§14.3.1ἀναρχίας γὰρ οὔσης Ἀθήνησι διὰ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῆς ἡγεμονίας, ἔτος μὲν ἦν ὀγδοηκοστὸν πρὸς τοῖς ἑπτακοσίοις μετὰ τὴν Τροίας ἅλωσιν, ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ χιλίαρχοι διεδέξαντο τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν τέτταρες, Γάιος Φολούιος καὶ Γάιος Σερουίλιος καὶ Γάιος Οὐαλέριος καὶ Νουμέριος Φάβιος, ἤχθη δὲ Ὀλυμπιὰς κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν τετάρτη πρὸς ταῖς ἐνενήκοντα, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα Κορκίνας Λαρισαῖος.
While there was anarchy in Athens due to the collapse of their hegemony, it was the seven hundred and eightieth year after the capture of Troy, and in Rome four military tribunes, Gaius Fulvius, Gaius Servilius, Gaius Valerius, and Numerius Fabius, succeeded to the consular power, and in this year the ninety-fourth Olympiad was celebrated, in which Corcinas of Larissa won the stadion.
§14.3.2κατὰ δὲ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν καταπεπονημένοι ἐποιήσαντο συνθήκας πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους, καθʼ ἃς ἔδει τὰ τείχη τῆς πόλεως καθελεῖν καὶ τῇ πατρίῳ πολιτείᾳ χρῆσθαι.
Around these times, the Athenians, being completely exhausted, made a treaty with the Lacedaemonians, according to which they had to demolish the walls of the city and use their ancestral constitution.
καὶ τὰ μὲν τείχη περιεῖλον, περὶ δὲ τῆς πολιτείας πρὸς ἀλλήλους διεφέροντο.
And while they did pull down the walls, they differed with one another concerning the constitution.
§14.3.3οἱ γὰρ τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας ὀρεγόμενοι τὴν παλαιὰν κατάστασιν ἔφασαν δεῖν ἀνανεοῦσθαι, καθʼ ἣν παντελῶς ὀλίγοι τῶν ὅλων προειστήκεισαν· οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι δημοκρατίας ὄντες ἐπιθυμηταὶ τὴν τῶν πατέρων πολιτείαν προεφέροντο, καὶ ταύτην ἀπέφηναν ὁμολογουμένως οὖσαν δημοκρατίαν.
For those who desired oligarchy asserted that the ancient establishment, under which a very few had stood at the head of the whole state, ought to be restored; whereas the majority, being eager for democracy, put forward the constitution of their fathers, and declared this to be admittedly a democracy.
§14.3.4ἀντιλογίας δὲ γενομένης περὶ τούτων ἐπί τινας ἡμέρας, οἱ τὰς ὀλιγαρχίας αἱρούμενοι πρὸς Λύσανδρον διεπρεσβεύσαντο τὸν Σπαρτιάτην— οὗτος γὰρ καταλυθέντος τοῦ πολέμου τὰ κατὰ τὰς πόλεις ἀπέσταλτο διοικῆσαι, καὶ ὀλιγαρχίαι ἐν ταῖς πλείσταις καθίσταντο—ἐλπίζοντες ὅπερ ἦν εἰκός, συνεπιλήψεσθαι τῆς ἐπιβολῆς αὐτοῖς.
Since a dispute arose over these matters for several days, those who favored oligarchies sent envoys to Lysander the Spartan—for he, upon the end of the war, had been sent out to arrange affairs in the cities, and oligarchies were being established in most of them—hoping, as was natural, that he would assist them in their undertaking.
διέπλευσαν οὖν εἰς Σάμον· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐτύγχανε διατρίβων ὁ Λύσανδρος, προσφάτως κατειληφὼς τὴν πόλιν.
They sailed, therefore, to Samos; for Lysander happened to be spending time there, having recently captured the city.
§14.3.5παρακαλούντων δὲ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸ συνεργῆσαι συνεπένευσε, καὶ τῆς μὲν Σάμου Θώρακα τὸν Σπαρτιάτην ἁρμοστὴν κατέστησεν, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ νεῶν ἑκατὸν κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὸν Πειραιέα.
When they urged him to cooperate, he consented, and established Thorax the Spartan as harmost of Samos, while he himself with a hundred ships sailed down to the Piraeus.
συναγαγὼν δʼ ἐκκλησίαν συνεβούλευσε τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἑλέσθαι τριάκοντα ἄνδρας τοὺς ἀφηγησομένους τῆς πολιτείας καὶ πάντα διοικήσοντας τὰ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν.
Having assembled the citizens, he advised the Athenians to choose thirty men to lead the constitution and administer all affairs of the city.
§14.3.6ἀντειπόντος δὲ τοῦ Θηραμένους καὶ τὰς συνθήκας ἀναγινώσκοντος, ὅτι τῇ πατρίῳ συνεφώνησε χρήσεσθαι πολιτείᾳ, καὶ δεινὸν εἶναι λέγοντος, εἰ παρὰ τοὺς ὅρκους ἀφαιρεθήσονται τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ὁ Λύσανδρος ἔφη λελύσθαι τὰς συνθήκας ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων· ὕστερον γὰρ τῶν συγκειμένων ἡμερῶν καθῃρηκέναι τὰ τείχη.
But when Theramenes spoke against this and read the treaty, showing that it had been agreed to use their ancestral constitution, and said it was a terrible thing if they should be deprived of their liberty contrary to the oaths, Lysander asserted that the treaty had been broken by the Athenians; for they had demolished the walls later than the appointed days.
ἀνετείνατο δὲ καὶ τῷ Θηραμένει τὰς μεγίστας ἀπειλάς, ἀποκτενεῖν φήσας, εἰ μὴ παύσεται Λακεδαιμονίοις ἐναντιούμενος.
And he also directed the greatest threats against Theramenes, saying that he would put him to death if he did not cease opposing the Lacedaemonians.
§14.3.7διόπερ ὅ τε Θηραμένης καὶ ὁ δῆμος καταπλαγεὶς ἠναγκάζετο χειροτονίᾳ καταλῦσαι τὴν δημοκρατίαν.
Therefore, both Theramenes and the people, being terrified, were compelled to abolish the democracy by a show of hands.
ᾑρέθησαν οὖν τριάκοντα ἄνδρες οἱ διοικήσοντες τὰ κοινὰ τῆς πόλεως, ἁρμόζοντες μὲν τῷ λόγῳ, τύραννοι δὲ τοῖς πράγμασιν.
Accordingly, thirty men were chosen to administer the public affairs of the city, who were regulators in name, but tyrants in fact.