History of the Peloponnesian War

He and his own troops still remained in their former position at Decelea, but the newly arrived forces he sent home, after they had staid in the country some few days. After this, the Four Hundred sent an embassy to Agis nevertheless; and when he now received them more favourably, and advised them to that effect, they sent envoys to Lacedaemon also to negotiate a treaty, being desirous of peace.

They likewise sent ten men to Samos, to reassure the troops, and to tell them that the oligarchy had not been established for the injury of the city and the citizens, but for the preservation of the whole state; moreover, that there were five thousand, and not four hundred only, who had a share in the government; though never yet, in consequence of their expeditions and their foreign occupations, had the Athenians come to consult on a business of such importance that five thousand of them assembled for the purpose.

They gave them, too, all other instructions as to what was suitable for them to say, and despatched them immediately after their own estabment in power, being afraid that a mob of sailors might (as was really the case) both themselves refuse to continue under the government of an oligarchy, and through the evil spreading from that quarter be the means of deposing them.

For at Samos the oligarchy was already made the subject of new measures, and the following events happened at the very time that the Four Hundred were conspiring.

Those of the Samians who had risen up against the aristocratical party, and constituted the commons, turning round again, and being prevailed upon by Pisander on his arrival, and by the Athenians who were in the conspiracy at Samos, both bound themselves by oaths to the number of three hundred, and were prepared to attack the rest, as forming the democratical party.

They also put to death one Hyperbolus, an Athenian, a base fellow, who had been ostracised, not from fear of his influence or rank, but for his villany, and for being a disgrace to the city; acting in the matter in concert with Charminus, one of the generals, and a party of Athenians who were with them, and to whom they had given pledges of faith. They likewise perpetrated other such deeds in conjunction with that party, and had determined to make an attack on the populace.