From Aristocratic to Democratic Ideology and Back Again: The Thrasybulus Anecdote in Herodotus' Histories and Aristotle's Politics

Brill's Companion to Herodotus

“…See also, more generally, Saxonhouse (1996). Forsdyke (1999) suggests, however, that the influence of democratic ideology might not be negligible.…”

“…Darius' demand for earth and water from the Greek cities, c. 492, leads to a digression on the Spartan kingship, since Aegina's medism at this time was the occasion for the perpetuation of the conflict between the two Spartan kings, Cleomenes and Demaratus. In this account, we can detect some positive elements in the traditions about 54 For a discussion of the ideological influences on the Thrasybulus anecdote in Herodotus, see Forsdyke (1999). 55 In particular, the claim that Miltiades was invited by the Dolonci to rule in the Chersonnesus (6.34~5 ) , that Miltiades left Athens out of hatred for the tyranny of Pisistratus (6.35 .3), and that Miltiades tried to persuade the Ionian tyrants to destroy the bridge during Darius' Scythian campaign (4.136) appear designed to defend him against charges of tyrannical inclinations.…”

“…These accounts of tyrannical brutality would have helped 13 See Mitchell (1975) for the view that the Samian exiles were the source for Herodotus' account. For a demonstration of how an archaic anti-tyrannical aristocratic tradition can be adopted and adapted by a fifth-century anti-tyrannical polis tradition, see Forsdyke (1999).…”

“…545-6, for example, I argue that the Demaratus-Iogos in 7.10 1-4, may have begun as a Spartan tradition extolling the Spartan military ethic, but has adopted elements of Athenian anti-tyrannical tradition, and finally, has been adapted to fit a panhellenic perspective by which general Greek values are contrasted to non-Greek, specifically Persian values 5. For example, as I argue inForsdyke (1999) and below, pp. 544-5, panhellenic traditions about the Cypselid tyranny were adapted to fit the needs of the Athenian democracy 6.…”

Contesting the Lessons from the Past: Aeschines' Use of Social Memory

“…Fentress and Wickham 1992, Misztal 2003 and Erll and Nünning 2008 offer comprehensive treatments of the concept. For recent studies of memory in ancient Greece, see Loraux 1986;Thomas 1989;Forsdyke 1999Forsdyke , 2005Gehrke 2001Gehrke , 2003Wolpert 2002;Alcock 2002;G. Anderson 2003;Jung 2006;Luraghi 2008;Foxhall, Gehrke and Luraghi 2010;Grethlein 2010;Shear 2011;Steinbock 2011.…”