is 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 relating to the
organization of the constitution, but after appointing a Council of
Five Hundred and the other magistrates out of a thousand selected
candidates, and associating with themselves ten Archons in Piraeus,
eleven superintendents of the prison, and three hundred 'lash-bearers'
as attendants, with the help of these they kept the city under their
own control. At first, indeed, they behaved with moderation towards the
citizens and pretended to administer the state according to the ancient
constitution. In pursuance of this policy they took down from the hill
of Areopagus the laws of Ephialtes and Archestratus relating to the
Areopagite Council; they also repealed such of the statutes of Solon as
were obscure, and abolished the supreme power of the law-courts. In