Why themistocles was ostracized

As divided as the Greeks were, there were just as many divisions within the various city-states at the advent of the Persian invasion in BC.

Many Greeks wanted to remain neutral, and some, such as the Macedonians, even aligned with the Persians. The Athenians, though, knew that they had little choice; it was just a matter of how they would fight the Persians.

The Athenians needed a bright, decisive leader with foresight, which they received when Themistocles was elected archon in BC. Themistocles rose to the position, which was essentially commander in chief, through a combination of charisma, guile, intelligence, and sheer will power. For Themistocles, though, obtaining the position was only half of the battle.

He needed to convince his fellow Athenians to choose the best course for victory. Any study of the great minds of history reveals that well most of these people were imbued with the qualities that Themistocles possessed. They were also recipients of some well-timed fortune as well. One faction thought the silver should be placed in a public dole fund, while the ever forward-thinking Themistocles argued it should be invested in creating a modern navy of triremes.

According to the first century AD Greek-Roman historian, Plutarch, Themistocles used his intelligence, oratory skills, and familiarity with Greek pettiness to convince the Athenians to follow his plan. This was the fiercest war then troubling Hellas, and the islanders controlled the sea, owing to the number of their ships. Wherefore all the more easily did Themistocles carry his point, not by trying to terrify the citizens with dreadful pictures of Darius or the Persians — these were too far away and inspired no severe fear of their coming, but by making opportune use of the bitter jealousy which they cherished toward Aegina to secure armament he desired.

The result was that with this money they built a hundred triremes, with which they actually fought at Salamis against Xerxes. Once Themistocles convinced the Athenians to invest their resources into building a navy, it was up to him to decide what that fleet would look like.

Instead of building large ships that could carry more soldiers and marines to do ship to ship fighting, Themistocles focused the Athenian efforts on building fast triremes that could outmaneuver the enemy and ram their hauls, causing them to sink.

By the time Xerxes I and his army had marched south into Attica, the Athenians had a navy of fast ramming triremes ready for war. Before the Athenian fleet could engage the Persians, they had to consult the Oracle of Delphi. Again, the Athenians were divided, with part of them believing the wooden wall referred to a palisade that they should build around the city. He was a non-aristocratic politician who was a populist, having the support of lower-class Athenians and was generally at odds with the Athenian nobility.

After Marathon, he advocated for a strong Athenian navy, and in BC, he persuaded the Athenians to build a fleet of triremes, which proved crucial in the conflict with Persia. After the conflict ended, his perceived arrogance began to alienate him from the Athenians. In BC, he was ostracised and went into exile in Argos. The Spartans saw an opportunity to destroy Themistocles and forced him to flee from Greece.

Themistocles died in exile; however, his reputation was posthumously rehabilitated, and he was re-established as a hero of Athens. His naval policies had a lasting impact on Athens since maritime power became the cornerstone of the Athenian Empire and golden age.

It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. Search for: Search. Their mountainous, rocky land was not good for farming, so the ancient Greeks became excellent sailors who traveled to distant lands. This is why Greece is often known as the Cradle of Western Civilization. The Greeks made important contributions to philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. The Greeks were known for their sophisticated sculpture and architecture.

Greek culture influenced the Roman Empire and many other civilizations, and it continues to influence modern cultures today. The tale of the ancient Greek civilization is a painful history of foreign supremacy.

Ancient Greek Civilization. One of the most brilliant civilizations in world history, that of the ancient Greeks laid many of the foundations for the whole of Western civilization. It produced radical innovations in a wide range of fields — philosophy, science, art, architecture, government and politics, and more. Ancient Greece is remembered for developing democracy, inventing Western philosophy, realistic art, developing theater like comedy and tragedy, the Olympic Games, inventing pi, and the Pythagoras theorem.

Why is ancient Greece important to Western civilization? Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

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