S9G G R E 
to their defigns, and undertook the prote6tion of the 
populace. When the weather was fair and'favourable, 
he purfiied the fame courfc with his companions, but, 
on the firft change of wind, he thought proper to alter 
his navigation. With fuch an irrefolute fteerfnian it is 
impoflible to govern the helm of the republic, and to 
guide the vefl'cl to her deftined harbour. This danger¬ 
ous inconfidency ought, indeed, to have been expetled 
from a man to whofe charadler perfidy is congenial. He 
began his political career under tire direftion of his 
father Hagnon, a violent partifan of democracy. He 
afterwards changed his fyllem, in order to obtain the 
favour of the nobles. He both etlabliflied and dilfolved 
the government of tire four hundred ; and the whole 
drain of his behaviour proves him unfit to govern, and 
unworthy to live.” The tyrant then made a fignal to 
tire armed men, to (hew the points of their daggers; and 
depping forward, faid, “ It is the duty, O fenators ! 
Of a prudent nragidrate, to prevent the deception and 
danger of his friends. The countenance of thofe brave 
youths (pointing to his anircd partifans) fufficiently dil- 
covers tliat they will not permit you to fave a man who 
is irranifedly fubverting the government: I, therefore, 
with the approbation of my colleagues, condeirrn him 
to'iiirmediate death.” Roufed by tiiis unexpefted and 
fevere fenteirce, Theranrenes darted from his feat, and 
fprang to tire altar of tire lenate-houle, at once implor¬ 
ing the c&mp.-'.ilion and urging the intered of tlie fpec- 
tators, wiiole lives .niiglu be facrificed as unjndly and 
cruelly as Iris own. But the terror of armed violence 
prevented any afiidance; and he was dragged from tire 
altar, and hurried to execution. 
In exerciling" (uch abominable affs of cruelty, the 
Thirty probably confulted the immediate fafeiy of tiieir 
perloirs, but they precipitated the downfal of their power. 
The opprelfed Athenians, w'hofe fiilt'erings feemed no 
longer tolerable, required oniy a leader to rovrfc them to 
arms, and to conducl them to vidlory and to vengeance. 
This danger the tyrants had greater reafon to apprehend, 
fince they could not expeet a rcintorceirreirt to the garri- 
fon, while the efforts of Lyfander and the Spartans were 
principally diredled towards the extenlion of their Aiia- 
tic conquelis. The abilities and refentment of Alci- 
biades pointed him out as the perfon beft qualified to 
undertake the arduous and lionourable delign ot re-al- 
fembling tile fugitives, and of animating them with 
courage to recover their lo(t country ; but the cruel 
fears ot the tyrants purfued him to his; lafl retreat, 
where he was moil iniquitoiifly alfaffinated. Alrhough 
the life of Alcibiades had been liighly pernicious to his 
country, h.is death, at this particular juncture, luiglit 
be regarded as a iiusfortune, had not the Athenian ex¬ 
iles been iieaded by a man wl.o pollefi'ed his exrellen. 
cies, unmiiigled with his defedts and vices. The enter- 
piifing courage of'1 hrafybulus was animated by tiie 
love of liberty; and, while he-generally fullovied the 
rules of jiiftice and humanity, he had magnanimity to 
conceive, abilities to condudt, and pei feverance to ac- 
complifli, the boldelt and iiioti aiduoiis deiigns. Having 
communicated his intentions to the unhappy fugitives 
in Thebes and Megara', he encouraged a body of tcventy 
intrepid followers to ieize the inijjortant fortrels of 
Phyla, fituate on the Boeotian and Athenian fionticr. 
Meanwhile the orator Lyfias, whole domeltic fnfierings 
are above detcribed, collected three hundred men to 
take vengeance on the niurdeiers of his biother, and 
the iu.tiiurs of his own baniJhment. 1 hete and other 
ulefnl fnppiies encouraged Thralybiilits to liirpril'e and 
attack the P.iaius. This enierprile was crowned with 
fticccfs, although the tyrants brought forth their whole 
force to opj.oleit. The battle was neitlier long nor 
bloody; but Critias and Hipjioniachus, tlie two moll 
violent ot the tyrants, were ha| pily among the tiain. 
