894 G R E 
Pliilocle? wliat he deferved to fuifer for his, intended 
cruelty. The Athenian replied with finunefs, “ Accyfe 
noi thofe wIiqip. you are entitled to judge, butinfl.ifton 
us the fame punifhinent whirh we, in a different fortune, 
would have infllffted on our enemies.” The words were 
fcarcely ended, when Lylander hacked him in pieces. 
The Pi'loponnefian foldiers followed the favage exam¬ 
ple of il'.eir commander. Of three thouiand Athenians, 
Adimamus alone was {pared, becaufe he had oppoi'ed 
the deteftable rei'olution of Pltilocles. 
During his Autrious triumphs, Lyfander never loft 
fight of the reduction of Athens; an object important 
in itielf, and neceff ry to the completion of his exten- 
five plan. The vigilance of the Peloponneftan fquadrons 
prevented the ui'ual fupplies of foreign grain from reach¬ 
ing that diftreffed city. In all the towns wliich furrea- 
dered, or which were taken by ftorm, the Athenian 
gariifons were faved from immediate death, only on 
condition that they returned to their native country. 
By fuch contrivances the crafty Spartan expeCfed that 
the fcarcity of provifions would foon compel the grow¬ 
ing multitude of inhabitants to fubmit to the Lacedae¬ 
monian army at Decelia. But the Athenians, who de- 
fpifed the alfaults of the enemy, braved the hard (hips 
of famine. Even after Lyfander had blocked up their 
.harbours with an hundred and fifty fail, they (till vigo- 
roufly defended their walls and ramparts; patiently en¬ 
dured fatigue and hunger; and beheld with obftinate 
unconcern, the affliction of their wives and children. 
Amidft the ravages of death and difeafe, which advanced 
with increafing horror, they puniftied, with the utmoft 
feverity, the ignoble cowardice of Archeliratus, who 
firft mentioned capitulation, and declared that the fame 
moment fliould put an end to their independence and 
their lives. 
But notwithftanding the melancholy firmnefs of the 
popular affembly, a numerous and powerful party in the 
ftate was governed rather by intereft than by honour ; 
and the greateft enemies of Athenian liberty flourifhed 
in the bofom of the republic. The ariftocratical leaven 
of the Four Hundred had infeCted the whole body of 
the fenate ; and not only the incbnftant Theramenes, 
but feveral other men of abilities and influence, who 
liad been moft aCtive in fubverting that cruel tyranny, 
regretted the reftoration of democracy to a people, who, 
as appeared from their conduCl, were unable to enjoy, 
withqut abuling, the invaluable gift of freedom. In 
republican governments, the misfortunes which ought 
to bind all ranks, of men in the firmert and moft indiffo- 
luble union, have often little other tendency than to 
exafperate the political factions which rend and diftraCl 
t.hc community. Amidft every form of public diftrefs, 
the Athenians caballed, clamoured, accufed and per- 
fectited each other; apd the, faCtipn of the. nobles, who 
a.Cted with fuperior concert, vigour, and addrel's, de- 
ftroyed, by dark infmuations, falfe vyitneffes, perjury, 
and every other fpecies of legal fraud and cruelty, the 
feditious Cleophon, and other turbulent demagogues, 
who might moft efieCtually have oppofed their mealures. 
