History of the Peloponnesian War

However this may be, after the announcement of their defeat the Athenians, in spite of their difficulties, manned twenty ships, and also called meetings of the assembly—one immediately, which was called to meet on that occasion for the first time in the place called Pnyx, where at other times also they had been wont to meet.[*](ie. this was the first recognition of the Pnyx as once more the true seat of the assembly. The last assembly which had formally met had been held at Colonus (8.67.2); one appointed, but not held, was to have met at the theatre of Dionysus (8.93.3).) At this meeting they deposed the Four Hundred, voted to deliver the management of affairs to the Five Thousand (and all who could furnish themselves with a hoplite's outfit were to belong to this number), and decided that no one was to receive pay for any office, the offender to be accounted accursed.

Other meetings also were held later, at frequent intervals, as a result of which they appointed supervisors of the laws[*](The νομοθέται were a committee of jurors (ἡλιασταὶ) to whom ambiguities and contradictions in the laws, as well as proposed changes in them, were referred by the Senate.) and voted the other measures pertaining to their form of government. And during the first period the Athenians appear to have enjoyed the best government they ever had, at least in my time; for there was a moderate blending of the few and the many, and this it was that first caused the state to recover from the wretched plight into which it had fallen.

And they also voted to recall Alcibiades and others with him; and sending envoys both to him and to the army at Samos, they urged them to take a hand in their affairs.

At this change the party of Peisander and Alexicles and all the leading supporters of the oligarchy at once secretly left the city and went to Deceleia; but Aristarchus, alone of these, since he chanced to be a general, hastily took some bowmen of the most barbarous sort[*](The τοξόται in question are the police or city-guard of slaves, mostly drawn from Scythia (hence βαρβαροι). See Boeckh, Oecon. i. 276-278.) and proceeded to Oenoe.

It was an Athenian fortress on the borders of Boeotia, and the Corinthians, having called to their aid the Boeotians, were besieging it on their own account, because of a misfortune they had suffered at the hands of the garrison at Oenoe when they lost some men as they were returning from Deceleia.