Bust of Themistocles

Themistocles (Greek: Θεμιστοκλῆς; c. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly 524–459 BC^[1]) was an Athenian soldier and statesman. Events 529 BC — Cambyses II started to rule He is son of Cyrus II. Events By place Persian empire The Jewish priest Ezra assembles and leads a band of approximately 5000 Jews from Babylon The History of Athens is one of the longest of any city in Europe and in the world As archon in 493 BC, he convinced the Athenians that a powerful fleet was needed to protect them against the Persians. Archon (Gr ἄρχων pl ἄρχοντες is a Greek word that means "ruler" frequently used as the title of a specific public office Events By place Persian Empire A Phoenician manned Persian fleet restores Persian control of Cyprus During the second Persian invasion under Xerxes I, he commanded the Athenian squadron and through his strategy the Greeks won the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. The Battle of Salamis ( Ancient Greek:) was a decisive naval battle between the Greek City-states and Persia in September 480 BC in the Events By place Greece May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace After the war, he persuaded the Athenians to rebuild the walls of the city on a vastly larger scale than had existed before. This aroused uneasiness in Sparta. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη So the Spartan faction in Athens tried to undermine him and in 470 BC he was ostracised. Events By Place Greece Suspected of plotting to seize power in Sparta by instigating a Helot uprising Pausanias takes Ostracism ( ostrakismos) was a procedure under the Athenian democracy in which a prominent Citizen could be expelled from the City-state He moved to Argos, but the Spartans forced his expulsion from there in 467 BC. Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor Events By place Roman republic Quintus Fabius Vibulanus becomes consul of the Roman Republic for the first of three times He eventually travelled to Persia where the king Artaxerxes I made him governor of Magnesia where he spent the rest of his life. Artaxerxes I (Latin Greek Ἀρταξέρξης Persian اردشیر یکم (Ardeshir corruption of Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎭𐎧𐎨𐏁𐎨 Artaxšacā Magnesia (Μαγνησία Magnisía, maɣniˈsia deriving from the tribe name Magnetes, is the name of the southeastern area of Thessaly He was a man of grand plans whose patriotism later became confused with his own advancement. He was convinced that only he could realise the dream of a great Athenian empire.

Biography

Themistocles was the son of Neocles, an Athenian of no distinction and moderate means, his mother being a Carian or a Thracian, Abrotonum by some accounts. Municipalities of Caria Cramer's detailed catalog of Carian towns in Classical Greece is based entirely on ancient sources Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Abrotonum ( Greek:) was a Thracian harlot who according to some accounts was the mother of Themistocles. ^[2] Little is known of his early years, but many authors resort to the myth that he was unruly as a child and was consequently disowned by his father (e. g. Libanius Declamations 9 and 10; Aelian; Cornelius Nepos "Themistocles"). Libanius ( Greek: Λιβάνιος, Libanios; ca 314-ca 394 was a Greek-speaking teacher of rhetoric of the later Roman Empire, an educated Aelian or Aelianus may refer to Aelianus Tacticus, Greek military writer of the 2nd century who lived in Rome Casperius Aelianus Cornelius Nepos (Κορνήλιος Νέπως in Ancient Greek literature (c He may have been strategos of his tribe at Marathon and it is said that he was jealous of the victories of Miltiades, repeating to himself, "Miltiades' trophy does not let me sleep" (in Greek: Οὐκ ἐᾷ με καθεύδειν τὸ τοῦ Μιλτιάδου τρόπαιον). For the board game see Stratego. "Strategus" redirects here The Battle of Marathon ( Greek: Μάχη τοῡ Μαραθῶνος Machē tou Marathōnos) during the Greco-Persian Wars took place in 490

Thucydides, a well-respected historian who was born around the time of Themistocles’ death, described him in the following terms:

Plutarch, more disparagingly, remarks that he was power-hungry and willing to use any means to gain both personal and national prestige. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c

Ostracon with inscription: "Themistocles, son of Neocles"

The death of Miltiades, the hero of Marathon, left a political void filled by Themistocles and Aristides "the Just", with whom he had previously competed over the love of a boy. An ostracon ( Greek: ostrakon, plural ostraka) is a piece of Pottery (or stone usually broken off from a Vase or other Aristides or Aristeides ( Greek, 530–468 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman As Plutarch recounts, ". . . they were rivals for the affection of the beautiful Stesilaus of Ceos, and were passionate beyond all moderation. "^[3]

Themistocles prevailed in 483 BC–482 BC by arranging the ostracism of Aristides. Events By place Persian empire Xerxes I of Persia is encouraged by his cousin and brother-in-law Events By place Greece The Athenian Archon Themistocles secures the Ostracism of his opponents Ostracism ( ostrakismos) was a procedure under the Athenian democracy in which a prominent Citizen could be expelled from the City-state Themistocles advocated a policy of naval expansion while Aristides represented the interests of the "hoplite" or traditional land-based military establishment. Athens' traditional enemy, Aegina, had a powerful navy while the danger of a renewed Persian invasion was well known. Aegina ( Greek: Αίγινα ( Egina) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 17 miles (30 km from The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Persians had recently subjugated the Ionian Greeks who were known for developing a new three level warship known as the "Trireme" which was destined to change naval warfare for years to come. Themistocles successfully persuaded the Athenian Assembly to build an additional 100 or 200 Triremes and to continue his work of fortifying the harbours of Piraeus largely facilitated by a fortuitous newly-discovered rich vein of silver at Laureion. Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a Laurion redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Laurion (moth.