In tipe midft of this confufion and diftrefs, Theramenes 
propofed an embairy to Lacedaemon, which Ihould re-, 
queft a fufpenfion of hoftilities, and,obtain, if pollible, 
fome uioderate terms of accommodation. He named 
hirqfelf, with nine colleagues, as the pe.iddns beft quali¬ 
fied to undertake this important commiflion; flattering 
the people in the cleareft and, lead ambiguous terms, 
w.itli an undoubted profpeCt of fuccefs. A decree was 
irnmediately paffed, invefting the ambalfadors with full 
powers* They adumed tfie (acred badge of their invio¬ 
lable cliara.Cler, reached in fafety the Spartan camp, 
Le.bl a conference with king Agis, and afterwards rci 
paired to the Lacedremonian capital. During four 
jponths. they carried on, their pretended negociation with, 
the fenate,, the ephori, and efpecially with Lylander, 
Mshofe awthoiLty,, being uukajovsn t,o tlie ancient, conftitu- 
E C E; 
tiori of Sparta, _ was far more extenfive than that of all 
tlie otlier magi'ftrates together. With him, principally, 
the plan.was concerted for compelling the Athenians to 
fubmit to terms of difgrace. The fortificatioiis of their 
harbours were to be d^molifhed, as well as the lono- 
walls which joined them with the ciiy: they were to 
funender all t.heir (hips but twelve; to refign every 
pretenfion to their ancient pollefflons in foieign p.u ts ; 
to recal from banifliment the furviving members of the 
late tyrannical ariftocracy; to follow the ftandard of 
Sparta in war; and, in peace, to mould their political 
conftitmion after riie model wluch that vi(5torious re¬ 
public might think fit to jirefcribe. When 'I'heramenes 
produced thefe humiliating- fruits of his boafted nego¬ 
ciation, the Athenians bad no longer either ftrength to 
refift, or courage to die. During the long abfence of 
their anibaffadors, the (iege had been earned on with 
redoubled vigour. The Lacedaemonians, reinforced by 
the Thebans, as well as by their numerous allies of 
Peloponnefus, liad invefted the city on every fide; the 
harbours were clofely blocked up by Lyfander, who bad 
become mafter of Melos, Ceos, ^gina, and Salamis^ 
illands fo near to Athens that they were almott reg-mded 
as a part of the Attic territory. Tlie greateft mifery pre¬ 
vailed within the walls; the famine was intolerable, and 
the difeafes more intolerable than the famine. 
On the i6th of May, in the year before Chrift 404,, 
the day on which the Athenians had been acciiftomed 
to celebrate the anniverfary of the immortal victory of 
Salamis, the hoftile armament took poiTeffion of their 
harbours; the combined army entered their gates. The 
walls, and tortrelies of the city ot Minerva, which the 
generous magnanimity of its inhabitants, preferring the 
public fafety to their own, Jiad abandoned in defence of 
Greece to the fury of a barbarian invader, were ungrate¬ 
fully levelled to the ground by the implacable refent- 
meut of the Greeks themfelves; who executed their de- 
ftruCtive purpofe with all the eagernefs of emulation, 
boafting, amidft the triumphs of martial miific, that the 
demolition of Athens would be regarded, in fiicceedintt, 
ages, as the true era of Grecian freedom. Yet, after 
they had gratified their vengeance, they feemed to re¬ 
gret its. effedls. The day was concluded with a mag¬ 
nificent feftival, in which the recitation of the poets 
formed, as ufnal, the principal ornament of the enter¬ 
tainment. Among other pieces was rehearfed the Elec- 
tra of Euripides, and particularly that affehting chorus, 
“ We come, O daughter of Agamemnon! to thy ruftic 
and humble roof.” The wo-rds were fcarcely uttered, 
when the whole afTembly melted into tears; the forlorn 
condition of that young and virtuous princefs, expelled 
the royal palace of her father, and inhabiting a mif.erable 
cottage, in want and wretchednefs, recalling the dread¬ 
ful viciffitude- of fortune which had befallen Athens, 
o,nce miftrefs of the fea, and fovereign of Greece, but 
deprived, in one fatal hour, of her (hips, her walls, and 
her ftrength, and reduced, from the pride of pow’.er and 
profperity, to mifery, dependence, and fervLtude, with¬ 
out exerting one memorable effort to brighten the laft 
moment of her deftiny, and to render her fall illufti ious. 
Thus did the fail of Athens, and the acknowledged 
fuperiority of Sparta, terminate the memorable Felo- 
ponnefian war, of twenty-feven years duration. Lace- 
d®inon, alliecfto Perfia, became decidedly the leading- 
power oi Greece; and ariftocracy triumphed over the 
democratical form of government in almoft every com- 
moijwealth of the Grecian ftates. 
From FA.LL of ATHENS to the PEACE 
OF ANTALCIDAS. 
The Athenians liad furrendered their fleet; their walls 
and harbours were demoliffled ; the citadel was occu¬ 
pied by a, Lacedsemonian garrifon; their government 
was ufurped by thirty men, the dependants and crea¬ 
tures of Sparta! The furious and profligate Critias 
formed 
