Thirty Tyrants Ruling Athens After Spartan Victory in the Peloponnesian Wars

Today we will learn and reflect on the rule of the
Thirty Tyrants of Athens, whose rule was enabled by
the Spartan commander Lysander after Sparta won
the Peloponnesian Wars by destroying the Athenian
fleet. We draw from many ancient sources, including
Xenophon, Plutarch, Thucydides, Plato, Diodorus
Siculus and Aristotle’s student, author of the
Athenian Constitution.

We will reflect how these events influenced the
Platonic dialogues, especially those that reflect on the
trial and execution of Socrates.
At the end of our talk, we will discuss the sources
used for this video. Please feel free to follow along
our PowerPoint script posted to SlideShare. Please,
we welcome interesting questions in the comments.
Let us learn and reflect together!

YouTube Channel (please subscribe):
Reflections on Morality, Philosophy, and History:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqDkfFbWhXOnzdjp__YZtg
© Copyright 2021 Become a patron:
https://www.patreon.com/seekingvirtueandwisdom
https://amzn.to/3pIMbti
The Life of
Greece, by
Will Durant
The Thirty Tyrants of Athens
After End of Peloponnesian Wars
https://amzn.to/3FF1w3T
https://amzn.to/3vXz4rc
https://amzn.to/3tpvCTx

YouTube Channel (please subscribe):
Reflections on Morality, Philosophy, and History:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqDkfFbWhXOnzdjp__YZtg
© Copyright 2021 Become a patron:
The Thirty Tyrants of Athens
After End of Peloponnesian Wars
https://amzn.to/3vjVrFe
https://amzn.to/2WwIDhd
https://amzn.to/3w5sUFe

After the end of the Peloponnesian Wars, the victorious Spartan
commander Lysander insisted that, as part of the terms of peace, the
Athenians set up an aristocracy under the rule of the Thirty Tyrants.
Although the previous tyrants in the sixth century BC were benevolent
tyrants, the Thirty were Tyrants of the worst kind, dominated by the
vicious Critias, a tyranny that quickly descended into an orgy of bloodshed
directed first against their enemies, and then against their fellow
aristocrats so they could seize their property. This misrule preceded the
reestablishment of the Radical Democracy of Athens, and the events of
the Thirty Tyrants cast a long shadow over Athenian history and the
Platonic dialogues.

Lysander outside the walls of Athens

SUMMARY OF PELOPONNESIAN WARS
First, we need to summarize the main events of the
Peloponnesian Wars. These wars followed the Greco-
Persian Wars by about fifty years. We reflected on the
period between the Greco-Persian Wars, and the life
and career of the Athenian statesman Pericles up
through his death by the plague in the second year of
the Archidamian War, the first phase of the
Peloponnesian Wars.

.
479 BC: Xerxes
retreats to Persia

https://youtu.be/QabwtFANCDc
https://youtu.be/uhtGzfxVdzk
https://youtu.be/1ra58mg33nM
Aristides and Cimon were two Athenian generals who were
asked by the Ionic Greek colonies to lead the defensive Delian
League against Persia, that evolved into the Athenian Empire.
The rise of Pericles and the reforms leading to
the Radical Democracy of Athens.
Pericles as general and statesman before and
at the start of the Peloponnesian Wars.

After the war-hawk generals of both Athens and
Sparta were killed in battle, Nicias negotiated the
Peace of Nicias, which although it was not very
peaceful, it did end direct hostilities between Athens
and Sparta for nearly seven years.

https://youtu.be/1ra58mg33nM
The play by Aristophanes on the Peace of Nicias,
showing popular opinion of the war. We ponder
whether Pericles started the war needlessly.
The Peace of Nicias, and why it was not so
peaceful, ending the Archidamian War,
the first phase of the Peloponnesian Wars.
Comparing and contrasting:
Pericles’ Funeral Oration
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Churchill’s speech, Battle of Britain
https://youtu.be/szi7-9QQWI0
https://youtu.be/UHRzKH-asoo

But the Peace of Nicias was broken when Athens
launched the doomed Sicilian Expedition. When the
Syracusans defeated the dilatory and timid Nicias, the
Athenians lost everything, two-hundred triremes,
hoplites, rowers, even generals, including Nicias and
Demosthenes, were destroyed and slain, very few
escaped, and Sparta restarted the war in response to
Athenian aggression and her loss in Sicily.

