r were at first predominant and forced the rich to flee
the city. But afterwards, regretting that they had not killed them
all, they took the children of the exiles, assembled them in barns
and had them trodden under the feet of cattle. The rich reentered the
city and became masters of it. In their turn they seized the children
of the poor, coated them with pitch, and burned them alive."

=Democracy and Oligarchy.=--Each of the two parties--rich and
poor--had its favorite form of government and set it in operation when
the party held the city. The party of the rich was the Oligarchy which
gave the government into the hands of a few people. That of the poor
was the Democracy which gave the power to an assembly of the people.
Each of the two parties maintained an understanding with the similar
party in the other cities. Thus were formed two leagues which divided
all the Greek cities: the league of the rich, or Oligarchy, the league
of the poor, or Democracy. This regime began during the Peloponnesian
War. Athens supported the democratic party, Sparta the oligarchic. The
cities in which the poor had the sovereignty allied themselves with
Athens; the cities where the rich governed, with Sparta. Thus at Samos
when the poor gained supremacy they slew two hundred of the rich,
exiled four hundred of them, and confiscated their lands and houses.
Samos then adopted a democratic government and allied itself with
Athens. The Spartan army came to besiege Samos, bringing with it the
rich exiles of Samos who wished to return to the city by force. The
city was captured, set up an oligarchy, and joined the league of
Sparta.

=The Tyrants.=--At length, the poor perceived that the democratic form
of government did not give them strength enough to maintain the
contest. In most of the cities they consented to receive a chief. This
chief was called Tyrant. He governed as master without obeying any
law, condemning to death, and confiscating property at will.
Mercenaries defended him against his enemies. The following anecdote
represents the policy of the tyrants: "Periander, tyrant of Corinth,
sent one day to Thrasybulus, tyrant of Miletus, to ask what conduct he
ought to follow in order to govern with safety. Thrasybulus led the
envoy into the field end walked with him through the wheat, striking
off with his staff all heads that were higher than the others. He sent
off the envoy without further advice." The messenger took him for a
fool,