Latest / The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention — Fexingo History / The Ostracism of Themistocles: How Athens Exiled Its Own Savior
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Athenian democracy — the assemblies, the reforms, the empire. But there's one practice that really captures the raw edge of democratic power: ostracism. Luna: You mean the vote where they'd literally exile someone for ten years just because people were tired of them? Lucas: Exactly. It was a kind of political safety valve. Every year, the Assembly would decide whether to hold an ostracism — if they voted yes, they'd hold a second vote where citizens scratched a name onto a piece of pottery — an ostrakon. The person with the most votes, as long as there was a quorum of six thousand, was banished for ten years. No trial, no appeal. Just gone. Luna: And the most famous case is Themistocles, right? The guy who saved Greece at Salamis? Lucas: Precisely. Themistocles is the ultimate example of how quickly Athenian esteem could turn. In 480 BCE, he was the hero who outmaneuvered the Persians at Salamis, convincing the Greeks to fight in the narrow straits where their smaller fleet could win. Without him, it's hard to imagine Athens surviving the Persian invasion. Lucas: But by the late 470s, his star was fading. He had pushed for the fortification of Athens and the Piraeus, and he'd championed the Delian League — which turned into an Athenian empire. That made enemies. The conservatives, led by Aristides and later Cimon, saw him as a dangerous populist who was too friendly with the lower classes and too willing to antagonize Sparta. Luna: So did they just orchestrate a smear campaign? Lucas: Pretty much. The exact year is debated — probably 472 or 471 BCE. But we know the result: Themistocles was ostracized. He went to Argos first, but then the Spartans accused him of conspiring with the Persians — medism, they called it. Athens sent agents to arrest him, but he fled, eventually ending up at the court of Artaxerxes I, the very king he had defeated. Luna: He went to Persia? That's incredible. What did he do there? Lucas: According to Thucydides and Plutarch, Themistocles presented himself to the Persian king and offered his services. Artaxerxes was impressed — or maybe just amused — and gave him three cities to govern: Magnesia, Lampsacus, and Myus. He lived out his days as a Persian governor, dying around 459 BCE, possibly by suicide or illness. Lucas: But here's the irony: the charge of medism might not have been entirely fabricated. Plutarch says that after his ostracism, Themistocles did send letters to Artaxerxes hinting that he could be useful. So maybe he was playing both sides all along. Luna: Wait, so the exile was justified? He really was a traitor? Lucas: That's the big debate. The sources are contradictory. Some ancient writers say he was innocent, a victim of Spartan plotting. Others say he had been in secret communication with Persia since before Salamis. The truth is probably somewhere in between — he was a pragmatist, and when Athens turned on him, he had nowhere else to go. Lucas: What's fascinating is the archaeological evidence. In the Kerameikos, the ancient potter's quarter, excavators have found thousands of ostraka — sherds with names scratched on them. Many bear Themistocles' name, some in the same handwriting, suggesting organized campaigns to get him exiled. Luna: So there were like anti-Themistocles flyers, but on pottery. Lucas: Exactly. One cache of about 190 ostraka all have Themistocles' name, and many appear to be written by the same fourteen hands. It's the first evidence of political canvassing — people were paid to scratch names on sherds and hand them out before the vote. Lucas: And the charges? Plutarch lists them: arrogance, taking bribes, building the Piraeus fortifications without authorization. But the real subtext was that he was too powerful and too popular with the demos. Ostracism was designed to prevent a potential tyrant from seizing power, but it also cut down anyone who got too big for the city's comfort. Luna: It's almost like they punished success. If you were too good at your job, you got kicked out. Lucas: That's the paradox of Athenian democracy. They valued collective leadership and feared individual preeminence. The same people who cheered Themistocles after Salamis later voted to exile him. And the practice wasn't unique to him — Aristides was ostracized too, though he was later recalled. Cimon was ostracized in 461. It was a recurring pattern. Lucas: Now, speaking of patterns — one thing I love about this show is how we keep coming back to these stories of ambition, ingratitude, and reinvention. And it's listeners like you who make it possible for us to keep digging into these archives without any ads. If you've been enjoying these conversations, especially the deep dives into figures like Themistocles, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to keep the history flowing, and it really helps. Luna: Yeah, absolutely. And it means we can keep doing episodes like this without worrying about sponsors. Lucas: Anyway, back to Themistocles. After his death, his family actually brought his bones back to Athens and buried them secretly, because he was still officially a traitor. It's a poignant end: the man who built the walls and won the war, finally coming home in a clandestine grave. Lucas: But his legacy didn't die. The naval strategy he championed became the foundation of Athenian power for decades. The Long Walls and the fortified Piraeus turned Athens into a fortress, and the Delian League gave it an empire. In many ways, the Athens of Pericles was built on Themistocles' vision. Luna: So even in exile, his ideas won. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the lesson: in Athenian democracy, the individual could be cast out, but their contributions could outlast them. Themistocles' story is a cautionary tale about the fickleness of public opinion, but also a testament to how one person's foresight can shape an entire civilization.