Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
Ephialtes and the Fall of the Areopagus
Long before Pericles, a shadowy figure named Ephialtes dismantled the ancient council of the Areopagus, turning Athens from a moderate oligarchy into a radical democracy. This episode unpacks how Ephialtes, with young Pericles at his side, stripped the aristocratic court of its sweeping powers—oversight of magistrates, constitutional guardianship, and political trials—and transferred them to the popular assembly and people's courts. We explore the bitter factional struggle, the mysterious assassination of Ephialtes, and how his reforms paved the way for the golden age of Athens. Along…
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