Ten magifirates (one elected from each tribe) were now 
E C E. 
appointed to govern Athens; and the fiirviving tyrants, 
with thofe who were united with them in guilt, fled to 
Eleufis. 
It might be expedled that the Decemvirs, who af- 
fumed the government, fhould have been deterred from 
injudice by thefaial example of their predecetTors. But 
in the turbulent republics of Greece, however free in 
theory, men were little acquainted with the benefits of 
pratlical liberty. Whether the nobles, or people, or a 
prevailing faiilion of either, whatever party in the date, 
obtained the chief adminillration, their authority was 
alniod alike opprelfive and tyrannical. Alternately 
maders and flaves, thofe fierce, republicans were either 
unable «r unwilling to di aw that decifive and imper¬ 
vious line between the power of government and the 
liberty of thefubjedt; a line which forms the only fo- 
lid barrier of an uniform, confident, and rational, free¬ 
dom. The ten had no fooner been inveded with the 
enfigns of command, than they /hewed airequal inclina¬ 
tion witli the tliirty to obey the Lacedaemonians, and 
to tyrannife over their fellow.cirizens. AHer various 
tkirmithes, which liappcned in the courfe of two weeks, 
and generally proved honourable to the bravery and 
condudl of Thralybulus, the tyrants both in Eleufis 
and in Athens ditpatched tnedengers to folicit allidance 
from Sparta and l.yfander. That enterprifing leader 
employed his ufual diligence to protedl the government 
whii'h he had edahlillied. At tlie head of a powerful 
body of mercenaries, he marched to the Piraeus, which 
he inveded by land; while his brother Libys, who 
commanded a contiderable fquadron, blocked up the 
harbour. 
Thefe vigorous exertions redored the hopes of the 
tyranrs ; nor can it be doubted that Thrafybulus and 
his followers mud have been compelled to furrender, 
had the Spartan commanders been aliower! lo act with¬ 
out controul. But tlie arrogance of Lytander, and the 
rapacity of his dependants, provoked the indignation 
and refentment of whatever was mod refpettabie in his 
country. The kings, magidrates, and fenate, confpired 
to humble his ambition ; and, led he dioiild Ciijuy the 
glory of conquering Athens a fi coiid time, Raiitanias, 
the moll popular and beloved of the Spartan princes, 
hadily levied the domedic troops, and a contiderable 
body of Peloponnefian allies, and marching through the 
idhimis of Corinth, encamped in the neigliboiirliood of 
Athens, determined to anticipate and tiiwart the mea- 
fures of Lyfander. Paufanias fent a deputation to the 
Athenians, to apprife them that, intlead of dedroying 
their perlons, he wiliied to proved their liberties ; and, 
fifteen commiflioners were appointed, who, in conjunc¬ 
tion wi:h Faiifiuiias, were empowereil to fettle tne af¬ 
fairs of cvci'.ens. With the approbation, or rather by 
tlie coiTiiiiand, of thofe minider)., the Athenian fadions 
ceafed from hodility ; the tyiants v/erc tuveded of their 
power; the foreign ganifon was withdrawn ; and the 
populai government re-edablilhed. This iinpoitaut re¬ 
volution was leiiiarkable for its tingular rnildnefs. The, 
authors of the mod opprelfive ut'urpation recorded in 
tiie ai.nals of any people, were allowed to retii e in talety 
to Eleufis. Thralybulus condutiled a military procell 
fion to the temple ot Minerva in th.e citadel, where the 
acknowledgments of thanks and facrifice were offered 
to that protecting divinity, who had redored the vir. 
tuous exiles to their country, and healed the divifions 
of the date. 1 he citizens who had been banithed, and 
thofe who had driven them into banitlinienr, jgined in 
tills religious duty ; alter which, convening in fuil af- 
fembly, tney were addrefled by Thrafybuius in thefe 
memorable words ; 
“ L he experience of your pad tranfaClions may en¬ 
able you, men of Athens! to know each other, and to 
know yourtelves. On what pretence could you, who 
drove us from the city, abet a tyrannical faction ^ 
2 Why 
