14 HISTORY OF GREECE. sembly. Many speakers rose in animated defence of the democ- racy ; few, if any, distinctly against it. The opponents of Alki- biades indignantly denounced the mischief of restoring him, in violation of the laws, and in reversal of a judicial sentence, while the Eumolpidas and Kerykes, the sacred families connected with the Eleusinian mysteries which Alkibiades had violated, entered their solemn protest on religious grounds to the same effect. Against all these vehement opponents, whose impassion- ed invectives obtained the full sympathy of the assembly, Pei- sander had but one simple reply. He called them forward suc- cessively by name, and put to each the question : " What hope have you of salvation for the city, when the Peloponnesians have a naval force against us fully equal to ours, together with a greater number of allied cities, and when the king as well as Tissaphernes are supplying them with money, while we have no money left ? What hope have you of salvation, unless we can persuade the king to come over to our side ? " The answer was a melancholy negative, or perhaps not less melancholy silence. " Well, then, rejoined Peisander, that object cannot possibly be attained, unless we conduct our political affairs for the future in a more moderate way, and put the powers of government more in the hands of a few, and unless we recall Alkibiades, the only man now living who is competent to do the business. Under present circumstances, we surely shall not lay greater stress upon our po- litical constitution than upon the salvation of the city ; the rather as what we now enact may be hereafter modified, if it be found not to answer." Against the proposed oligarchical change, the repugnance of the assembly was alike angry and unanimous. But they were silenced by the imperious necessity of the case, as the armament at Sa- mos had been before ; and admitting the alternative laid down by Peisander, as I have observed already, the most democratical citizen might be embarrassed as to his vote. Whether any speaker, like Phrynichus at Samos, arraigned the fallacy of the alternative, and called upon Peisander for some guarantee, better than mere asseveration, of the benefits to come, we are not Informed. But the general vote of the assembly, reluctant and only passed in the hope of future change, sanctioned his recom-