Moral lessons, Thucydides History:
Revolt at Mytilene
Revolution at Corcyra
Melian Dialogue
Plutarch and Thucydides on the role of
Alcibiades in the Peloponnesian Wars,
History of the Wars after Syracuse
Disastrous Defeat of Athens at Syracuse,
much of the Athenian fleet were slaughtered,
leading to revolts of allies and her eventual
defeat in the Peloponnesian Wars.
https://youtu.be/yECl8cKCzao
https://youtu.be/SaIqQ35ysl4
https://youtu.be/b7QLp1HrOMs

After this defeat, Athens struggled, but the Spartan fleet was not able to take full
advantage of her weakened position. In the Oligarchic coup, the aristocrats coaxed
the Athenian Assembly to abolish itself and permit an oligarchy of the Four Hundred
to assume control of the government, reasoning that this may attract Persian aid,
and promising to hand the government to a more representative body of the Five
Thousand at that time. Also at this time, Alcibiades engineered a comeback and
assumed command of the Athenian fleet at Samos. The oligarchs of the Four
Hundred ruled for about four months, the Persian aid did not materialize, and
Alcibiades called their bluff, calling for the rule by the Five Thousand, ending the rule
by Athenian oligarchs. Many scholars believe that Alcibiades initially supported the
Oligarchic coup but double-crossed the aristocrats when it became politically
expedient for him to do so. The Athenians put great hope in Alcibiades when the
fleet of Athens, under his leadership, enjoyed a five-year run of victories.

But after a minor tactical defeat, Alcibiades was deprived of his command for the
second time, choosing to go into exile. The Athenians continued to be victorious.
Sometime afterwards, the Athenian generals won great victory in the Battle of
Arginusae, but in the chaos of battle, they failed to expeditiously to rescue many
Athenians rowers who were clinging to the wreckage of their triremes. Suddenly, a
fierce storm arose, and not only were the men drowned, but their bodies were
swept out to sea and were not recovered.
Acting in haste, the Athenian Assembly, executed six of the ten generals for failing to
save these rowers or recover their bodies, even though they had won a great victory.
These proceedings were illegal because the generals were tried simultaneously by
the Assembly, not in individual jury trials, and were denied sufficient time to defend
themselves. The inexperienced generals replacing them lost the war to the Spartan
general Lysander when their carelessness permitted the enemy to destroy the
Athenian fleet of two hundred triremes on the beaches.

Later antiwar plays by Aristophanes on the role
of women in Greek society, we will reflect
whether these plays influence Plato’s Republic.
Plutarch’s Life of Lysander, why he showed mercy
on Athens when she lost the Peloponnesian Wars,
consulting Xenophon’s History
Plutarch’s Life of Lycurgus,
Lawgiver of Sparta,
The Unique Warrior Culture of Sparta
https://youtu.be/giNzqNoOH3Y

SPARTA FORCES ATHENS TO ADOPT AN OLIGARCHY OF THIRTY TYRANTS
During the Peloponnesian Wars, the Spartans encouraged or forced her
allies or the city-states she conquered to establish oligarchies, or rule by
the upper classes. Likewise, the Athenians encouraged or forced her allies
or the city-states she conquered to establish radical democracies, where
all male citizens were granted the right to vote in the Assembly. Now that
Sparta had defeated Athens, they forced the Athenians to accept the rule
of the Thirty Tyrants. When the early Platonic dialogues were written, the
memory of the misrule of the Thirty Tyrants was still vivid in the minds of
many Athenians, resentments from this period affected the trial and
execution of Socrates, and several of these tyrants were mentioned in the
Platonic Dialogues.

Xenophon remembers, “The oligarchy came to power
when the Assembly decided that thirty men should
be elected to codify the ancient laws as a basis for a
new constitution.” “After their election Lysander
sailed off to Samos and King Aegis withdrew his
troops from Decelea,” allowing them to return home.

