H συμβολή των δυνατών σε πόλεις της Δηλιακής-Αθηναϊκής Συμμαχίας στο τῆς θαλάσσης κράτος

Abstract

From Thucydides we assume that among Athens’ allied states the burden of providing ships or phoros fell entirely on the δυνατοί, wealthy landowners, who were either oligarchs or democrats or «potential democrats». It is worth mentioning that the arrangement concerning the poleis of Lesbos, except Methymna, after their surrender, mainly, the rental yearly paid by the farmers to the cleruchs, worked as a substitution of the phoros, divided equally to the farmers, since the δυνατοί who survived could not afford by themselves the burden of it.

In other cases the land occupied by cleruchs was taken from wealthy landowners, who contributed in another way to the growth of Athenian hegemony. The power and wealth of the δυνατοί are indicated by the role they played in the revolts, which occurred till 412, and the measures taken by Athens after recovering the revolted poleis. Oligarchs, mainly, were the instigators of the revolts, while Athens favored those friendly to her. Even when a democracy was imposed the wealthy gained effective control since a system of paying citizens for public services did not exist. It is noticeable that at Samos in 412 the demos having slew 200 and condemned to exile 400 of the δυνατοί distributed among themselves their land and houses. By so doing they secured their means of living and were able to participate in the government.

After Athens’ great defeat in Sicily δυνατοί oligarchs grasped the opportunity to secede from Athens, since they believed that the Athenians would not be able to hold out through the following summer. Thus they opportunely aligned themselves with Sparta helping her to obtain the hegemony, hoping that in the near future they will without any pressure or intervention control their own affairs.