Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History / The Ostracism of Themistocles: A Hero Exiled by His Own Democracy
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about Themistocles in the context of Salamis, and we've talked about ostracism as a practice, but I think it's really illuminating to look at the moment those two things collided — when Athens ostracized the very man who'd saved them. Luna: Right, the guy who was basically the reason they had a navy at all. Lucas: Exactly. After Salamis, Themistocles was at the peak of his power. He'd been the architect of the Athenian naval buildup, the victory at Salamis, and he'd pushed for the fortification of the Piraeus. But within a few years — probably around 471 or 470 BCE — he was ostracized and eventually fled to the Persian court. Lucas: To understand why, we need to look at the political landscape after the Persian Wars. Athens was divided between an aristocratic faction, led by men like Aristides and later Cimon, who favored a land-based strategy and good relations with Sparta, and a democratic faction, led by Themistocles, who championed the navy and a more assertive, imperial policy. Luna: So it was a power struggle. Lucas: Yes, but it's also about the very nature of ostracism. It wasn't meant for criminals or traitors — it was a political tool to remove someone who was seen as too powerful or potentially dangerous to the democracy. And Themistocles, with his cunning and ambition, fit that bill perfectly. Lucas: The mechanism itself is fascinating. Every year, the Athenian assembly would vote on whether to hold an ostracism. If they decided yes, then a few weeks later, citizens would gather in the Agora, and each would scratch a name on a broken piece of pottery — an ostrakon — and drop it into a designated area. If at least six thousand votes were cast, the person with the most votes was exiled for ten years, but without loss of property or status. Luna: So it's like a democratic timeout. Lucas: Exactly. It was a safety valve. And we have actual ostraka from the Kerameikos that bear Themistocles' name, along with some of his political rivals. Archaeologists have found hundreds of ostraka from the 480s and 470s, and they give us a tangible connection to that moment. Lucas: But there's a twist. According to Plutarch, when Themistocles was ostracized, he didn't just go quietly. He traveled around the Peloponnese, stirring up anti-Spartan sentiment, which only made the Athenians more suspicious. Eventually, he was accused of medizing — collaborating with Persia — and fled first to Corcyra, then to the Molossians, and finally to the Persian court of Artaxerxes I. Luna: And the Persians just welcomed him? Lucas: They did. Artaxerxes was so impressed by Themistocles that he gave him three cities — Magnesia, Myus, and Lampsacus — to provide him with income. Themistocles learned Persian, adopted Persian customs, and became an advisor to the king. He died there, probably of natural causes, though there's a story that he committed suicide rather than fight against Greece. Luna: That's an incredible arc. From savior of Greece to Persian governor. Lucas: It really is. And it raises a big question: was his ostracism a just precaution, or a case of democratic ingratitude? Thucydides, who is our best contemporary source, is characteristically terse — he simply says Themistocles was ostracized for a time because people feared his power. But Plutarch, writing centuries later, gives a more dramatic account, full of betrayal and intrigue. Lucas: One detail I love is that Plutarch says Themistocles was ostracized by the very ostraka that might have been prepared against him. There's even a story that an illiterate man asked Aristides to write 'Themistocles' on his ostrakon, and Aristides obliged, even though he himself was a rival. Luna: Wait — Aristides wrote his own rival's name on the ballot? Lucas: According to the story, yes. It's probably apocryphal, but it captures the spirit of the thing. And it's a nice segue into something I want to mention. We deliberately don't run ads on this show. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep things independent and ad-free. Lucas: Exactly. So back to Themistocles — his exile had major consequences. It removed a key figure from Athenian politics just as tensions with Sparta were growing. The Delian League, which Themistocles had championed, was about to morph into an Athenian empire, but under leaders like Cimon and later Pericles, who had their own agendas. Luna: Do you think Athens made the right call? Lucas: That's the tough question. On one hand, ostracism was a way to prevent tyranny. On the other, it removed one of the most capable leaders they had. But I think the deeper lesson is about how democracies handle outsized individuals — how do you reward a hero without letting them become too powerful? The Athenians never really solved that. Luna: It's still a problem today. Lucas: Sure is. And the irony is that Themistocles' exile may have even benefited Athens indirectly. By going to Persia, he removed a source of internal division, and his presence there might have moderated Persian policy toward Greece for a while. But we'll never know for sure. Lucas: There's also the question of what the ostracism says about the broader political reforms of that era. The Areopagus, the old aristocratic council, had been losing power since the reforms of Ephialtes in 462 BCE, just a few years after Themistocles' ostracism. So the democratic faction was ascendant, but they still used this tool to trim their own sails. Luna: So ostracism was a democratic check on democratic leaders. Lucas: Exactly. It's a paradox. And the practice fell out of use after the late 5th century, partly because it was too blunt an instrument. But for the first half of the 5th century, it shaped Athenian politics profoundly. Lucas: Let's look at a few other ostraka. We have one from about 482 BCE that says 'Themistocles, son of Neocles' — just his name and patronymic. But others are more creative: one calls him 'the one who plots against the city.' So voters could add a little commentary. It humanizes the process. Luna: It's like an ancient protest sign. Lucas: Exactly. And the whole ritual — the gathering in the Agora, the scratching of names, the counting — it was a civic event. It reinforced the idea that the demos had ultimate authority. But it also shows how fragile that authority could be, how easily it could be turned against a single individual. Luna: Do we know how Themistocles reacted? Was he bitter? Lucas: Plutarch says he was devastated but maintained his dignity. He supposedly said, 'We should not be surprised if we are not loved by those we have benefited.' But then he also engaged in that anti-Spartan campaign, so maybe he wasn't so detached. His later career in Persia suggests a man who adapted brilliantly, but also one who never quite let go of his ambition. Lucas: And that's what makes him such a compelling figure. He's not a simple hero or villain — he's a survivor. And his story forces us to think about what we owe to our leaders, and what they owe to us. Luna: It's a great reminder that democracy has always been messy. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's the thread I want to leave you with. When we look at those ostraka in the museum, we're looking at the physical evidence of that mess — of a people trying to govern themselves, sometimes wisely, sometimes not, but always engaged in the experiment. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.