Xenophon then lists the Thirty Tyrants. Most of them
only appear in this list and are not mentioned in
either Thucydides’ or Xenophon’s histories before
they appear in this roster of the thirty. Some of these
minor figures likely served as generals or fought
during the war, but they are not mentioned by
Thucydides or Xenophon.

(REPEAT) The Thirty Tyrants with some prior mentions in Thucydides or Xenophon,
or by Dr Wikipedia include:
• Cleomedes was an Athenian general during the destruction of Melos following the
infamous Melian dialogue, when the Athenian forces slaughtered the military age
men of Melos and enslaved their women and children.
• Charicles and Onomacles were Athenian generals who served after the Sicilian
Expedition.
• Aristoteles was a member of Four Hundred oligarchs, although he was not
mentioned by Thucydides, and was a character in Plato’s Parmenides. The second
part of this dialogue is between him and the nineteen-year-old Socrates. This
philosophical discussion was the subject of commentaries by the Neoplatonists.
• Critias and Theramenes were the two major leaders of the Thirty Tyrants. Critias
became known as the Robespierre of ancient Greece, his former friends
Theramenes fell victim in the early rounds of his bloody executions.

Critias is not mentioned by either Thucydides or Xenophon before he appears on the
list of Thirty Tyrants. Although he was the most infamous student of Socrates, Critias
had a strained relationship with him, though Critias may have saved the life of his
former teacher during the terror of the Thirty Tyrants. He was killed in the battle
with Thrasybulus that preceded the end of the rule of the Thirty Tyrants.
Critias appears as a character in Plato's dialogues, Charmides and Protagoras, and
was probably Plato's great-uncle. Critias was also the author of many plays, though
only passages survive in fragments.

Acropolis, by Leo von Klenze, painted 1846

Acropolis, by Leo von Klenze, painted 1846
Members of Thirty Tyrants mentioned elsewhere:
• Cleomedes, who was an Athenian general during the
destruction of Melos and massacre of the Melians.
• Charicles and Onomacles were Athenian generals who served
after the Sicilian Expedition.
• Aristoteles was a member of Four Hundred oligarchs and who
was a character in Plato’s Parmenides.
• Leaders of Thirty Tyrants, Critias and Theramenes. Critias was
student of Socrates and is a character in the Platonic dialogues,
Theramenes was a leader of the Four Hundred oligarchs.

Theramenes was a leader both of the Four Hundred oligarchy
before the end of the war and helped negotiate the final peace
with Sparta at the end of the war, prior to the Thirty Tyrants.
Theramenes and Thrasybulus, and Thrasybulus would lead the
opposition to the Thirty Tyrants, both served as ship-captains
under Alcibiades, and in the Battle of Arginusae were unable to
rescue rowers from drowning when a fierce storm suddenly
arose, which swept their bodies out to sea.

The Battle of Salamis, by Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1868)

Sea storm with
shipwrecks, by
Joseph Vernet,
1770

ROLE OF THERAMANES IN OLIGARCHIC COUP AND RULE OF FOUR HUNDRED
To understand the role of Theramenes in the history of the Thirty Tyrants,
we wish to reflect on the leading role he played in the aristocratic
government of the Four Hundred. Theramenes was the junior member of
the four aristocrats who founded the rule of the Four Hundred. After
Athens suffered a defeat, the Four Hundred Oligarchs were overthrown,
and the Five Thousand were appointed from the hoplite class. The leaders
of this revolt were Aristocrates and Theramenes, they were dissatisfied
that the Four Hundred “did everything on their own and referred nothing
to the Five Thousand.” This moderation by Theramenes would lead to his
demise in the Rule of the Thirty Tyrants after the war.
Now we will continue our reflection on

Detail of the Chigi Vase depicting hoplites in action
Spartan cosplay during the
DragonCon Parade in Atlanta in 2007

THE RULE OF THE THIRTY TYRANTS
Aristotle’s student says that after Lysander
became master of Athens, “peace had been
made on the condition that the Athenians
should live under their traditional constitution.”
Some Athenians preferred a democracy, many
aristocrats favored an oligarchy,” “but their
particular champion was Theramenes. Lysander
gave his support to the oligarchs, and the people
were intimidated and compelled to support the
oligarchy” at the point of the sword.

