Thrasybulus
- the liberator of Athens, his native city, from the thirty tyrants. His life is written by Cornelius Nepos; cf. also Cic. Att. 8, 3, 6; Val. Max. 4, 1, ext. 4; 5, 6, ext. 2.
(Θρασύβουλος).
1. Tyrant of Miletus, was a contemporary of Periander and Alyattes, the king of Lydia. We do not learn when he became tyrant, but from the expression of Herodotus (1.22) it rather seems that he was tyrant during the whole of the eleven years' war carried on by Sadyattes, and Alyattes against Miletius. It was in the twelfth year of that war that the temple of the Assesian Athene was burnt down, after which Alyattes fell sick, and the Delphic oracle, when consulted by him, refused to give a response till the temple was rebuilt. Periander, who was intimately connected with Thrasybulus, got to know the reply that had been given, and sent word to Thrasybulus, who, when the herald of Alyattes came to demand a truce till the temple should be rebuilt, gave directions that the greatest possible ostentation of plenty should be made, to induce the belief that the Milesians had still abundance of provisions. The stratagem produced the desired effect. Alyattes, who had expected to find the people reduced to the last extremity, hastily concluded a peace, B. C. 612. (Hdt. 1.20_22.)
According to Herodotus (6.92) his intercourse with Thrasybulus had an injurious effect upon the character and policy of Periander, rendering him cruel and suspicious. For the story of the mode in which Thrasybulus gave his advice to Periander as to the best means of securing his power, the reader is referred to the article Periander [Vol. II. p. 190]. A different version of the story is given by Aristotle (Aristot. Pol. 3.13, 5.10), according to whom the advice was given by Periander to Thrasybulus.
2. An Athenian, the son of Thraso. He was an enemy of Alcibiades, and after the battle of Notium, went to Athens, for the purpose of laying accusations against Alcibiades, in consequence of which the latter was removed from his command. (Plut. Alc. 36.)
3. An Athenian, the son of Lycus, of the deme Steiria. He was zealously attached to the democratic party, and was a warm friend of Alcihiades. The first occasion on which we find him mentioned is in B. C. 411, when he was in command of a galley in the Athenian fleet at Samos. and took an active part in the suppression of the oligarchical conspiracy (Thuc. 8.73). When the news arrived of the establishment of the Four Hundred at Athens, Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus were among the most active in urging resistance to the oligarchy, and exacted a solemn oath from the Athenians of the fleet that they would maintain the democracy, and persevere in the war with the Peloponnesians. In an assembly held soon after in the camp, some of the suspected generals were removed, and others appointed in their room. Among the latter was Thrasybulus. Through the influence of Thrasybulus a decree was passed by the camp-assembly, by which Alcibiades was pardoned and recalled. Thrasybulus himself sailed to fetch him from the court of Tissaphernes. Shortly afterwards he set out towards the Hellespont with five galleys, when news arrived of the revolt of Eresus. After his junction with Thrasyllus was fought the battle of Cynossema, in which Thrasybulus commanded the right wing, and by a sudden attack upon the Peloponnesians, who had gained a partial success, turned the fortune of the day. (Thuc. 8.75, 76, 81, 100, 104, &c.) Just before the battle of Cyzicus Thrasybulus joined Alcibiades with twenty galleys, having been despatched on an expedition to collect money from Thasos and other places in that quarter. (Xen. Helen. 1.1.12.) In 407 he was sent with a fleet of thirty ships to the coast of Thrace, where he reduced most of the revolted cities to submission. (Xen. Hell. 1.4.9 ; Demosth. ad v. Lept. p. 474; Diod. 13.72.) He was about the same time elected one of the new generals, together with Alcibiades. While engaged in fortifying Phocaea, he received a visit from Alcibiades, who had left his fleet at Notium. (Xen. l.c. 1.5.6.) After the unfortunate battle of Notium took place, he was involved in the disgrace of Alcibiades, and was superseded in his command, but still continued to serve in the fleet. He was one of the subordinate officers at the battle of Arginusae, and was one of those charged with the duty of taking care of the wrecks. (Xen. 1.6.35.) He is said to have had a dream before the battle, which portended the victory and the death of the generals (Diod. 13.97). On the establishment of the Thirty Tyrants he was banished, and was living in exile at Thebes when the rulers of Athens were perpetrating their excesses of tyranny. Being aided by the Thebans with arms and money, he collected a small band, and seized the fortress of Phyle, where he was rapidly reinforced, and after repulsing an attack made upon the fortress, he defeated the forces placed to check the incursions of the garrison. Four days afterwards he descended with a body of 1000 men and marched into Peiraeus, taking up a strong position on the hill of Munychia. where he was joined by most of the population of Peiraeus. The forces of the tyrants were immediately despatched against them, but were defeated, though with no great loss. The Ten, who were appointed in place of the Thirty, however, showed no less disposition to overpower Thrasybulus and his party, who strengthened themselves as much as possible, and made foraging excursions every day from Peiraeus. In consequence of the application of the oligarchs Lysander and Libys were sent to blockade Peiraeus. The exiles however were delivered from their perilous position through the machinations of Pausanias. After they had sustained a severe defeat, Pausanias secretly sent to them, directing them to send an embassy to him, and suggesting the kind of language that they should hold. An armistice was concluded with them, and deputies were despatched by them to plead their cause at Sparta. The issue was a general reconciliation, accompanied by an amnesty, and the exiles entered the city in triumph, and offered a sacrifice to Athene on the Acropolis. Soon afterwards the oligarchical exiles at Eleusis, who were preparing to renew the civil war, were overpowered, and a new act of amnesty was passed with respect to them, the credit of which seems to have belonged to Thrasybulus and his friends. (Xen. Hell. 2.4. §§ 2_43; Diod. 14.32, 33; Paus. 1.29.3, 3.5. § l; Plut. Lys. 27.) In B. C. 395 we find Thrasybulus moving the decree for an alliance between Thebes and Athens, when the former was menaced by Sparta, and leading an army to the help of the Thebans (Paus. 3.5.4; Xen. Hell. 3.5.16, &c). In B. C. 390 Thrasybulus was sent with forty ships to aid the democratical Rhodians against Teleutias. Not finding that he could be of any service at Rhodes, he sailed away to Thrace, where he reconciled two Odrysian princes, Amadocus and Seuthes, and brought them to enter into alliance with Athens. Seuthes offered to give him his daughter in marriage. He then proceeded to Byzantium, where by the aid of Archebius and Heracleides he established the democratical party, and restored the Athenian interest. He also brought Chalcedon into alliance with Athens. In the island of Lesbos he reduced Methymna and some other towns. From Lesbos he sailed southwards, and having anchored in the Eurymedon near Aspendus, the inhabitants of this place fell upon him in the night and killed him in his tent. (Diod. 14.94, 99; Xen. Hell. 4.8.25, &c.; Demosth. ad v. Lept. p. 475.) His tomb was on the road leading to the Academy, near those of Pericles, Chabrias, and Phormion. (Paus. 1.29.3.)
