The Fall of the Athenian Empire-(A New History of the Peloponnesian War) Donald Kagan - (1987)

154 THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE
to as~ociate themselves with the man whose reputation they embellished.
Aristotle, the political theorist who championed the virtues of
the middle class and the moderate constitution, had every reason to
praise Theramenes, whom he saw as its standard-bearer." The document
commonly called the "Theramenes Papyrus" suggests that debate
surrounded Theramenes even during his lifetime." As a result of
this ancient controversy, it is small wonder that modern scholars have
ranged in their judgments from the uncompromising condemnation of
Grote to the warm and sympathetic appreciation of Beloch. 89
Since the ancient evaluations are either partisan or ambiguous, our
own judgment must be based on the facts of his career, as best we can
determine and understand them. One collection of facts, usually ignored
or given insufficient weight, is the close connection between
Theramenes and Thrasybulus. We must emphasize that the two men
were agreed in their willingness to limit the democracy in order to
bring back Alcibiades and gain Persian support for the conduct of the
war. Thrasybulus on Samos resisted the Four Hundred while Theramenes
in Athens cooperated in their rule, but Theramenes took the
lead in overthrowing the oligarchy and establishing the moderate rule
of the Five Thousand that recalled Alcibiades to Athens, these later
actions constituting a policy entirely in accord with the wishes of
Thrasybulus. The two men served as generals together in the Hellespont
and, together with Alcibiades, collaborated effectively to win the
battle of Cyzicus."" That victory permitted the restoration of the full
democracy under which the two men continued to serve, working with
Alcibiades to clear the enemy from the Hellespont! 1 Both returned
87 Harding, Phoenix XXVIII (1974), 111; Arist. Pol. I295a-1296b.
88
See R. Merkelbach and H. C. Youtie, ZPE 11 (1968), I61-169; A. Henrichs, ZPE
Ill (1969), 101-108; A. Andrewes, ZPE VI (197o), 35-38; and R. Sealey, ZPE XI
(1975). '79-,88.
89
Modem evaluations of Theramenes seem to have been influenced by contemporary
political concerns no less than the ancient ones. Grote, the unwavering champion of
democracy, had nothing but contempt for the man who was willing to attenuate it:
"l-Ie was a selfish, cunning and faithless man-ready to enter into conspiracies, yet
never foreseeing their consequences and breaking faith to the ruin of colleagues whom
he had first encouraged, when he found them more consistent and thoroughgoing in
crime than himself" (VIII, 55). Beloch's prejudice is even more obvious: "We who are
involved in the same struggle today against a covetous proletariate and against an equally
covetous aristocracy (junkertum) will not deny our sympathy to the ancient champion
(Vorkiimpfer) of our cause" (GG l1:2, 392). Here we have the voice of a nineteenthcentury
German liberal.
90 Xen. I.I.I2-22.
91
Diod. q.66.