Aristotle’s students notes that, at first, the
Thirty Tyrants governed moderately.
Xenophon remembers, “Although the Thirty
were elected to frame laws for new
constitution,” they delayed. “No laws were
framed or published, and meanwhile they
appointed members of the council and other
magistrates just as they saw fit. Their first
measure was to arrest and put on trial for
their lives” all who were informers during the
democracy, “and had attacked the aristocrats.
The council was glad to condemn these
people to death,” and members of the public
were too intimidated to object.

Next, however the Thirty began to
consider how they could get the power to
do exactly what they wanted with the
state.” The Thirty Tyrants sought Spartan
assistance to prop up their brutal regime,
and “Lysander agreed with their requests,”
and sent a garrison with Callibius to act as
governor of Athens. After the Spartans
arrived, “the Thirty Tyrants began to arrest
all whom they wished to arrest,” which
were those who were the least likely to
submit to being pushed out of politics.”
Three Spartan Boys Practising Archery,
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, circa 1812

Critias and Theramenes were the leaders
of the Thirty Tyrants. Xenophon
remembers, “At first Critias and
Theramenes shared the same views and
were personal friends, but when Critias”
“began showing a lust for putting people
to death, Theramenes opposed him.
‘There is no sense,’ he said, ‘in putting a
man to death simply because he has
been honored by the democracy when he
has done the aristocracy no harm. After
all, both you and I have often” sought
popularity with the citizens.”

Xenophon remembers, “Critias was
still friendly with Theramenes.
Critias said, ‘It is quite impossible for
those who want to gain power to
avoid getting rid of those people
who are most likely to form an
opposition. And it is pure simplicity
on your part if you think that, just
because we are thirty and not one,
we have to keep a less close watch
on the government than is done by
an absolute dictator.’”
Death of Socrates, by Jean-Baptiste Alizard, 1762

THERAMENES ELIMINATED, MASSACRES
The Thirty Tyrants became concerned, and
held a review under arms, seizing the weapons
of all who were not among the list of three
thousand citizens. Xenophon tells us, “Once
this was done, the tyrants were free to exactly
to act exactly as they liked. They began to put
people to death in great numbers, some
because they were personal enemies, some for
the sake of their money. It was necessary to
pay the Spartan Garrison, so they decided that
each of them should arrest one of the resident
aliens, put him to death, and confiscate his
property” to pay the Spartans.
Death of Cato, by Johann Carl Loth, late 1600's

Xenophon states,
“Theramenes objected,
‘Are we, in order to get
money, going to kill
people who have done
nothing wrong? Is not
this worse in every way?’
The Thirty now came to
regard Theramenes as an
obstacle in the way of
their complete liberty to
do as they liked, and so
they began to intrigue
against him.”
The Death of Socrates, by Jean-François Pierre Peyron, 1787

The Thirty Tyrants only been in power for a few months, but already the
hands of Critias were soaked in as much blood as was the hands of
Robespierre several years into the French Revolution, who ordered so
many citizens to the guillotine. The rule of the Thirty Tyrants, and the
French Revolution many centuries later, devoured both its enemies and
its children.
Of course, although both revolutions were quite bloody, the major
difference is that the aristocratic Thirty Tyrants opposed the radical
democracy, while it the democrats of the French Revolution opposed the
monarchy and aristocracy. And another important difference is there are
very few paintings of the Thirty Tyrants, while there are plentiful paintings
of the French Revolution.