Themistocles may have been archon in 483 BC–482 BC at the time when this naval programme began. This is a list of the eponymous archons of Athens. Background The Archon was the chief Magistrate in many Greek cities but in Dionysius of Halicarnassus places his archonship in 493-92, which may be more likely: in 487 the office lost much of its importance owing to the substitution of the lot for election: the chance that the lot would at the particular crisis of 483 fall on Themistocles was remote. Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Halicarnassus c 60 BC–after 7 BC was a Greek historian and teacher of Rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Cleromancy is a form of Divination using Sortition, casting of lots or casting bones in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered In any case, at the year prior to the invasion of Xerxes Themistocles was the most influential politician in Athens, if not in Greece. Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Though the Greek fleet was nominally under the control of the Spartan Eurybiades, Themistocles caused the Greeks to fight the indecisive Battle of Artemisium, and more, it was he who brought about the Battle of Salamis, by his threat that he would lead the Athenian army to found a new home in the West, and by his seemingly treacherous message to Xerxes, whose fleet was lured into the channel between Salamis and the mainland and crushed. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Eurybiades was the Spartan commander in charge of the Greek navy during the Persian Wars. The naval Battle of Artemisium took place according to tradition on the same day as the Battle of Thermopylae on August 11 480 BC, though its exact date The Battle of Salamis ( Ancient Greek:) was a decisive naval battle between the Greek City-states and Persia in September 480 BC in the

This left the Athenians free to restore their ruined city. Sparta, on the ground that it was dangerous to Greece that there should be any citadel north of the Isthmus of Corinth which an invader might hold, urged against this, but Themistocles forstalled Spartan action by means of a visit to Sparta that allowed diplomatic delays and subterfuges and enabled the work to be carried sufficiently near to completion to make the walls defensible. The Isthmus of Corinth is the narrow landbridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth He also carried out his original plan of making Piraeus a real harbour and fortress for Athens. Athens thus became the finest trade centre in Greece, and this, along with Themistocles' remission of the alien's tax, induced many foreign business men to settle in Athens.

After the crisis of the Persian invasion Themistocles and Aristides appear to have made up their differences. But Themistocles soon began to lose the confidence of the people, partly due to his arrogance (it is said that he built near his own house a sanctuary to Artemis Aristoboulë ["of good counsel"]) and partly due to his alleged readiness to take bribes. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister Diodorus and Plutarch both refer to some accusation levelled against him, and at some point between 476 BC and 471 BC he was ostracised. He retired to Argos, but the Spartans further accused him of treasonable intrigues with Persia, and he fled to Corcyra, thence to Admetus, king of Molossia, and finally to Asia Minor. Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea In Greek mythology, Admetus /æd 'mi təs/ was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named The Molossians (Μολοσσοί English: Molossoi were an ancient Greek tribe that settled Epirus during Mycenaean times He was proclaimed a traitor at Athens and his property was confiscated, though his friends saved him some portion of it.

Eventually, Artaxerxes I, successor of Xerxes I, offered Themistocles asylum. Artaxerxes I (Latin Greek Ἀρταξέρξης Persian اردشیر یکم (Ardeshir corruption of Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎭𐎧𐎨𐏁𐎨 Artaxšacā Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient Judicial notion under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his He was well received by the Persians and was made governor of Magnesia on the Maeander River in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Magnesia (Μαγνησία Magnisía, maɣniˈsia deriving from the tribe name Magnetes, is the name of the southeastern area of Thessaly The Büyük Menderes River (historically the Maeander also spelled Meander) Turkish: Büyük Menderes Nehri, Ancient Greek: Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The revenues (50 talents) of this town were assigned to him for bread, those of Myus for condiments, and those of Lampsacus for wine. Myus Caria (sometimes Myous or Myos was an ancient City-state and was one of twelve major settlements formed in the Ionian Confederation called the Ionian League Lampsacus (also Lampsakos) was an ancient Greek city strategically located on the eastern side of the Hellespont in the northern Troad. His death at Magnesia, at the age of sixty-five, was due to illness according to Thucydides, although Thucydides also tells us of a rumor that Themistocles, finding that he could not keep the promises that he had made to Xerxes, may have taken poison (book I, 138). Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek It was said that his bones were secretly transferred to Attica. He was worshiped by the Magnesians as a god, as depicted on a coin on which he is shown with a patera in his hand and a slain bull at his feet (hence perhaps the legend that he died from drinking bull’s blood).

Though many Greeks considered that his end was discreditable there is no doubt that his services to Athens and to Greece were great. He created the Athenian fleet and with it the possibility of the Delian League, which became the Athenian empire, and there are indications (e. The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue g. his plan of expansion in the west) that the later imperialist ideal originated with him.

In popular culture

• In the movie The 300 Spartans (1962), Themistocles is portrayed by the actor Ralph Richardson

References and notes

1. ^ Hornblower and Spawforth (1998) s. The 300 Spartans is a 1962 film depicting the Battle of Thermopylae. Sir Ralph David Richardson ( 19 December 1902 &ndash 10 October 1983) was an English Actor, one of a group of theatrical v. Themistocles. Secondary sources vary on the dates of birth and death. Other dates often given are 525/523 - 460 BC.
2. ^ Smith, William (1867), “Abrotonum”, in Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849 originally published 1844 under a slightly different title is an Encyclopedia / Biographical dictionary 1, Boston, MA, pp. 3 
3. ^ Plutarch, The Lives, "Themistocles"

Bibliography

• JACT, The World of Athens
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• Hornblower, Simon and Spawforth, Antony (ed. ), The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998).

External links

• Livius. org, Themistocles by Jona Lendering