The characteristic slowness of the Lacedemonians had prevented them from availing themselves of the first consternation of Athens, and seeing her rise so rapidly to her former greatness, they began to be discouraged from the farther prosecution of the war. Alcibiades, however, urged them to proceed, and endeavoured to strengthen them by the alliance of the Persians. Finding, however, that his levity and dissoluteness bad ruined his influence at Sparta, he went over entirely to the latter ; and finally hoping to regain his footing in Athens, offered to secure for it the Persian alliance, provided an aristocracy were established, and placed under his authority. The c Athenians, feeling the urgency of their affairs, and g disgusted with the party which had impelled them in- n to such precipitate measures, suffered their consent to be extorted to a change so repugnant to all their former habits. A singular mancruvre now took place. Pisander, Antiphon, and other old aristocrats, deter mined, that since this change was to take place, it should be for the benefit of themselves, rather than of one so odious to them as Alcibiades. In his absence, therefore, they procured the consent of the Athe nians to adopt a new system of government, in the room of that which they had so long idolized. The popular assembly was reduced to 5000, by excluding the lowest of the people ; while the chief power was vested in a council of 400 ; and, these being all cho sen ultimately by five prytanes, the whole authority centered in the latter.
This government subsisted for some time without opposition. The people, however, soon grew im patient of restraints to which they were so little ac customed ; and t he new rulers, by abusing their po:ver, aggravated the discontent. In foreign states, too, the aristocratical party, on finding themselves, to their extreme surprise, placed in power by the Athenians, chose rather to trust to the long-tried friendship of Sparta, than to this sudden favour of their inveterate enemies. Several important cities were thus lost to Athens. Meanwhile the army, with Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus at their head, loudly protested against the subversion of Athenian liberty. They recalled Alci biades, who, with characteristic inconstancy,. now embraced the cause of democracy. By his eloquence he charmed all hearts, and soon acquired an absolute ascendant over the troops. He gained over Tissa phernes to the side of Athens ; and under his Qwn command, and that of Thrasybulos, every thing pros ' pored. The latter, with 55 vessels against 73, gained a victory over the Peloponnesians, taking 21 of their ships. Soon after Alcibiades gained a still more sig nal victory at Crzicus. By a: skilful stratagem, lie surrounded the enemy, drove them on shore, took al most their whole fleet, and then landing, put their army to flight.
Meanwhile all was disaster and confusion at Athens. In vain did the aristocratical leaderscndeavour to con ciliate the people by changes in the government ; the discontents rose higher and higher, when a Lacede monian fleet of 40 sail appeared in the bay of Salamis. Without, however, making any attempt upon Athens, it sailed to Eubcca ; but the Athenian fleet sent to oppose it was completely defeated. This disaster produced the immediate dissolution of the new go vernment : Pisander and his accomplices fled to the Lacedemonians : the people resumed their power, and exerted themselves, with their wonted activity, in re pairing their losses. Alcibiades was made command er in chief, and continued his career of victory, by reducing Byzantium, and other great towns on the Thracian coast, always a favourite object of Athenian ambition. He then returned to Athens, where every honour was lavished upon him which ingenuity could devise ; and where he distinguished himself, by con ducting the procession of the Eleusinian mysteries in safety from Athens to Eleusis, which had not been effected since the loss of Decelia.
Alcibiades was now again sent out with the full command of the fleet ; but having gone in person to raise contributions, he left the command of it to an unworthy favourite of the name of Antiochus, who, having rashly left the harbour, and being attacked by Lysander near Ephesus, was entirely defeated. The tide of popular favour was instantly turned ; Alcibia des, so late its idol, was dismissed from all his em ployments, and banished. Ten commanders were then appointed, who seem to have been well chosen, since, besides Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus, they included Conon, one of the greatest of the Athenians, who now for the first time appears on the theatre of his tory. His first enterprise was, however, unfortunate. Being with an inadequate squadron to relieve Lesbos, he was overpowered by numbers, and blocked up in the harbour of Mitylene. The Athenians made extraordinary exertions to relieve him. A fleet of 150 sail was soon fitted out, and sent thither under the command of the other admirals. A battle was then fought at Arginussx, in which the Athenian fleet was completely victorious. Theramenes, how ever, one of the commanders, raised an accusation against the rest, for having neglected the bodies of the slain, and even for having abandoned a number of shipwrecked citizens, whose lives might have been saved. The people, in a paroxysm of frenzy, con demned to death all who had not sought safety in flight ; and six of the best Athenian commanders, among whom were in particular Thrasyllus, Diome don, and the only son of the famous Pericles, were executed.