this they claimed to be restoring the constitution and freeing it from
obscurities; as, for instance, by making the testator free once for all
to leave his property as he pleased, and abolishing the existing
limitations in cases of insanity, old age, and undue female influence,
in order that no opening might be left for professional accusers. In
other matters also their conduct was similar. At first, then, they
acted on these lines, and they destroyed the professional accusers and
those mischievous and evil-minded persons who, to the great detriment
of the democracy, had attached themselves to it in order to curry
favour with it. With all of this the city was much pleased, and thought
that the Thirty were doing it with the best of motives. But so soon as
they had got a firmer hold on the city, they spared no class of
citizens, but put to death any persons who were eminent for wealth or
birth or character. Herein they aimed at removing all whom they had
reason to fear, while they also wished to lay hands on their
possessions; and in a short time they put to death not less than
fifteen hundred persons.

Part 36

Theramenes, however, seeing the city thus falling into ruin, was
displeased with their proceedings, and counselled them to cease such
unprincipled conduct and let the better classes have a share in the
government. At first they resisted his advice, but when his proposals
came to be known abroad, and the masses began to associate themselves
with him, they were seized with alarm lest he should make himself the
leader of the people and destroy their despotic power. Accordingly
they drew up a list of three thousand citizens, to whom they announced
that they would give a share in the constitution. Theramenes, however,
criticized this scheme also, first on the ground that, while proposing
to give all respectable citizens a share in the constitution, they were
actually giving it only to three thousand persons, as though all merit
were confined within that number; and secondly because they were doing
two inconsistent things, since they made the government rest on the
basis of force, and yet made the governors inferior in strength to the
governed. However, they took no notice of his criticisms, and for a
long time put off the publication of the list of the Three Thousand and
kept to themselves the names of those who had been placed upon it; and
every time they did decide to publish it they proceeded to strike out