14; cf. Aristoph. "Ach." 904; Xen. "Mem." II. ix. 1.

And now that they had got the garrison, they fell to flattering
Callibius with all servile flattery, in order that he might give
countenance to their doings. Thus they prevailed on him to allow some
of the guards, whom they selected, to accompany them, while they
proceeded to lay hands on whom they would; no longer confining
themselves to base folk and people of no account, but boldly laying
hands on those who they felt sure would least easily brook being
thrust aside, or, if a spirit of opposition seized them, could command
the largest number of partisans.

These were early days; as yet Critias was of one mind with Theramenes,
and the two were friends. But the time came when, in proportion as
Critias was ready to rush headlong into wholesale carnage, like one
who thirsted for the blood of the democracy, which had banished him,
Theramenes balked and thwarted him. It was barely reasonable, he
argued, to put people to death, who had never done a thing wrong to
respectable people in their lives, simply because they had enjoyed
influence and honour under the democracy. "Why, you and I, Critias,"
he would add, "have said and done many things ere now for the sake of
popularity." To which the other (for the terms of friendly intimacy
still subsisted) would retort, "There is no choice left to us, since
we intend to take the lion's share, but to get rid of those who are
best able to hinder us. If you imagine, because we are thirty instead
of one, our government requires one whit the less careful guarding
than an actual tyranny, you must be very innocent."

So things went on. Day after day the list of persons put to death for
no just reason grew longer. Day after day the signs of resentment were