Leon of Salamis
Encyclopedia
Leon of Salamis was a historical figure, mentioned in both Plato
's Apology
and Xenophon
's Hellenica. This Leon may also be the renowned Athenian general Leon of the Peloponnesian War
.
of the Thirty Tyrants
, a ruthless oligarchy
under the control of Sparta
, Athens' Hellenic
rival. Xenophon lists some of the atrocities committed by the Thirty, including "when Leon of Salamis, a man of high and well-deserved reputation, was put to death, though he had not committed the shadow of a crime" (Hellenica Book II).
In the Apology, Plato's Socrates
argues that he fears committing injustice more than he fears death. In support of that claim, he cites two incidents in which he, at great personal risk, disobeyed unjust commands of the Athenian government. One of those orders was for him to arrest Leon of Salamis and bring him to the Thirty for execution:
From these texts, it is clear that Leon of Salamis had an honorable reputation, he was put to death by the Thirty, and his execution was publicly recognized as unjust and unwarranted. But this leaves open the question of who Leon was.
McCoy cites ample textual evidence that Leon the general was one of the commanders of the Athenian fleet that was trapped in the harbor of Mytilene
on the island of Lesbos by the Spartan blockade in the year 406 BC. The blockade was ultimately broken when the fleet's supreme commander, Conon
, dispatched two blockade runners to get word of their situation to Athens. One of the ships, commanded by Erasinides, succeeded and Athens lifted the blockade a month later in the famed Battle of Arginusae
.
But what happened to the other blockade runner? McCoy hypothesizes that Leon, whose reputation was roughly equal to Erasinides and just below Conon's, may have commanded the second ship, as Conon would have put the all-important mission in the hands of his top two subordinates. As Leon's name is not found among the list of either the survivors or casualties of the blockade or its subsequent lifting, this hypothesis makes sense -- he was trapped by the blockade but he was neither killed nor freed by the blockade's lifting.
McCoy further hypothesizes that the second ship must have been captured by the Spartan fleet, explaining why it never reached Athens. The Spartan commander Callicratidas
was noted for treating his captives humanely (a rare characteristic in the ancient world) and likely would not have killed or enslaved the Athenian sailors and their officers, but would have repatriated them after the war ended. Hence, McCoy reasons, it is quite possible that general Leon returned to Athens as a revered and respected veteran and hero.
It thus is possible that a publicly revered, pro-democrat, war-hero general Leon would be a threat to the Thirty Tyrants, and that they would have incentive both to kill Leon and to implicate as many people as possible in the death. McCoy, in his article, does not state this with any degree of certainty, but instead points out that it is an intriguing possibility.
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's Apology
Apology (Plato)
The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399 BC against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel"...
and Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
's Hellenica. This Leon may also be the renowned Athenian general Leon of the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
.
Plato's and Xenophon's Leon
As part of the Hellenica, the historian Xenophon describes the reign over AthensClassical Athens
The city of Athens during the classical period of Ancient Greece was a notable polis of Attica, Greece, leading the Delian League in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and the Peloponnesian League. Athenian democracy was established in 508 BC under Cleisthenes following the tyranny of Hippias...
of the Thirty Tyrants
Thirty Tyrants
The Thirty Tyrants were a pro-Spartan oligarchy installed in Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. Contemporary Athenians referred to them simply as "the oligarchy" or "the Thirty" ; the expression "Thirty Tyrants" is due to later historians...
, a ruthless oligarchy
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
under the control of Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
, Athens' Hellenic
Names of the Greeks
The Greeks have been called by several names, both by themselves and by other people. The most common native ethnonym is Hellenes ; the name Greeks was used by the Romans and then in all European languages....
rival. Xenophon lists some of the atrocities committed by the Thirty, including "when Leon of Salamis, a man of high and well-deserved reputation, was put to death, though he had not committed the shadow of a crime" (Hellenica Book II).
In the Apology, Plato's Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
argues that he fears committing injustice more than he fears death. In support of that claim, he cites two incidents in which he, at great personal risk, disobeyed unjust commands of the Athenian government. One of those orders was for him to arrest Leon of Salamis and bring him to the Thirty for execution:
When the oligarchy was established, the Thirty summoned me to the Hall, along with four others, and ordered us to bring Leon from Salamis, that he might be executed. They gave many other orders to many people, in order to implicate as many as possible in their [i.e., the Thirty's] guilt. Then I showed again, not in words but in action, that, if it's not crude of me to say so, death is something I couldn't care less about, but that my whole concern is not to do anything unjust or impious. That government, as powerful as it was, did not frighten me into any wrongdoing. When we left the Hall, the other four went to Salamis and brought in Leon, but I went home. I might have been put to death for this, had not the government fallen shortly afterwards. (Apology 32c-d)
From these texts, it is clear that Leon of Salamis had an honorable reputation, he was put to death by the Thirty, and his execution was publicly recognized as unjust and unwarranted. But this leaves open the question of who Leon was.
General Leon?
In his summer 1975 American Journal of Philology article "The Identity of Leon," University of North Carolina classicist W. James McCoy draws together several ancient authors' (including Xenophon) references to a pro-democracy Athenian general Leon who fought with great distinction in the Peloponnesian War. Provocatively, McCoy hypothesizes that Leon the general may also be Leon of Salamis.McCoy cites ample textual evidence that Leon the general was one of the commanders of the Athenian fleet that was trapped in the harbor of Mytilene
Mytilene
Mytilene is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island of Lesbos. Mytilene, whose name is pre-Greek, is built on the...
on the island of Lesbos by the Spartan blockade in the year 406 BC. The blockade was ultimately broken when the fleet's supreme commander, Conon
Conon
Conon was an Athenian general at the end of the Peloponnesian War, who presided over the crucial Athenian naval defeat at Battle of Aegospotami; later he contributed significantly to the restoration of the political and military power.-Defeat at Aegospotami:Conon had been sent out following the...
, dispatched two blockade runners to get word of their situation to Athens. One of the ships, commanded by Erasinides, succeeded and Athens lifted the blockade a month later in the famed Battle of Arginusae
Battle of Arginusae
The naval Battle of Arginusae took place in 406 BC during the Peloponnesian War near the Arginusae islands east of the island of Lesbos. In the battle, an Athenian fleet commanded by eight strategoi defeated a Spartan fleet under Callicratidas...
.
But what happened to the other blockade runner? McCoy hypothesizes that Leon, whose reputation was roughly equal to Erasinides and just below Conon's, may have commanded the second ship, as Conon would have put the all-important mission in the hands of his top two subordinates. As Leon's name is not found among the list of either the survivors or casualties of the blockade or its subsequent lifting, this hypothesis makes sense -- he was trapped by the blockade but he was neither killed nor freed by the blockade's lifting.
McCoy further hypothesizes that the second ship must have been captured by the Spartan fleet, explaining why it never reached Athens. The Spartan commander Callicratidas
Callicratidas
Callicratidas was a Spartan naval commander in the Peloponnesian War. In 406 BC, he was sent to the Aegean to take command of the Spartan fleet from Lysander, the first navarch....
was noted for treating his captives humanely (a rare characteristic in the ancient world) and likely would not have killed or enslaved the Athenian sailors and their officers, but would have repatriated them after the war ended. Hence, McCoy reasons, it is quite possible that general Leon returned to Athens as a revered and respected veteran and hero.
It thus is possible that a publicly revered, pro-democrat, war-hero general Leon would be a threat to the Thirty Tyrants, and that they would have incentive both to kill Leon and to implicate as many people as possible in the death. McCoy, in his article, does not state this with any degree of certainty, but instead points out that it is an intriguing possibility.