History of the Peloponnesian War

Peisander, then, and his companions proceeded along the coast abolishing the democracies in the cities, as had been determined upon, and came to Athens, bringing with them from some places hoplites as supporters. There they found that most of the business had already been accomplished by their associates.

For some of the younger men had combined and secretly put to death a certain Androcles, the most prominent leader of the popular party, the man who had done most to bring about the banishment of Alcibiades.[*](cf. 6.89.5. Androcles, according to Plutarch (Alcib. 19), was the demagogue who produced slaves and metics as witnesses to prove Alcibiades guilty of mutilating the Hermae and profaning the Mysteries (Thuc. 6.28.1). See also Andocides, Myst. 27.) And him they destroyed for two reasons-on account of his being a popular leader, and somewhat the more because they thought it would gratify Alcibiades, who was likely to be recalled and to make Tissaphernes a friend; and some others that were inconvenient they secretly made away with in the same manner.

Moreover, a proposal had already been openly made by them that no others ought to receive pay except those who were serving in the war, and that not more than five thousand should share in the government, and they only so far as they were especially competent to serve the state with both property and person.