Ephialtes of Athens

Ephialtes (Ancient Greek: Ἐφιάλτης; ?-461 BC), was an ancient Athenian politician of the 2nd century V a. C., who became the head of the democratic party of Athens, from 465 a. C., and who opposed the aristocrat Cimon, head of the aristocratic party. Along with Pericles, he undertook a series of political and social reforms.

Ephialtes is considered by many modern historians as the politician who ushered in the "radical democracy," for which Athens would henceforth be famous. Ephialtes, however, would not live long to participate in this new form of government. In 461 B.C. C., he was murdered at the instigation of dissatisfied oligarchs, and the political command of Athens passed to his deputy: Pericles.

First actions

Ephialtes first appears in history as a strategos in command of an Athenian fleet in the Aegean Sea, in 465 BC. C. He argued that Sparta was rivaling Athens for hegemony, and led the campaign against sending reinforcements to the Spartans during the rebellion of the Hilotas (462 BC) in vain. Before, in August 463 BC. C., rejecting Sparta's request for military aid to put down a revolt by the Helots. Cimon, the most prominent Athenian politician of the time, was pro-Spartan and advocated sending aid, arguing that Greece should not allow itself limp, nor Athens be deprived of her teammate. Ephialtes, meanwhile, argued that Sparta and Athens were enemies by nature, and that Athens should rejoice in Sparta's misfortune rather than help her recover. Cimon, however, won the debate, and was sent to Sparta with 4,000 hoplites.

Attack on the Areopagus

In 462 B.C. In BC, Ephialtes and his political allies began to attack the Areopagus, a council of ancient archons that was a traditionally conservative force. According to Aristotle and some modern historians, Athens had been ruled, from about 478 B.C. C., under an informal "Areopagita Constitution", under the leadership of Cimon. The attributions of the Areopagus were not very defined. At the time of the Medical Wars he achieved considerable prestige and an influential political role. The Areopagus was the traditional stronghold of conservatism and the main support of Cimon and the aristocratic party.

Ephialtes began his campaign against this body by prosecuting certain members for maladministration. Having weakened the prestige of the council, Ephialtes persuaded the Assembly to reform the Areopagus, limiting its power and leaving it jurisdiction only for murder cases and religious crimes; and the administration of sacred properties. Ephialtes proposed to the Ecclesia, or the popular assembly, a radical series of reforms that divided the powers, traditionally exercised by the Areopagus, between the democratic council of the Boulé, the ecclesia itself, and the popular courts.

Some historians have argued that Cimon and his hoplites were still in the Peloponnese at the time of this proposal, while others have argued that the proposal was after his return. Those who place the proposals during Cimon's absence, suggest they tried to overthrow him on his return, while those who believe he was present during the proposals believe he opposed them in the initial debate. All agree that his resistance was doomed to failure, due to the fact that his hoplite army was rudely dismissed by the Spartans, an action that demolished the political prestige of Cimon and other pro-Spartan Athenians.

Death and legacy

The success of Ephialtes's reforms was followed by the ostracism of Cimon, which left Ephialtes and his faction in control of the state, although the well-established Athenian democracy of later years had not yet fully taken hold; the reforms of Ephialtes ' they appear to have been only the first step in the program of the democratic party. Efialtes, however, would not live to see the further development of this new form of government. In 461 B.C. C., he was assassinated by a certain Aristódico de Tanagra, as part of an oligarchic plot. Pericles, his political ally, would be in charge of completing the governmental transformation and directing Athens for several decades.

The tragedy The Eumenides, by Aeschylus, bears witness to some extent to the ideas and feelings aroused in the Athenian people by these new measures.