Arresting
Robespierre,
by Jean-Joseph-
François Tassaert,
circa 1796

Xenophon tells us, “When Theramenes
appeared at the Council, Critias rose his feet
and said, ‘Gentleman of the Council, if
there’s anyone here who has the impression
that more people are being put to death
than is warranted, I ask him to reflect that,
in periods of revolution, this always
happens. It is inevitable that we, who are
setting up an oligarchy in Athens,” should be
vigorously opposed, “both because this
state is the most highly populated in Greece,
and because Athenians have been brought
up in freedom for a longer time than any
other people.”
French Revolution, storming Tuileries Palace,
by Jean Duplessis-Bertaux, 1793

Critias continues “that for men
like us, democracy is oppressive.
We realize that while democracy
could never be friends with our
preservers, the Spartans, the
aristocrats would always be loyal
to them. Therefore, with the full
approval of Sparta, we are setting
up the present system of
government. If we find anyone
opposed to the oligarchy, we will
do our best to get rid of him. If we
find that one of us is interfering
with the order we have set up, we
consider it right and proper that
he should be punished.”
The Revolution, by Rene Beeh, 1919

Critias concludes, “’I say therefore that
Theramenes should be punished not only as
an enemy but as a traitor, a traitor to you and
to us. We have much more horror of a traitor
than of an enemy, since it is harder to guard
against hidden dangers than open ones. And
we hate traitors more than enemies, since
with our enemies we can make peace and
become friends again, but when we find that
we’ve been betrayed by someone, we can
never, under any circumstances, make peace
with them, we can never trust them again.”
“To allow Theramenes to remain alive would
be to encourage the ambitions of our
opponents; but to destroy him would mean
cutting short the hopes of all” of our
enemies.
French Revolution of 1830, July Revolution,
by Eugène Delacroix, 1830

Theramenes first defends himself, and then responds,
“Let me tell you, Critias, that the men who
strengthen the opposition are not those who prevent
one from making a lot of enemies and who show how
to gain the most friends. Far from it; it is the people
of confiscate property illegally and put the innocent
to death who are increasing the opposition and
acting as traitors both to their friends and to
themselves all for the sake of dishonest gain.” The
oligarchy was set up to satisfy the victorious Spartans,
but Theramenes also said this about his enemies,
“They sought to let the enemy in and so gain control
of the state for themselves and their friends. I saw
what was going on and I put a stop to it. Do you call
this being a traitor to one’s friends?”
Capital execution, French Revolution, by
Pierre-Antoine Demachy, circa 1793

The applause that followed this reply by Theramenes made
Critias realize he would lose any vote taken to condemn
Theramenes. He stated that though the new laws
protected anyone on the list of three thousand from a
death sentence, that the Thirty had the power to strike
anyone from the list, so he struck off the name of
Theramenes and condemned him to death. The other
Council members feared to object, since Critias had troops
and men with daggers in the Council room.

Death of Socrates,
by Jean-François
Pierre Peyron, 1787

SOCRATES PROTESTING INJUSTICE
The history of the Peloponnesian Wars and the Thirty
Tyrants who assumed power after the war, casts a
long shadow over Athens and the Platonic Dialogues,
and Socrates publicly objected, sometimes at the risk
of losing his life, to the injustices of these times.

Socrates Address by Belgian artist Louis Joseph Lebrun, 1867

We found this excellent summary from Will
Durant on why Anytus was one of the
Athenian citizens who brought charges against
Socrates: “Anytus could not forget that when
he went into exile,” likely when he opposed
the tyrants, “his son stayed in Athens with
Socrates, and became a drunkard.” The fact
that “Socrates refused to obey the Thirty
Tyrants” did not matter. “To Anytus it seemed
that Socrates, more than any Sophist, was an
evil influence both on morals and on politics;
he was undermining the religious faith that
had supported morality, and his persistent
criticism was weakening the belief of educated
Athenians in the institution of democracy.” Death of Socrates, José Maria de Medeiros, 1878

In other words, Socrates was suspect because he was
a gadfly.

