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

I90
_THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE
received from the restored democracy are ample evidence that their
fellow citizens never doubted the sincerity of their patriotism or the
goodness of their motives, nor should we_
As much as the news from Samos encouraged the moderates, so did
it alarm the extremists, whose leaders Thucydides names as Phrynichus,
Peisander, Antiphon, and, for the first time, Aristarchus, probably
a member of the cavalry.' Since the extremists had received the
news of the restoration of democracy to Samos their fears had grown_
As a result of that news they had sent the ill-fated second embassy
that never reached Sparta. 9 They had also begun to build a fort on
the harbor at Piraeus on Eetioneia at the same time. Eetioneia was the
name of a promontory extending south for some distance across the
mouth of the harbor and dominating traffic in and out (see Map 6).
On the north and west a wall defended it from attack by land. On its
western, seaward side the wall ran to the southern tip of the peninsula,
ending at a strong tower. Phrynichus and his colleagues were now
adding two new walls to these fortifications: one along the eastern end
of the peninsula toward the harbor and the other running south from
the northern wall to the eastern end of the harbor, enclosing a stoa in
which they required everyone to store such grain as was already on
hand and whatever new shipments arrived_ The port had already been
well fortified against attack from outside by land or sea. The new
arrangements would allow a small force to control the harbor against
assaults from within, as well. Their pretext was the need to defend
the port against attack by the forces on Samos, but Theramenes and
the moderates quickly saw through it_ Its true purpose, they said (and
Thucydides endorses their opinion), was "so that they could admit the
enemy by land and sea whenever they wished."'"
The extremists, therefore, had been preparing to betray the city,
8
8.90.1. Aristarchus is mentioned in 92.6 as going to the Piraeus with some "young
cavalrymen," presumably as their leader. He may be the same man who was a choregus
in 442/41 (Davies, APF, I66J).
9
8.86.9·
10
8.90.3. For a discussion ofThucydides' account of the topography and the pmblems
it presents, see HCT V, 303-6. At least some of those problems seem not to be serious.
Andrewes says "it is hard to see the urgency of completing or preventing a wall on
the harbor shore." On the contrary, for a small group of men plotting to betray their
city, the need for a truly secure refuge would have seemed urgent, and a base that
could be attacked by boat from the harbor would not be adequate. Although I agree
that a wall to protect the base on the landward side was even more urgent, the wall
facing the harbor was also necessary.