Aezanis, Temple of Zeus, 117-138 AD 
  
History/Classics 310
 
Athenian Empire: 480-404 B.C.
Index 

Syllabus: 
 Structure 
 Schedule  

Readings: 
 Book List  
 Reserve Readings 
 Themistocles Decree 
 Megarian Decree 
 Athenian Treaties 

Chronologies: 
 Early Sparta and Athens 
 514-482 B.C.  
 Pentekontaeteia, 479-431 B.C. 
  Peloponnesian War  

Handouts: 
 Finances in Athens 
 Greek Coinage and Measures 
 Military 

Links 

  
MILITARY: BATTLES AND COUPS
 
I. Sailing Distances and Speeds
II. Oligarchic Coup
III. Alternate Accounts of Fall of the Thirty
IV. Naval Losses in the Ionian War
V. Forces Engaged at the Battle of Mantinea
VI. Wages of the Ten Thousand
VII. Marching Distances and Speeds of the Ten Thousand
VIII. Kings of Persia, of Sparta, and of Macedon
 
THE OLIGARCHIC COUP OF 411 B.C.
 
Source   Event   Date
Thuc. 8.17.4-18   First Spartan-Persian Treaty   412 B.C.
Thuc. 8.21   Revolution in SAMOS    Archonship of Callias
Thuc. 8.25.2-5   BATTLE OF MILETUS    
Thuc. 8.36.2-37   Second Spartan-Persian Treaty    
Thuc. 8-40-41   Disturbances in Chios   Dec. 412 &
    Astyochus arrives at Cnidus   Jan. 411
Thuc. 8.42-43.1   Defeat of Charminus at Syme    
Thuc. 8.43.2-4   Quarrel of TISSAPHERNES & Lichas    
Thuc. 8.44   Spartans establish base at RHODES    
Thuc. 8.45-46   ALCIBIADES & Tissaphernes plot    
    strategy at SARDES    
Thuc. 8.47-49   Alcibiades opens negotiations with    
    Athenian fleet at SAMOS    
Thuc. 8.50-51   PHRYNICHUS corresponds with Astyochus    
    & Spartan fleet    
Thuc. 8.52   Alcibiades urges Athenian alliance    
    to Tisasaphernes at Sardes    
Thuc. 8.53-55   PEISANDER argues for oligarchy in    
    Athenian assembly    
    PHRYNICHUS relieved of command &    
    replaced by Leon & Diomedon    
    Oligarchic Clubs terrorize Democrats    
Thuc. 8.55   Operations against Rhodes & Chios    
Thuc. 8.56   Conference between Athenian envoys &    
    Tissaphernes and Alcibiades    
Thuc. 8.57-59   Third Spartan-Persian Treaty    
Thuc. 60.1-3   Boeotians capture OROPUS    
    Spartan fleet moves to MILETUS    
Thuc. 8.61   Naval Engagement off Chios    
Thuc. 8.62-63.2   Spartan Operations in HELLESPONT & Chios    
    Outbreak of Revolt in Athenian Empire    
Thuc. 8.63.3-4   Peisander returns to Athens   411 B.C.
    Oligarchs stage coup (without    
    Alcibiades or Persian Alliance)    
Thuc. 8.64   Peisander arises oligarchic revolt    
    at THASOS and other cities    
Thuc. 8.65-66   Oligarchic Reign of Terror in Athens    
    Oligarchs propose FIVE THOUSAND    
Thuc. 8.67-68 &   MEETING OF ASSEMBLY AT COLONUS    
Ath. Pol. 29-32   Voting of Constitutions of FOUR HUNDRED    
    (present) & FIVE THOUSAND (future)    
Thuc. 8.69-70   Dismissal of Boule of 500    
    FOUR HUNDRED assume power in Athens    
Thuc. 8.71   Operations King AGIS before Athens    
Thuc. 8.72   Embassy of FOUR HUNDRED to Samos    
Thuc. 8.73-77   Athenian Fleet assists in crushing   411 B.C.
    crushes oligarchic coup at SAMOS   Archonship of Mnasilochus
        (2 months)
Thuc. 8.78-80   Difficulties in Spartan Fleet    
Thuc. 8.81.-82   Exile of Alcibiades rescinded by    
    Athenian fleet at Samos    
Thuc. 8.83-85   Problems in Spartan Fleet    
    Arrival of MINDARUS as navarch    
Thuc. 86.1-7   Embassy of FOUR HUNDRED arrives at Samos    
    Alcibiades and Fleet demand immediate    
    implementation of FIVE THOUSAND    
Thuc. 8.86-.8-9   Crew of PARALOS & Argives arrive at Samos    
Thuc. 8.87   Tissaphernes moves Phoenician Fleet    
    to base at ASPENDUS    
Thuc. 8.88   Alcibiades counters Tissaphernes    
Thuc. 8.89   THERAMENES leads moderates in Athens    
    against the FOUR HUNDRED    
Thuc. 8.90.1-2   Embassy of Phrynichus to Sparta    
Thuc. 8.90.3-92.1   Building of EETIONEIA fortifications    
Thuc. 8.92.2   Mureder of Phrynichus    
Thuc. 8.92.4-93   Hoplites tear down walls at Eetioneia    
Thuc. 8.94-95   Revolt of ERETRIA    
Thuc. 8.97-98   Overthrow of the FOUR HUNDRED   411 B.C.
    Establishment of FIVE THOUSAND   Archonship
    Oligarchs flee Athens   of Theopompus
Thuc. 8.99-107   BATTLE OF CYZICUS    
 
