Athenian coup of 411 BC

The Athenian coup of 411 BC was a revolutionary movement during the Peloponnesian War which overthrew the democratic government of ancient Athens, replacing it with a short-lived oligarchy. The movement was led by a number of prominent and wealthy Athenians who held positions of power in the Athenian army at Samos, in coordination with Alcibiades, who promised to deliver Persian support to Athens if the democracy was overthrown. The negotiations with Alcibiades eventually broke down, as he proved incapable of delivering what he had promised, but the leaders of the oligarchic movement went forward with their plans to overthrow the democracy.

The oligarchs plotted two coups, one at Athens and one at Samos, where the Athenian navy was based. The coup at Athens went forwards as planned, and the city came under the control of the oligarchic government known as "the 400"; at Samos, on the other hand the plotters were thwarted by Samian democrats and pro-democratic leaders in the Athenian fleet. The men of the fleet, upon learning of the coup at home, deposed their generals and elected new ones in their place, announcing that the city had revolted from them, not they from the city. The new leaders of the fleet arranged the recall of Alcibiades to Samos, and announced their intention to carry on the war against Sparta.

At Athens, a conflict soon arose between moderates and extremists among the oligarchs. The moderates, led by Theramenes and Aristocrates, called for the replacement of the 400 with a broader oligarchy of "the 5,000", which would include all citizens of zeugitai status or higher. Under pressure, the extremist leaders opened peace negotiations with Sparta and began constructing a fortification in the harbor of Piraeus, which they may have been planning to hand over to the Spartans. After Phrynichus, the leader of the extremists, was assassinated, the moderates grew bolder and arrested an extremist general in Piraeus; a confrontation ensued, which ended with the hoplites in Piraeus tearing down the new fortification. Several days later, the 400 were officially replaced by the 5,000, who ruled for several more months until after the Athenian victory at Cyzicus.

References

* Buck, Robert J., "Thrasybulus and the Athenian Democracy: the life of an Athenian statesman". (Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998). ISBN 3-515-07221-7.
* Fine, John V.A. "The Ancient Greeks: A critical history" (Harvard University Press, 1983). ISBN 0-674-03314-0.
* Kagan, Donald. "The Peloponnesian War" (Penguin Books, 2003). ISBN 0-670-03211-5.
* Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (" [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0200 Original text, translated into English] ").