Argos skepticism ( ancient Greek Σκυταλισμός του Άργου ) - the massacre of representatives of the propertied class by democratically-minded people in 370 BC. e. in Argos .
Content
Political situation in the Peloponnese
After the defeat of the Spartans with Levktrah in 371 BC. e. The Peloponnesian Union collapsed, and at the Athens Congress most of the Peloponnese states, including Argos, concluded an agreement with Athens and the Second Athens Maritime Union [1] .
The fall of Spartan domination led to democratic ferment in the cities and aggravated social conflicts that already existed, and the struggle of the parties during the crisis of the polis system became extremely fierce, and was sometimes destroyed. [2]
The pro-Sparta oligarchs expelled from Figalia during the celebration of Dionysius attacked the city and massacred the citizens gathered in the theater, the Corinthian democrats infiltrated the city in order to carry out a coup, but were exposed and committed collective suicide not to fall into the hands of the oligarchs, and after that a wave of terror swept through Corinth [1] .
Slaughterhouse of Argos
The most violent outburst of violence occurred in Argos [3] - the ancient center of the Peloponnesian democracy. According to Diodorus , local demagogues began to incite the crowd against rich and powerful citizens. They decided not to wait for reprisals and conspired to overthrow democracy, but several of them were arrested and tortured. All but one committed suicide in order not to testify, but one of those arrested, having received security guarantees, issued 30 people involved in the conspiracy [4] .
Without hampering the investigation, the Democrats executed these people and confiscated property, and then, because other rich people, a mob inflamed by demagogues, remained under suspicion, executed more than 1,200 wealthy citizens without a trial [4] . This slaughter went down in history under the name “skitalism” [5] , as the condemned were slaughtered with sticks ( Greek σκυτάλη ). It is also assumed that the name was formed by analogy with the traditional way of execution of criminals for Athens - “apotympanism”, when the sentenced person naked was tied to a pole and left to die [6] .
Frightened by the rampage of the terror they themselves had caused, the demagogues stopped putting the charges, then the crowd, feeling deceived, turned against their own leaders, and killed them in fury [4] .
The neighboring states watched in horror, and the Athenians were so shocked that they ordered a ritual purification in order to avoid divine retribution [6] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Belokh, 2009 , p. 176.
- ↑ Crisis of the policy system Archived March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Frolov, 2001 , p. 271.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Diodor. Xv, 58
- ↑ Diodorus. Xv, 57
- ↑ 1 2 Piérart, Touchais. Le skytalismos
Literature
- Beloh Yu . Greek history: in 2 tons. / Per. with him. M. O. Gershenzon; 3rd ed. V. 2: Finishing Aristotle and conquering Asia. - M .: State Public Historical Library of Russia, 2009. - ISBN 978-5-85209-215-1 .
- Piérart M., Touchais G. Argos: Une ville grecque de 6000 ans . - CNRS Editions, Paris-Méditérrannée, 1996. - ISBN 978-2271054227 .
- Frolov E.D. Greece in the era of the late classics (Society. Personality. Power). - SPb. : EC Humanitarian Academy, 2001. - ISBN 5-93762-013-5 .