ATT 
Phoenicia. Alcibiades, being no Granger to their fentiments 
with refpedt to himfelf, had it privately hinted to them, 
that he was deli nous to return to Athens, and would pro¬ 
cure them the friendfhip and afliftance of Tiflaphernes, 
provided they would abolilh the popular form of govern¬ 
ment, and eftabliflt arillocracy. This met with great op- 
polition at firil, particularly from the enemies of Alcibia¬ 
des. But, as there appeared no other means of laving the 
republic from utter ruin, the people at lad confented, tho’ 
much againft their inclination. Pifander, accordingly, 
with ten other deputies, were appointed to treat with Al¬ 
cibiades and Tiflaphernes. But the latter, apprehenfive 
of rendering the Athenians too powerful, and chooling 
rather to adhere to the plan laid down by Alcibiades of 
fomenting war between the two republics, infilled upon it 
as a preliminary condition, that the Athenians fhould re- 
linquiih all their pofleffions in Ionia; and made other de¬ 
mands of Inch an extravagant nature, that the deputies 
broke off the treaty in difguft, convinced that Alcibiades 
had only meant to make them ridiculous. Tiflaphernes 
at the fame time concluded an alliance with the Pelunon- 
nefians, by which he agreed, on their ceding all their pro¬ 
vinces in Alia in favour of his mailer the king of Perlia, 
to defray the expence of the Lacedemonian fleet, till the 
arrival of that of the Perfians. Thefe tranfadlions hap¬ 
pened in the eleventh year of the reign of Darius Nothus. 
At Athens but too much deference was paid to the opi¬ 
nion of Alcibiades. In confequence of his advice, the 
popular government was aboliffied, and arillocracy fet up 
in its place. The whole magiftracy was thrown into the 
hands of four hundred perfons, who were invefted with 
abfolute power. Thefe new rulers foon difeovered their 
tyrannical difpofition. Entering the fenate armed with 
poniards, and furrounded with guards, they dilfolved it, 
after paying the five hundred members of it the falaries 
due to them. Their adminiftration was ufhered in with 
fentences of banifliment, proferiptions, and poifonings, of 
thofe from whom they expedled oppofition. But this vio¬ 
lent behaviour quickly exafperated all the citizens againft 
them; and the army, which was then lying at Samos, hear¬ 
ing of their proceedings, was fo highly enraged, that they 
reduced fuch of their officers as they fufpedled to be con¬ 
nected with the arillocracy, appointed Thrafylus and Thra- 
fybulus in their (lead, and anxioufiy intreated Alcibiades 
to take the chief command. Alcibiades obeyed ; and, 
putting himfelf at the head of the Athenian forces, pro¬ 
ceeded to Miletus, to prefent himfelf in his new dignity 
before Tiflaphernes, and to (hew the fatrap, that the pow¬ 
er of his countrymen was Hill formidable. Returning to 
Samos, he found there meflengers from the four hundred 
waiting for him. But the foldiers would not even deign 
to hear them, infilling to be inllantly led againft the ty¬ 
rants. Alcibiades, however, confidering, that, by depart¬ 
ing with the army from Samos, he fhould leave Ionia ex- 
pofed in a defencelefs fituation to the attempts of the ene¬ 
my, and fearing, befides, left his appearance at Athens 
might be productive of a civil war, in which his country¬ 
men would exhauft their llrength againft each other, refu- 
fed to comply with the requell of the foldiers ; but at the 
fame time he declared it to be his opinion, that it was ne- 
ceflary to abolilh arillocracy, and to reltore the fenate. 
The fleet, which Tiflaphernes had promifed to fend to the 
afliftance of the Peloponnelians, arriving in the mean time 
at Afpendos in Pamphylia, Alcibiades lailed to oppofe its 
proceeding any farther. But the Lacedemonians having 
defeated the fleet fent by the four hundred to the relief of 
Euboea, and having taken pofleffion of that ifland, the 
Athenians were thrown into the greateft conllernation, as 
Euboea furniffied them with the greater part of their pro- 
vifions. Had the Lacedemonians profited, as they ought to 
have done, by the confufion produced by this event at 
Athens, and advanced with their victorious fleet againft; 
that city, the fate of the Athenian republic might in all 
probability have been determined. But the flownefs with 
which the Lacedemonians conducted all their enterprifes 
C A. 523 
gave time to the Athenians to put themfelvcs in a proper 
pofhire of defence. They immediately recalled Alcibia¬ 
des, deprived the four hundred of their authority, and 
fitted out another fleet, of which they gave the command 
to Thrafylus and Thrafybulus. Thefe commanders ac¬ 
cordingly let fail, and, falling in with the enemy’s fleet on 
the coall of the Hellefpont, totally defeated it. 