 To Top
ALTERNATE ACCOUNTS OF THE FALL OF THE THIRTY
 IN ATHENS, Spring 403 B.C.
 
XENOPHON 

Arrival of Spartan Garrison 
(Hell. II. 3. 13-14 & Diod. Sic. XIV. 4. 3) 

Disarming of Demos 
(Hell. II. 3. 20) 

Trial of Theramenes 
(Hell. II. 3. 23-55 & Diod. Sic. XIV. 4. 5-7) 

Thrasybulus' capture of Phyle 
(Hell. II. 4. 2-7 & Diod. Sic. 32. 2-4 

 ARISTOTLE

Thrasybulus' capture of Phyle 
 (Ath. Pol. 37. 1) 

Trial of Theramenes 
 (Ath. Pol. 37. 1) 

Disarming of Demos 
 (Ath. Pol. 37. 2) 

Arrival of Spartan Garrison 
 (Ath. Pol. 37. 2)
 
In his account, Xenophon (who is followed by Diodorus Siculus) places the arrival of the Spartan force under the harmost Callibius before the disarming of the population and the trial of Theramenes. Thereupon, Critias initiates a new reign of terror in the city that prompted Thrasybulus to seize Phyle and organize resistance. 

Aristotle presents events so that the seizure of Phyle by Thrasybulus forced Critias to take stronger measures:  putting Theramenes on trial, disarming the populace, and finally summoning assistance from Sparta. 

The account of Aristotle is criticized as unlikely because, it is argued, that Critias would have committed judicial murder of Theramenes and slaughtered the citizenry without the Spartan military backing and while many citizens still possessed arms. In defense of Aristotle's sequence, the Thirty and the Three Thousand formed the armed citizenry so that they could have intimidated any opponents of the lower classes who still possessed arms, just as the Four Hundred had done in 411 B.C.  It is instead just as possible that Xenophon rearranged the sequence of events to absolve Lysander and King Agis from sending Callibius to rescue the detested and doomed regime of the Thirty. 

 To Top 
Dr. Kenneth W. Harl 
Office: History 211 (504)862-8621 
Fax: (504) 862-8739 
Home: (504)866-5392 
 
 Tulane University
Last updated 03/19/98
by Annette Lindblom