Will Durant continues, “The
murderous tyrant Critias had been
one of Socrates’ students; the
immoral and treasonable Alcibiades
had been his lover; Charmides, his
early favorite, had been a general
under Critias.” “It seemed fitting that
Socrates should leave Athens, or die.”
The charges brought against Socrates
were that he did not recognize the
gods of Athens, trusting rather in his
personal daemon, and that he
corrupted the youth of Athens. Death of Socrates, José Maria de Medeiros, 1878

Diodorus Siculus reports that when
Theramenes was publicly condemned,
“Socrates the philosopher and two of his
intimates ran forward and tried to hinder
the attendants” who were the appointed
executioners. “But Theramenes entreated
them to do nothing of the kind; he
appreciated, he said, their friendship and
bravery, but as for himself, it would be the
greatest grief if he should be the cause of
the death of those who were so intimately
associated with him. Socrates and his
helpers, since they had no aid from anyone
else and saw the intransigence of those in
authority increasing, made no move.”
Philosophy & Socrates, by Antonio Canova, 1799

Plato’s Socrates, in his defense speech, recalls
how he objected to the brutality of the rule of
the Thirty Tyrants. “I, Socrates, and four others
were instructed to bring Leon from Salamis to
the Rotunda so he could be put to death.” The
tyrants gave this command to “implicate as
many as possible in their crime.” Socrates
insisted, “I did not give a damn about death,
my great and only care was not to do an
unrighteous or unholy thing, the strong arm of
their oppressive power did not frighten me
into doing wrong.” Rather than participate,
Socrates went quietly home, “for which I might
have lost my life, had not the power of the
Thirty shortly afterwards come to an end.”
Statues of Plato and Socrates by Leonidas Drosis
at the Academy of Athens

Likewise, Plato’s Socrates
reminds the Athenian jury, in
his defense speech, that he
was the only one who objected
to the illegal irregularities in
the trial and unjust execution
of the generals who fought in
the Battle of Arginusae.
Socrates remembers, “When
the orators threatened to
impeach and arrest me, and
you called and shouted, I made
up my mind that I would run
the risk, having law and justice
with me, rather than take part
in your injustice for fear of
imprisonment and death.”
The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Philippe-Joseph de Saint-Quentin, 1762

XENOPHON’S REFLECTS ON SOCRATES’ STUDENTS,
CRITIAS AND ALCIBIADES
Was Socrates responsible for the actions of his two most
famous students, the outrageous Alcibiades and the
bloodthirsty tyrant Critias? Xenophon asks, how can it be
the fault of a teacher of moral philosophy if one of his
students, though he was living a somewhat moral life
under his tutelage, later falls in with the wrong crowd, goes
astray, and later leads an immoral life? How can that be the
fault of the teacher?

Aspasia
conversing with
Pericles,
Alcibiades,
Isocrates, the
philosophers
Socrates, Plato
and Xenophon,
and playwrights
and artists, by
Nicolas-André
Monsiau, 1800's

In his Memoirs of Socrates,
Xenophon admits that “Critias and
Alcibiades did more to harm their
country than anyone else. Critias
was the most avaricious and violent
of the oligarchs, while Alcibiades
became the most dissolute and
arrogant of the democrats.” “These
two men were by nature the most
ambitious persons in all Athens,
determined to have personal control
over all state affairs and to be
famous above all others,” this led to
hubris and loosening of morals that
led to both their downfall and the
defeat of Athens. Socrates dragging Alcibiades from the Embrace of Sensual
Pleasure, by Jean-Baptiste Regnault, 1791, the Louvre Museum

Xenophon describes their fall from the
truth taught them by Socrates, “My
opinion is that if God had offered them
the choice between living their lives as
Socrates did, and dying, they would
have preferred to die,” because they
both broke with Socrates and entered
politics. Xenophon concedes that the
critics might be right who say that
“Socrates should not have taught them
politics before he taught them self-
discipline.”
Socrates Chiding Alcibiades in Home of a
Courtesan, by Germán Hernández Amores, 1857

Plato’s Socrates is a metaphysical
philosopher, whereas
Xenophon’s Socrates is a simpler
moral philosopher, and as he
reflects on how these two
students went astray, Xenophon
compares the life of an athlete
to the moral life. “Just as those
who do not exercise their bodies
cannot carry out their physical
duties, so those who do not
exercise their characters cannot
carry out their moral duties.”
Self-discipline must be practiced
continually, it is like a muscle
that needs exercising.
Alcibiades surprised by Socrates in Courtesan's House, by Jean Charles Nicaise Perrin

