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

THE TRIAL OF THE GENERALS 359
should be considered democrats no more than Thrasybulus, their alleged
opponent, who collaborated with Thrasyllus to save the democracy
on Samos in 41 I. IJ Among the generals, moreover, was
Aristocrates, Theramenes' close collaborator in bringing the government
of the Five Thousand into being. 14 If collaboration with Alcibiades
is judged the factional touchstone, we must remember that the
original unfriendliness between Thrasyllus' troops and those of Alcibiades
was quickly ended, and that Thrasyllus worked with both Alcibiades
and Theramenes without any untoward incident as they
cleared the straits of the enemy between 409 and 407. Nor should we
forget that other trierarchs, as well as taxiarchs and navarchs, shared
the risks and the fate of Theramenes and Thrasybulus. We do not
know their names, but we have no reason to assume that they shared
the political opinions or associations of their more famous colleagues.
What little we know of the political situation at this time does not
permit us to assume that factional considerations influenced the decision
of the generals.
We cannot know what part an excessive desire for glory or the
reluctance to undertake a difficult and dangerous task played, but the
generals' decision can be perfectly understood without such motives.
If the Athenians were going to sail against the enemy, it was natural
to employ the ships and generals who had proved their excellence in
the battle just finished. On the other hand, if we have understood that
battle correctly, most of the ships left for the rescue mission had served
in the center, where they had taken part in little or no combat. If it
is argued that the difficult task of rescue and recovery required leadership
of the highest order, the generals could answer that they had
assigned it to men who had previously held the highest command,
among them Theramenes and Thrasybulus, who had proven their
excellence on more than one occasion. 15
Having made their decisions and assignments, the generals left for
Mytilene, leaving the rescue mission to the designated officers. 16 The
nsee above, I7J·
14
See above, 184-198.
15
The generals made precisely this point in their own defense in Athens (Xen. I.J.s-
6).
1
6rfhere should be no doubt that the generals actually left Arginusae and tried to
sail against the enemy at Mytilene. The generals said so plainly in their own defense
before the assembly (Xen. I.J.s), and Euryptolemus repeated the statement in his
speech at a later meeting (1. 7. J 1): E.1r~eov E:11't TiXIi 'JToXEJ.LCac;. The imperfect is conative
and implies that the fleet set out but was unable to meet the enemy. See Cloche, RH