As a consequence of their final, unequivocal defeat in the Ionian War, the Athenians in their surrender to the Spartan admiral Lysander had to acquiesce into a new constitution being imposed upon them in 404 B.C. This new government of the Thirty Tyrants would sustain its despotic and oftentimes arbitrary rule for less than a year, before revolution and the seemingly invincible democratic spirit of Athens eventually swept it away. Although the establishment of the Thirty is unusually well documented by historical sources—accounts from Lysias, Xenophon, Diodorus, Aristotle and Plutarch are available to us1—error and political bias serve to blur this fateful development. Despite Peter Krentz' assertion to the contrary, it is to be assumed that the Thirty were not established as an oligarchy at once, but rather in two surges, one limiting their task to the restoration of the ancestral constitution, the other granting them the powers to rule Athens as oligarchs.
Table of Contents
1. The Establishment of The Thirty in Athens
Objectives and Research Focus
The work examines the transition of the thirty constitutional lawgivers into the regime of the Thirty Tyrants in Athens following the Peloponnesian War, analyzing the historical confusion between these two distinct bodies and the role of Spartan influence.
- Analysis of historical sources including Lysias, Xenophon, and Diodorus.
- Investigation of the peace terms imposed by Sparta after the battle of Aegospotami.
- Critical review of the transformation from a constitutional committee to an oligarchy.
- Evaluation of the political factions and the role of Theramenes.
- Examination of the tension between historical narratives regarding the timeline of 404 B.C.
Excerpt from the Book
The Establishment of The Thirty in Athens
As a consequence of their final, unequivocal defeat in the Ionian War, the Athenians in their surrender to the Spartan admiral Lysander had to acquiesce into a new constitution being imposed upon them in 404 B.C. This new government of the Thirty Tyrants would sustain its despotic and oftentimes arbitrary rule for less than a year, before revolution and the seemingly invincible democratic spirit of Athens eventually swept it away. Although the establishment of the Thirty is unusually well documented by historical sources—accounts from Lysias, Xenophon, Diodorus, Aristotle and Plutarch are available to us—error and political bias serve to blur this fateful development. Despite Peter Krentz' assertion to the contrary, it is to be assumed that the Thirty were not established as an oligarchy at once, but rather in two surges, one limiting their task to the restoration of the ancestral constitution, the other granting them the powers to rule Athens as oligarchs.
After the defeat in the battle of Aegospotami, which sealed the fate of their empire, the Athenians, weakened through a lack of provisions on account of Lysander's blockade of the city, eventually accepted Sparta's peace terms, which were negotiated by Theramenes and, according to Xenophon, demanded ''that the Athenians take down their Long Walls and the fortifications of the Peiraieus; that they hand over all of their ships except twelve; that they allow their exiles to return to Athens; that they have the same friends and enemies as the Spartans; and that they be willing to follow the Spartans as their leaders on land or sea, on whatever campaign the Spartans should order them.''
Summary of Chapters
1. The Establishment of The Thirty in Athens: This chapter analyzes the political collapse of Athens after the Ionian War, the imposition of the Thirty Tyrants by Lysander, and the historical ambiguity surrounding whether the Thirty were initially intended as a constitutional committee or an oligarchy.
Keywords
Athens, Thirty Tyrants, Lysander, Peloponnesian War, Theramenes, Patrios Politeia, Sparta, Oligarchy, Democracy, Constitution, Historical Sources, Aegospotami, Syngrapheis, Ancient Greece, Tyranny
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The research focuses on the historical transition of the Athenian government in 404 B.C. and the establishment of the regime known as the Thirty Tyrants.
What are the central thematic fields?
The work covers political history, constitutional law in ancient Greece, the impact of Spartan foreign policy, and the analysis of ancient historical accounts.
What is the primary objective of the text?
The primary objective is to clarify the development of the Thirty and explain why historical sources show tension between the view of them as lawgivers and as tyrants.
Which scientific method is employed?
The paper utilizes a historiographical method, critically comparing accounts from authors like Xenophon, Diodorus, and Aristotle to evaluate modern scholarly arguments.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the aftermath of the battle of Aegospotami, the peace negotiations led by Theramenes, and the subsequent failure of the board of thirty to codify a new constitution.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Athens, Thirty Tyrants, Lysander, Patrios Politeia, and Peloponnesian War.
Why was the number thirty chosen for the committee?
As argued in the text, the number thirty likely represented the board that was already in existence at the time, which Lysander then transformed into an oligarchic body.
What role did Theramenes play in the establishment of the Thirty?
Theramenes negotiated with Lysander and initially proposed a committee to define the patrios politeia, although he later objected to the transformation of this committee into a despotic oligarchy.
How does the author explain the silence of sources regarding the summer of 404 B.C.?
The author suggests that because the initial board of syngrapheis failed to reach a consensus, they disappeared from the historical record, becoming indistinguishable from the later, more infamous Thirty.
How did the Athenian democratic spirit react to the Thirty?
The reign of terror imposed by the Thirty eventually rekindled the democratic ethos, leading directly to the restoration of Athenian democracy in 403 B.C.
- Quote paper
- Moritz Mücke (Author), 2014, The Peloponnesian War: The Establishment of The Thirty Tyrants at Athens, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/286185
