The Thirty Tyrants: Athens' Year of Terror

In 404 BCE, after Athens lost the Peloponnesian War, Sparta imposed a brutal oligarchy known as the Thirty Tyrants. This episode dives into the eight-month reign of terror led by Critias and Theramenes, the reign of the Thirty, and the bloody purge that followed. We explore the role of Spartan backing under Lysander, the confiscation of property, the execution of metics and citizens alike, and the internal power struggle between moderate Theramenes and radical Critias. Key figures: Critias, Theramenes, Lysander, Thrasybulus, Charmides. The episode recounts the Battle of Phyle, the democratic resistance, and the eventual restoration of democracy in 403 BCE, including the amnesty decree that prevented further civil war. Drawing on Xenophon's Hellenica and Lysias' speeches, we uncover how Athens nearly destroyed itself from within. #ThirtyTyrants #Athens #AncientGreece #PeloponnesianWar #Critias #Theramenes #Lysander #Thrasybulus #Sparta #Oligarchy #Democracy #Xenophon #Lysias #Phyle #Amnesty #GreekHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo