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STIRIA (Ancient demos) ATTIKI
Thrasybulus. An Athenian, the son of Lycus, of the deme Steiria. He was zealously attached to the democratic party, and was a warm friend of Alcihiades. The first occasion on which we find him mentioned is in B. C. 411, when he was in command of a galley in the Athenian fleet at Samos. and took an active part in the suppression of the oligarchical conspiracy (Thuc. viii. 73). When the news arrived of the establishment of the Four Hundred at Athens, Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus were among the most active in urging resistance to the oligarchy, and exacted a solemn oath from the Athenians of the fleet that they would maintain the democracy, and persevere in the war with the Peloponnesians. In an assembly held soon after in the camp, some of the suspected generals were removed, and others appointed in their room. Among the latter was Thrasybulus. Through the influence of Thrasybulus a decree was passed by the camp-assembly, by which Alcibiades was pardoned and recalled. Thrasybulus himself sailed to fetch him from the court of Tissaphernes. Shortly afterwards he set out towards the Hellespont with five galleys, when news arrived of the revolt of Eresus. After his junction with Thrasyllus was fought the battle of Cynossema, in which Thrasybulus commanded the right wing, and by a sudden attack upon the Peloponnesians, who had gained a partial success, turned the fortune of the day (Thuc. viii. 75, 76, 81, 100, 104, &c.). Just before the battle of Cyzicus Thrasybulus joined Alcibiades with twenty galleys, having been despatched on an expedition to collect money from Thasos and other places in that quarter (Xen. Helen. i. 1.12). In 407 he was sent with a fleet of thirty ships to the coast of Thrace, where he reduced most of the revolted cities to submission (Xen. Hellen. i. 4.9; Demosth. adv. Lept.; Diod. xiii. 72). He was about the same time elected one of the new generals, together with Alcibiades. While engaged in fortifying Phocaea, he received a visit from Alcibiades, who had left his fleet at Notium (Xen. l.c. i. 5.6). After the unfortunate battle of Notium took place, he was involved in the disgrace of Alcibiades, and was superseded in his command, but still continued to serve in the fleet. He was one of the subordinate officers at the battle of Arginusae, and was one of those charged with the duty of taking care of the wrecks (Xen. i. 6.35). He is said to have had a dream before the battle, which portended the victory and the death of the generals (Diod. xiii. 97). On the establishment of the Thirty Tyrants he was banished, and was living in exile at Thebes when the rulers of Athens were perpetrating their excesses of tyranny. Being aided by the Thebans with arms and money, he collected a small band, and seized the fortress of Phyle, where he was rapidly reinforced, and after repulsing an attack made upon the fortress, he defeated the forces placed to check the incursions of the garrison. Four days afterwards he descended with a body of 1000 men and marched into Peiraeus, taking up a strong position on the hill of Munychia. where he was joined by most of the population of Peiraeus. The forces of the tyrants were immediately despatched against them, but were defeated, though with no great loss. The Ten, who were appointed in place of the Thirty, however, showed no less disposition to overpower Thrasybulus and his party, who strengthened themselves as much as possible, and made foraging excursions every day from Peiraeus. In consequence of the application of the oligarchs Lysander and Libys were sent to blockade Peiraeus. The exiles however were delivered from their perilous position through the machinations of Pausanias. After they had sustained a severe defeat, Pausanias secretly sent to them, directing them to send an embassy to him, and suggesting the kind of language that they should hold. An armistice was concluded with them, and deputies were despatched by them to plead their cause at Sparta. The issue was a general reconciliation, accompanied by an amnesty, and the exiles entered the city in triumph, and offered a sacrifice to Athene on the Acropolis. Soon afterwards the oligarchical exiles at Eleusis, who were preparing to renew the civil war, were overpowered, and a new act of amnesty was passed with respect to them, the credit of which seems to have belonged to Thrasybulus and his friends (Xen. Hellen. ii. 4.2-43; Diod. xiv. 32, 33; Paus. i. 29.3, iii. 5.l; Plut. Lys. 27). In B. C. 395 we find Thrasybulus moving the decree for an alliance between Thebes and Athens, when the former was menaced by Sparta, and leading an army to the help of the Thebans (Pans. iii. 5.4; Xen. Hellen. iii. 5.16, &c). In B. C. 390 Thrasybulus was sent with forty ships to aid the democratical Rhodians against Teleutias. Not finding that he could be of any service at Rhodes, he sailed away to Thrace, where he reconciled two Odrysian princes, Amadocus and Seuthes, and brought them to enter into alliance with Athens. Seuthes offered to give him his daughter in marriage. He then proceeded to Byzantium, where by the aid of Archebius and Heracleides he established the democratical party, and restored the Athenian interest. He also brought Chalcedon into alliance with Athens. In the island of Lesbos he reduced Methymna and some other towns. From Lesbos he sailed southwards, and having anchored in the Eurymedon near Aspendus, the inhabitants of this place fell upon him in the night and killed him in his tent (Diod. xiv. 94, 99; Xen. Hellen. iv. 8.25, &c.; Demosth. adv. Lept.). His tomb was on the road leading to the Academy, near those of Pericles, Chabrias, and Phormion (Paus. i. 29.3).
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited July 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Extract from Diodorus Siculus, Library
In Athens the Thirty Tyrants, who were in supreme control, made no end of daily
exiling some citizens and putting to death others. When the Thebans were displeased
at what was taking place and extended kindly hospitality to the exiles, Thrasybulus
of the deme of Stiria, as he was called, who was an Athenian and had been exiled
by the Thirty, with the secret aid of the Thebans seized a stronghold in Attica
called Phyle. This was an outpost, which was not only very strong but was also
only one hundred stades distant from Athens, so that it afforded them many advantages
for attack.
The Thirty Tyrants, on learning of this act, at first led forth their
troops against the band with the intention of laying siege to the stronghold.
But while they were encamped near Phyle there came a heavy snow, and when some
set to work to shift their encampment, the majority of the soldiers assumed that
they were taking to flight and that a hostile force was at hand; and the uproar
which men call Panic struck the army and they removed their camp to another place.
The Thirty, seeing that those citizens of Athens who enjoyed no political rights
in the government of the three thousand were elated at the prospect of the overthrow
of their control of the state, transferred them to the Peiraeus and maintained
their control of the city by means of mercenary troops; and accusing the Eleusians
and Salaminians of siding with the exiles, they put them all to death.
While these things were being done, many of the exiles flocked to
Thrasybulus; (and the Thirty dispatched ambassadors to Thrasybulus) publicly to
treat with him about some prisoners, but privately to advise him to dissolve the
band of exiles and to associate himself with the Thirty in the rule of the city,
taking the place of Theramenes; and they promised further that he could have licence
to restore to their native land any ten exiles he chose. Thrasybulus replied that
he preferred his own state of exile to the rule of the Thirty and that he would
not end the war unless all the citizens returned from exile and the people got
back the form of government they had received from their fathers. The Thirty,
seeing many revolting from them because of hatred and the exiles growing ever
more numerous, dispatched ambassadors to Sparta for aid, and meanwhile themselves
gathered as many troops as they could and pitched a camp in the open country near
Acharnae, as it is called.
Thrasybulus, leaving behind an adequate guard at the stronghold, led
forth the exiles, twelve hundred in number, and delivering an unexpected attack
by night on the camp of his opponents, he slew a large number of them, struck
terror into the rest by his unexpected move, and forced them to flee to Athens.
After the battle Thrasybulus set out straightway for the Peiraeus and seized Munychia,
which was an uninhabited and strong hill; and the Tyrants with all the troops
at their disposal went down to the Peiraeus and attacked Munychia, under the command
of Critias. In the sharp battle which continued for a long time the Thirty held
the advantage in numbers and the exiles in the strength of their position. At
last, however, when Critias fell, the troops of the Thirty were dismayed and fled
for safety to more level ground, the exiles not daring to come down against them.
When after this great numbers went over to the exiles, Thrasybulus
made an unexpected attack upon his opponents, defeated them in battle, and became
master of the Peiraeus. At once many of the inhabitants of the city who wished
to be rid of the tyranny flocked to the Peiraeus and all the exiles who were scattered
throughout the cities of Greece, on hearing of the successes of Thrasybulus, came
to the Peiraeus, so that from now on the exiles were far superior in force. In
consequence they began to lay siege to the city. The remaining citizens in Athens
now removed the Thirty from office and sent them out of the city, and then they
elected ten men with supreme power first and foremost to put an end to the war,
in any way possible, on friendly terms. But these men, as soon as they had succeeded
to office, paid no attention to these orders, but established themselves as tyrants
and sent to Lacedaemon for forty warships and a thousand soldiers, under the command
of Lysander.
But Pausanias, the king of the Lacedaemonians, being jealous of Lysander
and observing that Sparta was in ill repute among the Greeks, marched forth with
a strong army and on his arrival in Athens brought about a reconciliation between
the men in the city and the exiles. As a result the Athenians got back their country
and henceforth conducted their government under laws of their own making; and
the men who lived in fear of punishment for their unbroken series of past crimes
they allowed to make their home in Eleusis.
This extract is from: Diodorus Siculus, Library (ed. C. H. Oldfather, 1989). Cited July 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains comments & interesting hyperlinks.
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