4. Son of the preceding, had for some offence or other a fine of ten talents inflicted on him. (Demosth. de fals. Leg. p. 431.)
5. An Athenian, a native of the deme Colyttus, was one of the companions of Thrasybulus the Steirian at Phyle and Peiraeus. In B. C. 388 he was in command of eight ships off the coast of Thrace. We learn that nevertheless he was twice condemned and thrown into prison. (Xen. Hell. 5.1.26; Demosth. ad v. Timocr. p. 742.)
6. An Elean, the son of Aeneas. He was a soothsayer, in which capacity he foretold to the Mantineans their victory over Agis and the Lacedaemonians, and himself took part in the battle. (Paus. 6.2.4, 8.10.5; comp. 6.13.11, 6.14.9.)
7. Brother of Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse. On the death of Hieron, Thrasybulus succeeded him in the government. It does not appear distinctly whether he assumed the tyranny because the son of Gelon was not yet old enough, or, as the language of Aristotle (Aristot. Pol. 5.8) indicates, though called tyrant, and possessing the substance of power, was in fact little more than the minister or favourite of his nephew, whom he is said to have corrupted, that he might afterwards supplant him. Aristotle's version of the matter also represents the resistance offered by the friends of the rightful heir, as leading to the overthrow of the dynasty. It is possible enough, as Dr. Thirlwall suggests Hist. of Greece, vol. iii. p. 224), that Thrasybulus became the guardian of his nephew on the death of Polyzelus, and before the death of Hieron; and that, having rendered the youth odious and contemptible, he found no difficulty, when Hieron died, in setting him aside, and usurping his authority. This supposition, however, still leaves unexplained Aristotle's statement about the expulsion of the dynasty, which is one of the most important features of his account. Little, therefore, is gained by any endeavour to reconcile the two versions. According to the more detailed narration of Diodorus (11.67), Thrasybulus directly succeeded Hieron, and soon provoked a revolt by his rapacity and cruelty. With the aid of foreign mercenaries, and some troops from Aetna and Catana, amounting altogether to 15,000 men, he maintained his ground for some time in Acradina and the Island. The Syracusans entrenched themselves in the quarter called Tyche, and sent for assistance to Gela, Agrigentum, Selinus, Himera, and the inland cities of Sicily. They readily lent their aid, and Thrasybulus was decisively defeated both by sea and by land. He thereupon entered into a negotiation with his revolted subjects, and was allowed to abdicate his authority and retire into exile. He withdrew to Locri, in Italy, and there ended his days. His dynasty ended with him.
8. Son of Xenocrates, and nephew of Theron tyrant of Agrigentum. He is mentioned on more than one occasion by Pindar. (Pyth. vi., Isthm. ii., Fragm. 89. 1.) [C.P.M]
(Θρασύβουλος), a friend and contemporary of Galen, in the latter half of the second century after Christ. Galen addressed two of his works to him, viz. De Optima Secta (vol. i. p. 106) and Utrum Medicinae sit an Gymnasticcs Hygieine (vol. v. p. 806); but it does not seem certain that he was a physician. [W.A.G]
(Θρασύβουλος). A celebrated Athenian, son of Lycus. He was zealously attached to the Athenian democracy, and took an active part in overthrowing the oligarchical government of the 400 in B.C. 403. See Thirty Tyrants.
- son of Lycus: Paus. 1.29.3, Paus. 3.5.1, 4
- puts down tyranny of the Thirty: Paus. 1.29.3, Paus. 9.11.6
- his grave: Paus. 1.29.3
- his deception of Alyattes: Hdt. 1.20-23
- advice to Periander of Corinth: Hdt. 5.92
- son of Aeneas, of family of Iamids, divines for Mantineans: Paus. 6.2.4, Paus. 8.10.5
- father of Agathinus: Paus. 6.13.11
- divines by inwards of dogs: Paus. 6.2.5
- dedicates statue of Pyrrhus at Olympia: Paus. 6.14.9
- statue of Thrasybulus at Olympia: Paus. 6.2.4