No. XXXIX (2008)
Articles

Critias and Democracy

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  • Ivan Jordović
Ivan Jordović
University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Philosophy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2298/BALC0839033J

Published 01.12.2008

Keywords

  • Athens,
  • Thessaly,
  • democracy,
  • tyranny,
  • the Thirty,
  • Critias,
  • Theramenes,
  • cophron
    • ...More
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How to Cite

Jordović, I. (2008). Critias and Democracy. Balcanica - Annual of the Institute for Balkan Studies, (XXXIX), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.2298/BALC0839033J

Copyright (c) 2008 Balcanica

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The majority of Critias’ contemporaries and fellow citizens saw the leader of the most brutal regime in Athenian history as a ruthless oligarch, moreover as a tyrant. Many ancient sources share this view. It is somewhat surprising therefore to see the most famous of his victims, the controversial politician Theramenes, denouncing him as a supporter of democracy. This contradiction has given rise to different, even diametrically opposed, modern interpretations. It is this variety of interpretations and the importance of this question for understanding the political situation in Athens at the end of the fifth century BC, as well as the rise of tyranny in Thessaly, that has prompted us to take yet another look at this controversial issue.
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