Thirty

Thirty (in Greek old οἱ Τριάκοντα / hoi Triakonta ) also called Thirty tyrants is a oligarchical government composed of thirty magistrates called tyrants , which succeeds the Athenian democracy at the end of the Peloponnesian War, during less than one year, in 404.

This constitution is imposed to the Athenians by the general Spartan Lysandre after the rendering of Athens negotiated by one of the futures Thirty tyrants, Théramène, in 404. The Ecclésia (the assembly of the Athenian people) was opposed to this mode but with the support of a garrison Spartan, the Thirty, taken along by Critias impose a mode of terror, reserving the full rights of citizens only to their 3000 partisans. Their adversaries can be condemned without any judgment. Those which fight against this drift are pitilessly eliminated, such Théramène, condemned to drink the conium. In January 403, after seven or eight month of being able, the Thirty Tyrants are driven out by Thrasybule with the great relief of the population.

A provisional government…

After the defeat of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans grant peace to the Athenians “provided that they apply the constitution of their ancestors” (Aristote, Constitution of Athens , XXXIV, 3). The city is then divided between democrats and the oligarchs of the Hétairie S. Lysandre, general victorious Spartan, lines up as regards partisan of oligarchy, like it does it in all the overcome cities.

On proposal of one named Dracontidès, dème of Aphidna, and under pressure of Lysandre, a commission of 30 members is created by the Parliament, in order to create a news politeia (a new mode), as it had been made in 411: the goal is to return to the patrios politeia (the constitution of the ancestors) by purifying the body politic and by removing the misthoi (allowances granted to the poor citizens). Its members are selected among the friends of Théramène, the negotiator of rendering, and Critias, an aristocrat laconophile.

The Thirty reduce the number of the full citizens to 3.000 and designate the 500 members of a council (Boulè), charged to prepare the laws. They abolish the laws of Éphialtès and Archestratos, and even certain laws of Solon. They organize also hunting for the demagogs and with the Sycophante S. Aristote notes that “these acts gave pleasure with the citizens who believed that the Thirty acted for the good of the city” ( ibid , XXXV, 3).

… which becomes tyranny

But, very quickly, the capacity of the Thirty turns to tyranny: they are surrounded by a guard of 300 men (“carry-whips” and are pressed on the garrison left in place by the Spartiates. They also institute Ten the, charged ones to control the significant area of the Pirée, bastion traditional of the democrats.

Leaving side the constitutional questions, they proceed to a series of executions of Métèques (inter alia, Polémarque, the brother of the speaker Lysias, this one managing to escape) and citizens rich, of which they confiscate fortune. These executions lead to disagreements within the Thirty, between Critias, extremist, and Théramène, which preaches moderation:

“But as Critias was inclined to make perish much citizens, because it had been exiled by the people, Théramène was opposed to it, saying that it was not reasonable to put at dead a man, because the people honoured it, if besides it did not make any evil with the decent people. ”
( Hellenic , II, 3,15)

In fact, Théramène defends the idea of a mode being based on a broad base of “people of good”, gathering citizens like fortunate not-citizens. Critias, on the contrary, defends a capacity only founded on the power: “If you think, added it, that because we are thirty and not one, we do not have to take care on our capacity as if it were a tyranny, you are naive”, makes him say Xénophon ( Helléniques , II, 3,16).

Critias organizes the end of Théramène then: initially, it makes vote a law giving the capacity to the Thirty to make carry out those which do not form part of the Three Thousand. In the second time, it makes vote a law excluding from the civic body all those which took share with the destruction of the walls of Éétionéia or, in a more general way, acted against the preceding tyranny of the Four Hundred. Theramene having achieved one like the other, it is condemned to drink the conium.

Aristote, Isocrate and Eschine estimate the number of victims from the Thirty to 1500 men (it is not known if this number represents the only citizens or the whole of the victims, wogs and citizens), which is enormous for a population which could include/understand 40.000 male citizens (and about as many wogs). According to Plato and Xénophon, Socrate, which knows well some of the Thirty (in particular Critias) and which is perhaps not unfavourable with the principle of such an oligarchical “revolution”, always refused to be made the accomplice of their exactions.

The fall of the Thirty

The banished democrats carried out by Thrasybule, start from Thèbes and seize the fortress Phylè, in the south of the mount Parnès. From there, they attack and take the ports of the Pirée and Munichie (port of the navy of war). Critias and Charmide, one of the Ten, are killed at the time of the battle. The people elect new Ten, which accommodates the democrats.

The Thirty settle then with Éleusis, of which they massacre the inhabitants. In Athens, the mode of the Three Thousand is set up, however that the combat continues between “those of the City” and “those of Pirée”.

In parallel, Lysandre is repudiated by Sparte and the garrison Spartan leaves Athens. Pausanias I {{er}}, King de Sparte, arrives then with negotiators, to establish a peace between “those of the city” and “those of Pirée”. This peace is done under the sign of the reconciliation: one allows “those of the city” which wish it to join Éleusis, where they will not be worried. It is also done under the sign of political moderation: the decree of Thrasybule granting the citizenship to the combatants of Phylum (among which slaves) is cancelled for legal flaw; the proposal of Phormisios is drawn aside, which aims at withdrawing the citizenship with those which do not have ground. The debts of the Thirty towards Sparte are honoured.

Lastly, the agreement includes/understands a measurement of general amnesty, prohibiting whoever from pointing out the past under penalty of dead: “No one will not have the right to reproach the past, except to the Thirty, the Ten, the Eleven and the former governors of Pirée, nor even with those after their rendering of accounts” ( Constit. Ath. , XXXIX, 6).

Comparison

There is a certain analogy between this episode and the introduction of the mode of Vichy in France: shortly after defeat, capacity entrusted to the negotiators of rendering, popular consensus at the beginning, committal for trial of the democracy and the democrats, considered to be responsible for the defeat, internal conflict between “moderated” and extremists, authoritarian abuse and capital executions, designation of scapegoats (wogs, Jews), unloading of the democrats, escape of the leaders in a protected tiny room.

Sources

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