Hellenica | Page 6

them to indulge in faction against the State, but rather it
was their duty, in case any charges were forthcoming against
themselves, at once to render an account." When, however, no one had
any kind of accusation to prefer, they yielded to the general demand,
and were content to await the arrival of their successors. The names of
these were--Demarchus, the son of Epidocus; Myscon, the son of
Mencrates; and Potamis, the son of Gnosis.
The captains, for their part, swore to restore the exiled generals as soon
as they themselves should return to Syracuse. At present with a general
vote of thanks they despatched them to their several destinations. It
particular those who had enjoyed the society of Hermocrates recalled
his virtues with regret, his thoroughness and enthusiasm, his frankness
and affability, the care with which every morning and evening he was
wont to gather in his quarters a group of naval captains and mariners
whose ability he recognised. These were his confidants, to whom he
communicated what he intended to say or do: they were his pupils, to
whom he gave lessons in oratory, now calling upon them to speak
extempore, and now again after deliberation. By these means

Hermocrates had gained a wide reputation at the council board, where
his mastery of language was no less felt than the wisdom of his advice.
Appearing at Lacedaemon as the accuser of Tissaphernes,[9] he had
carried his case, not only by the testimony of Astyochus, but by the
obvious sincerity of his statements, and on the strength of this
reputation he now betook himself to Pharnabazus. The latter did not
wait to be asked, but at once gave him money, which enabled him to
collect friends and triremes, with a view to his ultimate recall to
Syracuse. Meanwhile the successors of the Syracusans had arrived at
Miletus, where they took charge of the ships and the army.
[9] The matter referred to is fully explained Thuc. viii. 85.
It was at this same season that a revolution occurred in Thasos,
involving the expulsion of the philo-Laconian party, with the Laconian
governor Eteonicus. The Laconian Pasippidas was charged with having
brought the business about in conjunction with Tissaphernes, and was
banished from Sparta in consequence. The naval force which he had
been collecting from the allies was handed over to Cratesippidas, who
was sent out to take his place in Chios.
About the same period, while Thrasylus was still in Athens, Agis[10]
made a foraging expedition up to the very walls of the city. But
Thrasylus led out the Athenians with the rest of the inhabitants of the
city, and drew them up by the side of the Lyceum Gymnasium, ready to
engage the enemy if they approached; seeing which, Agis beat a hasty
retreat, not however without the loss of some of his supports, a few of
whom were cut down by the Athenian light troops. This success
disposed the citizens to take a still more favourable view of the objects
for which Thrasylus had come; and they passed a decree empowering
him to call out a thousand hoplites, one hundred cavalry, and fifty
triremes.
[10] The reader will recollect that we are giving in "the Deceleian"
period of the war, 413-404 B.C. The Spartan king was in command of
the fortress of Deceleia, only fourteen miles distant from Athens, and
erected on a spot within sight of the city. See Thuc. vii. 19, 27, 28.
Meanwhile Agis, as he looked out from Deceleia, and saw vessel after
vessel laden with corn running down to Piraeus, declared that it was
useless for his troops to go on week after week excluding the Athenians
from their own land, while no one stopped the source of their corn

supply by sea: the best plan would be to send Clearchus,[11] the son of
Rhamphius, who was proxenos[12] of the Byzantines, to Chalcedon
and Byzantium. The suggestion was approved, and with fifteen vessels
duly manned from Megara, or furnished by other allies, Clearchus set
out. These were troop-ships rather than swift-sailing men-of-war. Three
of them, on reaching the Hellespont, were destroyed by the Athenian
ships employed to keep a sharp look-out on all merchant craft in those
waters. The other twelve escaped to Sestos, and thence finally reached
Byzantium in safety.
[11] Of Clearchus we shall hear more in the sequel, and in the
"Anabasis."
[12] The Proxenus answered pretty nearly to our "Consul," "Agent,"
"Resident"; but he differed in this respect, that he was always a member
of the foreign State. An Athenian represented Sparta at Athens; a
Laconian represented Athens at Sparta, and so forth. See Liddell and
Scott.
So closed the year--a year notable also for the expedition against Sicily
of the Carthaginians under Hannibal with one hundred thousand men,
and the