History of the Peloponnesian War

When these forces had been thus disposed, the Four Hundred, each carrying a concealed dagger and accompanied by the one hundred and twenty young men whom they made use of wherever there was any need of their handiwork, broke in upon the regular senators who were in the senate-chamber, and told them to get their pay[*](A drachma each day; see Boeckh, Pub. Econ. Ath., i. 327. For that day they took their pay from the regular official; For the rest of the month the 400 paid it to them.) and go out; and they themselves brought them their pay for all the remainder of their term, and as they went out gave it to them.

When in this manner the senate had quietly withdrawn without making any opposition, and the citizens at large raised no disturbance but kept quiet, the Four Hundred entered the senate-chamber and for the present chose by lot prytanes[*](They were proceeding in the constitutional way. In the regular βουλὴ, the ten tribes took in turn the πρυτανεία or executive control of public affairs for one-tenth of the year (about thirty-five days). The prytanes would have been now forty in number instead of fifty as usual, as the new council consisted of forty from each tribe (Aristot. Ἀθ. Πολ., ch. xxxi.).) from their own number, and with respect to the gods observed all the usual rites of prayers and sacrifices as they assumed office. Afterwards, however, they departed widely from the democratic manner of administration —except that they did not recall the exiles, because of Alcibiades—and in general governed the city in a high-handed way.

A certain number of men, though not many, they put to death, for they thought it convenient to have them out of their way, while others they imprisoned, and also removed others from the city. Moreover, they made overtures to Agis, king of the Lacedaemonians, who was at Deceleia, saying that they wished to make peace and that it was only reasonable that he should be more ready to come to terms with them, having no longer to deal with the faithless democracy.