History, as far as I know, is silent on whether Alcibiades had any contact
with Socrates after his first exile at the time of the Sicilian Expedition.
Regarding Critias, there were many private and public conflicts. There was
tensions between them even when he was a student, Critias resented
rather than learned from Socrates’ criticisms of his conduct. When he was
tyrant, Critias introduced a law against teaching the art of debate, which
was directed against Socrates, Critias forbade Socrates from even talking
to the youth of Athens and warned him against bothering people in the
marketplace with his endless moral questioning. Critias is faulting
Socrates for being the gadfly of Athens. Critias’ criticisms of Socrates were
similar to the charges that were brought against him in his trial and
subsequent execution after the Radical Democracy was reestablished.

There are no prisons in the ancient world, only jails, and often jails are filled
simply by those who irritate the authorities. If you break a law in the ancient
world, you are either fined, exiled, or executed, there are no long prison
sentences. The state does not have the resources to run a prison, so when
you are thrown in jail awaiting a hearing the government expects you to
visit and bring food with you to feed the prisoner, and maybe the jailers
too. We see in our video on the death and execution of Socrates how his
friends were able to come and stay with Socrates for his entire last day on
earth.
How should we interpret his advice in his epistles to the various churches?
Let us ponder the opinions of two leading scholars, one Anglican, one
Orthodox.
https://youtu.be/Mip1vgRKH1E

Death of
Socrates,
by Jacques-
Lavis David,
1787

ATHENIAN EXILES AND SPARTANS BATTLE THE FORCES
OF THE THIRTY TYRANTS
The blood of innocent citizens flowed quicker and
thicker after the execution of Theramenes, about
fifteen hundred democrats were killed, and over five
thousand were exiled. Athenians lost their freedom
to teach, their right to peaceably assembly, and were
forbidden to speak freely.

Diodorus Siculus reports, “After the death
of Theramenes, the Thirty drew up a list of
the wealthy, lodged false charges against
them, put them to death, and seized their
estates.” “The madness of the tyrants” led
them “slaughter sixty of the wealthiest in
order to steal their property, and as for the
citizens, since they were being killed daily,
the well-to-do among them fled from the
city almost to a man.” “More than half of
the Athenians fled.”
Execution of Marie Antoinette, by
Isidore Stanislas Helman, 1794

Many Athenians, including Thrasybulus with seven
hundred fighting men, sought refuge in Thebes and
other neighboring city-states. They left Thebes and
seized the strong fortress of Phyle. Their forces,
assisted by the Spartans, defeated troops sent out by
the Thirty Tyrants, two of whom, including Critias,
were killed in battle.

Leonidas at Thermopylae, by Jacques-Louis David, painted 1814

After this short
battle, the two sides
of Athenians started
conversing. The
speech of one herald
included this plea:
“Do not give your
obedience to those
wicked men, the
Thirty, who for their
own private profit,
have in eight months
come close to killing
more Athenians that
did all the
Peloponnesians in
ten years of war.”
Execution of Robespierre and his supporters in 1794

Plutarch reports, in his Life of
Lysander, that the two Spartan
Kings were concerned that
“Lysander was the sovereign lord
of Greece,” and that his “friends
and partisans possessed many
cities in Greece.” While Lysander
was on his voyage to Egypt, the
kings “restored the power to the
people, and threw his friends out.”
Lysander outside the walls of Athens

When Lysander heard of
disturbances opposing the Thirty
Tyrants in Athens, he hurried back
to assist them. “But the kings,
envying Lysander, fearing that he
should take Athens again, resolved
that one of them should take the
command.” King Pausanius,
though posing as a tyrant, “in
reality promoted peace, so that
Lysander might not, by means of
his friends, become Lord of Athens
again. This was easily
accomplished: when he reconciled
the Athenians, he quieted the
tumults and defeated the
ambitious hope of Lysander.
Encounter between Cyrus the Younger, Achaemenid, Persian satrap,
and Spartan Lysander, by Francesco Antonio Grue, 1600's

After these battles, the Spartan Assembly offered an
agreement that the Athenians “be at peace with each
other, and that everyone should return to his home
except for the Thirty” and the other top leaders.

