1342 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES OF nesus to assist the Argives against the Lacedaemonians, but are defeated at the battle of Mantineia. Alliance between Sparta and Argos. Fifteenth year of the Peloponnesian war. Sixteenth year of the Peloponnesian war. The Athenians conquer Melos. Agathon, the tragic poet, gains the prize. Seventeenth year of the Peloponnesian war. The Athenian expedition against Sicily. It sailed after midsummer, commanded by Nicias, Alcibiades, and Lamachus. Muti- lation of the Hermae at Athens before the fleet sailed. The Athenians take Catana. Alcibiades is recalled home : he makes his escape, and takes refuge with the Lacedaemonians. Andocides, the orator, imprisoned on the mutilation of the Hermae. He escapes by turning informer. He afterwards went to Cyprus and other countries. Xenocles, the tragic poet, gains the first prize. Archippus, the comic poet, gains the prize. Eighteenth year of the Peloponnesian war. Second campaign in Sicily. The Athe- nians invest Syracuse. Gylippus the Lacedaemonian comes to the assistance of the Syracusans. The Birds and Amphiaraus (a lost drama) of Aristophanes. Araeipsias, the comic poet, gains the prize with his Kw/iaoTTaf. Nineteenth year of the Peloponnesian war. Invasion of Attica and fortification of De- celea, on the advice of Alcibiades. Third campaign in Sicily. Demosthenes sent with a large force to the assistance of the Athenians, Total destruction of the Athenian army and fleet. Nicias and Demosthenes surrender and are put to death on the 12th or 13th of September, 16 or' 17 days after the eclipse of the moon, which took place on the 27th of August. Hegemon of Thasos, the comic poet, was exhibiting his parody of the Giganto- machia^ when the news arrived at Athens of the defeat in Sicily. Twentieth year of the Peloponnesian war. The Lesbians revolt from Athens. Alci- biades sent by the Lacedaemonians to Asia to form a treaty with the Persians. He succeeds in his mission and foi-ms a treaty with Tissaphemes, and urges the Athenian allies in Asia to revolt. The Athenians make use of the 1000 talents deposited for extreme emergencies. The Andromeda of Euripides. Twenty-first year of the Peloponnesian war. Democracy abolished at Athens, and the government entrusted to a council of Four Hundred. This council holds the govern- ment four months. The Athenian army at Samos recalls Alcibiades from exile and appoints him one of their generals. He is afterwards recalled by a vote of the people at Athens, but he remained abroad for the next fo'or years at the head of the 410 409 408 407 406 405 404 403 Athenian forces. Mindarus the Lace- daemonian admiral defeated at Cynossema. Antiphon, the orator, had a great share in the establishment of the Four Hundred. After their downfal he is brought to trial and put to death. The history of Thucydides suddenly breaks off" in the middle of this year. The Lysistrata and Thesmophoriazv.sae of Aristophanes. Lysias returns from Thurii to Athens. Twenty-second year of the Peloponnesian war. Mindarus defeated and slain by Alcibiades at Cyzicus. Twenty-third year of the Peloponnesian war. The Philodetes of Sophocles. Plato aet. 20 begins to hear Socrates. Twenty-fourth year of the Peloponnesian war. Alcibiades recovers Byzantium. The Orestes of Euripides. The Plutus of Aristophanes. Twenty-fifth year of the Peloponnesian war. Alcibiades returns to Athens. Lysander appointed the Lacedaemonian admiral and supported by Cyrus, who this year received the government of the countries on the Asiatic coast. Antiochus, the lieutenant of Alcibiades, defeated by Lysander at Notium in the absence of Alcibiades. Alcibiades is in consequence banished, and ten new generals appointed. Antiphanes, the comic poet, bom. Twenty-sixth year of the Peloponnesian war. Callicratidas, who succeeded Lysander as Lacedaemonian admiral, defeated by the Athenians in the sea-fight off" the Ar~ ginussae islands. The Athenian generals condemned to death, because they had not picked up the bodies of those who had fallen in the battle. Dionysius becomes master of Syracuse. Death of Euripides. Death of Sophocles. [See Vol. IIL p. 868, b.] Philistus of Syracuse, the historian, espoused the cause of Dionysius. Twenty-seventh year of the Peloponnesian war. Lysander defeats the Athenians oft' Aegospotami, and takes or destroys all their fleet with the exception of eight ships which fled with Conon to Cyprus. The Frogs of Aristophanes acted in February at the Lenaea. Twenty-eighth and last year of the Pelopon- nesian war. Athens taken by Lysander in the spring on the 1 6th of the month Munychion. Democracy abolished, and the government entrusted to thirty men, usually called the Thirty Tyrants. The Thirty Tyrants held their power for eight months, till Thrasybulus occupied Phyle and advanced to the Peiraeeus. Death of Alcibiades during the tyranny of the Thirty. Lysias banished after the battle of Aegospotami. Thrasybulus and his party obtain possession of the Peiraeeus, from whence they carried on war for several months against the Ten, the successors of the Thirty. They ob-
