‘No one seems to know much for certain,’ said Biôtides. ‘The two charges are mixed up together. It is impossible to get at the bottom of it all. But the best thing is that one of the “searchers” appointed by the Senate to find out all about the Hermai is himself denounced as one who was mixed up in it. Some wise men think, so Minesias says, that Andokides meant to lay the whole blame on you, Alkibiades, but was afraid at last, because all men knew he was your greatest enemy, and so might suspect him of having had the statues cut himself, which was the truth. Others think it was done only to stop the expedition.’ ‘As like as not,’ said Alkibiades. ‘Well, then,’ continued Biôtides, ‘this scoundrel Diokleides was found out. Andokides had sworn there were no three hundred out that night, and that those whose names had been given by the informer were never near the theatre of Dionysos at all. The Senate asked Diokleides how he could tell the faces of the men he said he saw by night. ‘Because it was full moon and very clear,” said Diokleides. Now it happened to have been a new moon and dark that night. So Diokleides was convicted of giving false evidence, and was condemned to death, and serve him right.’ ‘A pity all these clumsy conspirators have not been treated in the same way,’ said Alkibiades. ‘But wait, sir. When he found himself condemned he said the whole tale had been made up for him by Amiantos and your relative Alkibiades of the deme of Phegusa. Orders were given at once for their arrest. They both escaped, and Alkibiades, it is said, has gone to Sparta. The people are beside themselves with fear. They know not what to do. Any base informer, it seems, can get the best citizens condemned. The only safe course left, when anyone may be accused, is to fly from Athens. There is small chance of justice for any in Athens now, the people are in such a panic. But, Alkibiades, the worst is yet to come. Thessalos, the son of Kimon——’ ‘Ah! what of him? I know the ingenuity of his malicious soul.’ ‘Thessalos delivered to the dikasterion a formal accusation against Alkibiades, the son of Kleinias, together with his friends Polytion, Theodorus, and others, of having divulged and sacrilegiously made sport of the Eleusinian mysteries.’ ‘And the five hundred dikastai, what said they?’