Battle of
Marathon,
Athenians
defeat the
Persians in
Greco-
Persian
Wars,
by Georges
Rochegrosse
1859

The aristocratic rebel Thrasybulus said this in his
speech to his fellow Athenians, “This is the advice I
want to give to the men of this city: KNOW
YOURSELVES. Ask what right you have to be so
arrogant to attempt to make us your subjects. Are
you morally better? Then why is it that the
common people, though poorer than you, never
did you any harm for the sake of money, whereas
you, who are richer than all of them, have
committed many disgraceful crimes for the sake of
your own profit?”
Priestess of Delphi (1891) by John Collier, showing the Pythia sitting
on a tripod with vapor rising from a crack in the earth beneath her.
KNOW THYSELF was inscribed on temple at Delphi.

Xenophon does not report that the Radical
Democracy was reestablished in Athens immediately
after the Thirty Tyrants were defeated, we must
assume that the remaining tyrants were much less
tyrannical, especially since the ringleader, Critias, was
in the underworld.

Plutarch reports that, “shortly
thereafter, the Athenians
rebelled again, and Pausanius
was censured for having taken
the bit out of the mouth of the
people. Freed from the
oligarchy, the people would now
break out into affronts and
insolence; and Lysander
regained the reputation of a
person who employed his
command, not in gratification
for others, not for applause, but
strictly for the good of Sparta.”
A spartan woman giving a shield to her son, by Jean-Jacques-
François Le Barbier, painted 1826

But Lysander would not be allowed to command forces against Athens
again. Sparta was compelled to tolerate the reestablishment of the radical
democracy of Athens. Lysander did not pose a threat for long, since he
soon died in combat in Boeotia.
(REPEAT) How did Athens fare after the war? Displaying resilience, she
regained her financial position, rebuilt a smaller fleet and her
fortifications with Persian assistance, regained control over a few
colonies, formed a weak naval league, and was one of the four allies
battling Sparta in the Corinthian War that broke out in the next decade.
However, never again would Athens be the hegemon dominating the
Greek world; instead, she would evolve into the Greek cultural center
university town she would become in the later Roman Empire.

Painting of the Acropolis in Athens, by Leo von Klenze, 1846

Painting of the Acropolis in Athens, by Leo von Klenze, 1846
How did Athens fare after the war?
• Athens regained her financial position.
• Athens rebuilt a smaller fleet and
fortifications with Persian assistance.
• Athens regained control over a few colonies.
• Athens formed a weak naval league.
• Athens was one of the four allies battling
Sparta in the Corinthian War.

DISCUSSING THE SOURCES
Our primary sources for this video are Plutarch’s Life
of Lysander, and the histories by Thucydides and
Xenophon, and also Diodorus Siculus, he retold an
incident between Socrates and the Thirty Tyrants.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diodorus_Siculus
Website with works of
Diodorus Siculus:
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/

Since all our videos on the Peloponnesian Wars use
many of the same sources, we have a video on Book
Reviews of ancient Greek history and philosophy.

To find the source of any direct
quotes in this blog, please type in
the phrase to the search box in
my blog to see the referenced
footnote.
YouTube Description has links for:
• Script PDF file
• Blog
• Amazon Bookstore
© Copyright 2022
Blog and YouTube Description
include links for Amazon books
and lectures mentioned, please
support our channel with these
affiliate commissions.
Link to blog: https://wp.me/pachSU-Hi

https://www.meetup.com/Reflections/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqDkfFbWhXOnzdjp__YZtg/

Thirty Tyrants Ruling Athens After Spartan Victory in the Peloponnesian Wars

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Thirty Tyrants Ruling Athens After Spartan Victory in the Peloponnesian Wars

Similar to Thirty Tyrants Ruling Athens After Spartan Victory in the Peloponnesian Wars (16)

More from Reflections on Morality, Philosophy, and History

More from Reflections on Morality, Philosophy, and History (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Thirty Tyrants Ruling Athens After Spartan Victory in the Peloponnesian Wars