History of the Peloponnesian War

As for Theramenes, he went to the Peiraeus (he was himself one of the generals) and, so far as shouting was concerned, showed anger at the hoplites; but Aristarchus and those who were opposed to the populace were really displeased.

Most of the hoplites, however, grappled with the task in hand and showed no change of purpose, and they asked Theramenes whether he thought that the fort was being built with any good end in view, and whether it were not better demolished. He answered that if it seemed good to them to demolish it, so it seemed to him also. Thereupon the hoplites and many of the people of Peiraeus at once mounted the fortification and began to tear it down.

And the exhortation addressed to the crowd was, “Whoever wants the Five Thousand to rule in place of the Four Hundred, let him set to work.” For in spite of everything they were still concealing their purpose under the name of the “Five Thousand,” so as not to say outright, “Whoever wants the people to rule”; for they were afraid that the Five Thousand did in reality exist and that one man in speaking to another might without knowing it get into trouble.[*](ie. that the man to whom he suggested a democratic revolution might himself be one of the Five Thousand.) And in fact this was the reason why the Four Hundred did not wish either that the Five Thousand should actually exist or that it should become known that they did not exist— because they thought, on the one hand, that to make so many men partners in the government was outright democracy, and, on the other hand, that the uncertainty would inspire fear in each against his neighbour.