Will, then, the liberal spirit of patriotism and equal government justify the prejudices of Athenian faction (!!!) and doom Hippias to peculiar execration, because, at length, he also, with many of his fellow-citizens, despairing of other means for ever returning to their native country, applied to Artaphernes at Sardis ?" It is difficult to know which to admire most, the stupidity or dishonesty of this passage.

The Athenian democracy applied to Persia for relief against the unjust invasion of their city and liberties by a foreign force; Hippias applied to Persia, not only to interfere in the domestic affairs of a free state, but to reduce that state, his native city, to the subjection of the satrap.

Is there any parallel between these cases?
If not, what dulness in instituting it! But the dishonesty is equal to the dulness.

Herodotus, the only author Mr.
Mitford here follows, expressly declares (I.v., c.

96) that Hippias sought to induce Artaphernes to subject Athens to the sway of the satrap and his master, Darius; yet Mr.Mitford says not a syllable of this, leaving his reader to suppose that Hippias merely sought to be restored to his country through the intercession of the satrap.
[263] Herod., l.v., c.