Ephialtes of Athens

Politician

Born: Date unknown; place unknown Died: 461 b. c.e.; place unknown Category: Government and politics

Life Ephialtes of Athens (ehf-ee-AL-teez) remains obscure and controversial. Surviving ancient sources are fragmentary, providing only a bare outline. Ephialtes exercised a naval command in 465/464 b. c.e. In 462/461 b. c.e., as a partisan of Pericles, Ephialtes took advantage of the absence of the conservative politician Cimon (then attempting to lend military support to Sparta against an insurrection of helots, or state-owned serfs) in order to “break the aristocracy” by transferring jurisdiction over public magistrates from the Areopagus to the popular courts. No longer would popular politicians have to appear before the aristocrats who dominated the Areopagus. Aristocrats themselves, moreover, would (when accused of bribery or malfeasance) now appear before juries dominated by common citizens. Ephi-altes, exceptional in his immunity to bribery, was himself remorseless in his attacks on corrupt officials. The resulting atmosphere of political terror led to nocturnal assassination. Ephialtes was entombed among Athens’ other heroes at the city’s expense.

Influence Modern scholars question every aspect of this historical tradition. Did Ephialtes act independently or on behalf of Pericles? Was the reform of the Areopagus in 462/461 b. c.e. as constitutionally significant as the ancient sources claim? Was Ephialtes assassinated or did he die naturally? Was Pericles implicated in the murder? The case remains open.

Further Reading

Mueller, H. F. “Ephialtes Accusator: A Case Study in Anecdotal History and Ideology.” Athenaeum 87 (1999): 425-445.

Thorley, John. Athenian Democracy. 2d ed. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Wallace, R. W. The Areopagus Council to 307B. C. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.

Hans-Friedrich Mueller

See also: Athens; Cimon; Pericles.