Thrasybulus

History

Founders of democracy unsung | Part 3: Lack of historical recognition

Cleisthenes and Thrasybulus played important roles in the independence of Athens, and its existence as a democracy. Yet their roles were downplayed by succeeding generations. Athens indeed spun the murder of the tyrant Hipparchus by a pair of disgruntled lovers into a fight against tyranny, but neglected Cleisthenes’ place in the true origins of the democracy. The citizens of the polis welcomed the freedom and democracy restored by Thrasybulus, but… Read more

History

Founders of democracy unsung | Part 2: Re-establishment of democracy by Thrasybulus

Thrasybulus played an instrumental part as a general in Athens’ victories in the “Ionian War” in 411–407 BCE and the (temporary) return of Alcibiades to Athens. But in 404 BCE, the Spartan general Lysander imposed an oligarchic government on Athens, known as the government of “The Thirty Tyrants” and Thrasybulus was among the many Athenian democrats who fled their tyranny. In 403 he began to organize a rebellion against them. Read more