ALCIBIADES. 45

degree, that thej^ looked upon their armies as irresistible and invincible while he commanded them ; and he so won, indeed, upon the lower and meaner sort of people, that they passionately desired to have him " tyrant " over them, and some of them did not scruple to tell him so, and to advise him to put himself out of the reach of envy, by abolishing the laws and ordinances of the peo- ple, and suppressing the idle talkers that were ruining the state, that so he might act and take upon him the man- agement of affairs, without standing in fear of being- called to an account. How far his own inclinations led him to usurp sover- eign power, is uncei'tain, but the most considerable per- sons in the city were so much afraid of it, that they hast- ened him on ship-board as speedily as they could, appoint- ing the colleagues whom he chose, and allowing him all other things as he desired. Thereupon he set sail with a fleet of one hundred shij^s, and, arriving at Andros, he there fought with and defeated as well the inhabitants as the Lacedgemonians who assisted them. He did not, how- ever, take the city ; which gave the first occasion to his enemies for all their accusations against him. Certainly, if ever man was ruined by his own glory, it was Alcibia- des. For his continual success had produced such an idea of his courage and conduct, that, if he failed in any thing he undertook, it was imputed to his neglect, and no one would believe it was through want of power. For they thought nothing was too hard for him, if he went about it in good earnest. They fancied, every day, that they should hear news of the reduction of Chios, and of the rest of Ionia, and grew impatient that things were not effected as fast and as rapidly as they could wish for them. They never considered how extremely money was wanting, and that, having to carry on war with an enemy who had supplies of all things from a great king.