Alcibiades, naturally fond of glory, and defirous of 
performing fome exploit, before returning to Athens, that 
might render his arrival more welcome to his countrymen, 
cruifed with his fleet about the illands of Cosand Cnidus; 
and, getting intelligence that the other Athenian fleet was 
on the point of coming to a fecond engagement with that 
of the Peloponnelians near Abydos, he hurried to the af- 
fillance of the former, and arrived juft as they were begin¬ 
ning the battle. He immediately fell upon the enemy with 
eighteen (hips, took thirty of them, deftroyed many of 
the remainder, and made a great (laughter of their foldiers 
while endeavouring to fave themfelves by fwimming; up¬ 
on which he ereCled a trophy. Proud of his fuccefs, lie 
refolved to appear once more before Tiflaphernes in all the 
glory of a conqueror But the fatrap, apprehenfive left 
the Lacedemonians Ihould complain of his condudl to the 
Perfian monarch, ordered Alcibiades to be apprehended 
and conveyed to Sardis, informing him at the lame time, 
that he had received orders from his mailer to make war 
on the Athenians. Alcibiades, however, found means to 
efcape, and to get on-board the Athenian fleet, where he 
was quickly joined by Theramenes, with twenty Ihips; and 
foon after by Thralybulus, with twenty more. Finding 
himfelf now at the head of a powerful fleet, of no fewer 
than eighty veflels, he refolved to proceed to Cizicus to 
attack Mindarus, commander of the Peloponnelian fleet, 
and Pharnabazus, who had joined him there. A heavy 
ffiower of rain, attended with thunder, concealed his ap¬ 
proach from the enemy. As loon as it was fair, he fud- 
denly advanced to the attack with forty Ihips. The ene¬ 
my, defpifing the (mall number of his veflels, began the 
engagement with great bravery; but, on feeing the reft of 
his fleet come up, they were feized with a panic, and fled. 
Alcibiades, availing himfelf of their confufion, landed his 
troops, charged thole of Pharnabazus, put them to flight, 
and killed Mindarus with his own hand. 
In Attica, Thrafylus fell upon the rear-guard of the 
Spartan army, which had been led up to the walls of A- 
thens by their king Agis, and defeated them. Then he 
lailed to Samos with fifty (hips; and, having taken Colo¬ 
phon, advanced to Ephefus. But, being repulled by Tif¬ 
laphernes, he returned on-board his fleet, and intercepted 
four Syracufan veflels. About the fame time a battle hap¬ 
pened between Tiflaphernes and Alcibiades, in which the 
former was defeated. By thefe exploits, Alcibiades ren¬ 
dered the Athenians mailers of the Hellefpont. The La¬ 
cedemonians, informed of this, fent ambafladors to Athens 
with propofals of peace. The wifer part of the citizens 
advifed their countrymen to embrace this opportunity of 
making peace; which, in the prefent pollute of their af¬ 
fairs would be greatly to their advantage. But this was 
keenly oppofed by thofe whofe intereft it was to continue 
the war. 
In the next campaign, Alcibiades, whom fuccefs con- 
ftantly attended, refolved to add Chalcedon to his con- 
quells. He accordingly laid liege to that town, and obli¬ 
ged the Bythinians to deliver to him the- provifiotjs they 
intended for the Chalcedonians. The inhabitants attempt¬ 
ed a fally, but were repulfed, and obliged, in lpite of the 
approach of Pharnabazus to their relief, to furrender the 
town. The Athenians afterwards took feveral other pla¬ 
ces. After fo many exploits, Alcibiades delired to expe¬ 
rience the gratitude of his country; and for that pun.ole 
fet fail for the port of Athens. The day of his arrival 
was the mod glorious of his life. All the people of Athens 
went out to meet him, and condudted him in triumph to 
the city. His fleet was loaded and ornamented with the 
fpoils of the enemy; was attendedliy a great number of 'be 
Hups 
