In this thesis we pay our attention to the influence of the board of strategoi on the political life of Athens throughout V-th B.C.
The official date of appearance of the board of strategoi is 501/0 BC. This military reform was carried out under the influence of the democratic innovations of Cleisthenes and his supporters. This reform consolidated democracy in Athens, dividing the military command of all military forces among ten strategoi under the nominal chairmanship of the polemarch whose authority was more symbolic rather than really important.
The first strategoi who proved himself was Miltiades in 490 BC. He managed to gather all patriotic political forces around himself and repel the Persian threat. For this purpose, the post of strategos was suitable for him, having real military authorities with admission to the political arena of his hometown.
It is probable that in the 480s BC. Themistocles was consistently elected as a general. It is said that he was behind the reform of election of archons in 487/6 BC. Henceforth, the archons were chosen by lot from a list of people selected by phyles. As a result, this post quickly lost it’s importance and appeal to ambitious politicians. Because of the archons’ reform the strategoi were no longer under conditional supremacy of the polemarch.
In 470-460 BC Aristide and Cimon were the main political leaders of Athens. They were also elected as strategoi, and their activities in this office were largely positive for Athens.
In 460 BC Pericles begins his political career, immediately opposing Cimon. In his absence, there was implemented reform of Areopagus in Athens around 461 BC. The Areopagites posed a threat to Pericles and Ephialtes, as in addition to their commitment to Cimon, they were empowered with δοκιμασία (background check on candidates for public office) and εὔθυνος (hearing reports of officials after the expiration of their term). It demonstrates what powerful weapons Areopagus had against opposing statesmen. As a result of the reform of Ephialtes, all these powers were transferred to ecclesia, Heliaia and Boule.
After the reform of the Areopagus Cimon was expelled from Athens. In 443 BC. Pericles won confrontation with the leader of the aristocracy Thucydides, son of Melesias. Thus, Pericles became the first politician in Athens, annually re-elected as a strategos from 443/2 to 429/8 BC.
The name of Pericles was closely associated with: στρατηγός ἐξ ἁπάντων, δέκατος αὐτός. It should be noted that these two terms did not give its owner more powers than other strategoi` had. The formula στρατηγός ἐξ ἁπάντων often appears in context where two strategoi were elected from one phyle, while the other phyle had no its representative in the current board of strategoi. As a rule, one of the strategoi chosen in this way was a leading politician, such as Pericles. This manner of election gave him authority and allowed him to have a reliable man among the strategoi.
The election of two strategoi from one phyle (double representation), in the version to which the author of these lines is inclined, had the following form. The election of στρατηγός ἐξ ἁπάντων was not clearly regulated in Athenian law and often depended on the complexity of Athens' foreign policy situation or various political considerations. The cases of double representation should be explained by the fact that one phyle could nominate several strong candidates for the position of strategos, while the other could not nominate any. Such strategoi could be chosen because of their special knowledge, connections, support of the hetaireiai, which made them convenient candidates for a particular operation.
It should be emphasized that Pericles did not have extraordinary powers. The formula found in the texts of Thucydides and Androthion - δέκατος αὐτός - emphasized that Pericles was one of the ten generals whose powers were equal.
In the 410s BC there was a confrontation in Athens between Nicias and Alcibiades. Both politicians were often re-elected as generals. And in 407 BC. Alcibiades was elected as a strategos autokrator.
In Athens of the last third of the V century BC political groups actively resorted to lawsuits to attack their opponents. The trial of the generals, who defeated Spartans in the battle of Arginusae (406 BC) was worth mentioning here.
After this trial there were no virtually talented military leaders and politicians in Athens. And demagogues were gaining popularity again, effectively ousting generals from the political life of Athens.
At the end of the V century BC a board of strategoi was deprived of former political influence. Since then generals focused on military operations and supply Athens primarily with commanders, but not politicians.
