse and foot, seeing that the tyrants were dead.
The citizens, indeed, as long as it was night, not knowing whom or
what to trust, kept quiet, but when day dawned and revealed what had
occurred, the summons was responded to with alac