THRACE AND THE ATHENIAN ELITE, CA. 550-338 BCE A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Matthew Alan Sears May 2011 © 2011 Matthew Alan Sears THRACE AND THE ATHENIAN ELITE, CA. 550-338 BCE Matthew Alan Sears, Ph. D. Cornell University 2011 This dissertation examines the personal ties between elite Athenians and Thrace from the mid sixth century to the mid fourth century BCE in four case studies – the Philaids and the Thracian Chersonese, Dieitrephes and the massacre at Mycalessus, the northern campaigns of Alcibiades and Thrasybulus, and the fourth century mercenary general Iphicrates. In order to highlight further the particular qualities of those elites who were drawn to Thrace, the final chapter examines figures that shared several traits with Athenian Thracophiles but did not make extensive use of Thracian ties. The relationship between Athens and Thrace is explored in terms of three broad categories – political, military, and cultural. Given that there continued to be ambitious elites in Athens even after Solon‟s reforms and the subsequent climate of increasing political equality between male citizens, Thrace served as a political safety valve. Thrace was a place to which elites could remove themselves should they be unwilling or unable to engage in the prevailing ideological system and should mechanisms like ostracism fail to achieve the desired result, such as the removal of their more powerful competition. Experience with Thracians was often the catalyst for military innovation. Several Athenians were pioneers in adopting Thracian methods of warfare. Thrace was a forum for experimentation as it was a long way from the pitched hoplite battles that were the norm between mainland Greek poleis, and Thracophiles were frequently the sorts of leaders that were unconstrained by the hoplite ethos. Finally, some elements of Thracian culture and society were powerfully attractive for ambitious Athenians. In the Athenian imagination Thrace was a throwback to the primitive societies of the Greeks‟ own past, specifically the world of epic. For the Athenians, Thracian culture and society were defined by aselgeia (licentiousness) and poluteleia (extravagance). While these traits were disdained by many, they proved enticing to others, those whom Aristophanes would dub Thraikophoitai, or Thrace-haunters. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Matthew Alan Sears was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, on September 25, 1982. After graduating from Fredericton High School in June 2000, he enrolled at the University of New Brunswick, where he completed his honors BA in Classics, with a minor in History, in May 2004. In August 2004 he entered the Ph. D. program in Classics at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, where he completed his “Q” language examinations in Classical Philology in May 2006 and his comprehensive “A” examinations for Ph. D. candidacy in July 2007. From September 2007 until June 2008 he was a regular member and Thomas Day Seymour fellow at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. In July 2010 he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Cornell University. iii For Jenny iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I have acquired many debts throughout the course of this project. First and foremost I must thank my advisor, Barry Strauss, whose unmatched knowledge of the ancient world combined with high standards and a keen eye for good academic writing have had an incalculable impact on my scholarship. It was a privilege to work with a renowned scholar who takes a vested interest in his students‟ work. Professor Strauss offered remarkably prompt and insightful comments to every piece of writing I sent him, while genuinely seeming to enjoy our academic collaboration. The other members of my committee were also very helpful. Jeffrey Rusten was ever supportive and available with bibliographic suggestions and crucial primary source references. Eric Rebillard has made my approach to history and historiography more nuanced and honest, and for much of my time at Cornell acted as a conscientious and accommodating director of graduate studies. Hunter Rawlings was also a welcome source of support and encouragement. I am grateful to Cornell University‟s Graduate School and Department of Classics for funding my doctoral studies. Cornell‟s resources are unmatched, and the department proved a supportive and collegial environment. I appreciate all those affiliated with Classics at Cornell, both faculty and fellow graduate students. I wish to thank especially Linda Brown, Katrina Neff, and Sue Payne for administrative and moral assistance. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens generously provided me with a Thomas Day Seymour fellowship for the 2007-2008 academic year. My experience in Greece proved formative, and there I was very fortunate to v have met many fellow students and scholars of the ancient world with whom I look forward to interacting for years to come. I am most of all grateful to John Oakley, who served as the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Mellon Professor during my time at the American School. My parents, Jane Ann and Alan Sears, and my sister Rebekah, have supported me materially and spiritually throughout my academic endeavors, providing everything from editorial assistance to a sympathetic ear. I could not have done this without them. My parents-in-law Jane and John Denault have likewise helped in countless ways. My wife Jenny and our daughter Cara are the very best things in my life. Cara was born just as I began writing this dissertation in earnest, and having her around has been both a joy and a serious inspiration to finish my degree. Jenny has been with me throughout my entire graduate career and has been a constant loving companion, patiently enduring the ups and downs inherent in doctoral studies. Because of her friendship and help, which have made me better both academically and personally, I dedicate this work to her. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographical Sketch …………………………………………………………………..iii Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………v List of Abbreviations …………………………………………………………………ix Map 1: Greece and the Aegean ………………………………………………………..x Map 2: Thrace ………………………………………………………………………...xi Chapter 1: Thrace-Haunters …………………………………………………………...1 Ambitious Elites in an Egalitarian State: Political Considerations …………..3 Inspiration from Abroad: The Military Impact of the Thracian Connection ...10 The Greek Discourse of Thrace: Cultural Attractions ……………………….16 Thracians at Athens ………………………………………………………….31 Defining “Thrace” …………………………………………………………...38 A Note on Sources ……………………………………………………………42 Case Studies ………………………………………………………………….68 Chapter 2: Pisistratus and the Philaids ……………………………………………….74 Pisistratus and Thrace ……………………………………………………….78 Regal Power and Royal Connections ………………………………………...84 Miltiades Kalos ………………………………………………………………95 Competition and Olympic Victors …………………………………………..103 Heroic Honors ………………………………………………………………108 Military Influences ………………………………………………………….116 Cimon: Continuing the Family Legacy ……………………………………..126 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………132 Chapter 3: Dieitrephes and the Mycalessus Massacre ……………………………...135 The Attack …………………………………………………………………..137 Dieitrephes: The Man and his Family ……………………………………...141 Dieitrephes’ Thracians ……………………………………………………..149 Precedents for Working with the Dioi ………………………………………156 The Athenian Perception of Dieitrephes ……………………………………172 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………175 Chapter 4: Alcibiades and Thrasybulus …………………………………………….178 The Necessity of Thrace following the Sicilian Disaster …………………...181 Thracians at Athens, 404-403 ………………………………………………191 Political and Family Connections …………………………………………..201 Ambition and a Place of Refuge …………………………………………….212 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………219 Chapter 5: Iphicrates and the Odrysian Court ………………………………………222 Iphicrates’ Involvement with the Thracians: An Outline …………………...226 At the Court of Cotys ………………………………………………………..239 vii Ambition and Anti-Democratic Tendencies ………………………………...252 Iphicrates’ Style of Warfare ………………………………………………...262 Iphicrates’ Successors in Thrace …………………………………………...271 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………277 Chapter 6: Why Thrace? Control Cases …………………………………………….280 Hippias and Themistocles …………………………………………………..282 Xenophon …………………………………………………………………...291 Conon and Timotheus ………………………………………………………300 Chabrias …………………………………………………………………….308 Thrace versus Persia: The Case of Alcibiades ……………………………..314 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………320 Chapter 7: Conclusions ……………………………………………………………..323 Political ……………………………………………………………………..323 Military ……………………………………………………………………...329 Cultural ……………………………………………………………………..336 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………...340 viii LIST OF ABBEVIATIONS ARV² = Beazely, J. D. 1963. Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters, 2nd edition. Oxford. FGrHist = Jacoby, F. ed. 1923-1958. Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker. Berlin. IG = 1873-. Inscriptiones Graecae. Berlin. K-A = Kassel, R. and C. Austin. 1983. Poetae comici graeci. Berlin. LSJ = Liddell, H. G., R. Scott, H. S. Jones, R. McKenzie, P. G. W. Glare, and A. A. Thompson. 1996. A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th edition with revised supplement. Oxford. ix Map 1. Greece and the Aegean From D. M. Lewis, J. Boardman, S. Hornblower, M. Ostwald (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History, Second Edition, Volume VI: The Fourth Century B.C. © Cambridge University Press 1994. Reprinted with