usually not Athenian citizens (itinerant teachers)
taught for a fee
taught a variety of subjects, but in general claimed to
offer an art or technique for mastering a particular subject
that would lead to general success in life (cf. "for Dummies"
books today).
A number claimed to offer techniques/knowledge necessary to
become successful public speakers; thus as public speaking
became an increasingly important skill for political life,
sophists played an increasingly important part of public life
in Athens during Socrates life time..
From the point of view of most Athenians, Socrates was a
sophist.
eventually, sophists replaced by philosophical schools in
Athens
Shortly after the Athenians established a democracy,
they, as a naval power joined forces with the then leader of
the Greek world (because of the might of its armies),
Sparta in two confrontations (490 and 480-79 BCE)
with Persia, the dominant imperial power of the day.
The Athens and Sparta, against signficant odds, were
successful in repelling Persian attempts to invade the Greek
mainland.
Sparta was satisfied with this result and withdrew from
active engagement with Persia. Athens, however, pursued the
war and was able, by the middle of the 5th century, under
the leadership of Pericles, to obtain a dominant
position (quite frankly, an empire) in the affairs of
Greek city-states.
Sparta (a conservative, militaristic, oligarchic
society) and her allies felt deeply threatened by the
growing prominence of Athens (a radical democracy which was
exacting tribute from Greek city-states as payment for its
protection against Persia) and the Peloponnesian War
between the two city-states eventually broke out and lasted,
on and off, from 431 until 404 bce when the Spartans
decisively beat the Athenians.
Our best source for the Peloponnesian War is
Thucydides, an Athenian general who was exiled by the
assembly for losing an outpost and spent his forced
retirement researching and writing the history of the
Peloponnesian War (and creating the discipline of political
history by so doing).
The Profanation of the Mysteries and the Mutiliation of
the Hermes
Alcibiades, a political protege of Pericles, and a
devotee of Socrates, convinced the Assembly to send him
as a general of a great Athenian fleet against Sicily in
415. Shortly before the expedition left, Hermes were
mutilated throughout Athens, and it was alleged,
Alcibiades and his friends held mock rites denegrating
the Eleusian Mysteries (a very important mystery cult in
Athens).
The Sicilian Expedition
The Sicilian Expedition was thus initiated under a
cloud of uncertainty. The Assembly quickly recalled
Alcibiades to answer charges made against his conduct.
Alciabiades instead deserted to the Spartans. Over the
course of the next two years, the Athenians in Sicily
were utterly defeated and their fleet (on which the
Athenian empire depended) lost. Shortly thereafter, the
Spartans, following the advice of Alcibiades, enjoyed
several military victories which resulted in Athens
losing control of its silver mines (on which its economy
depended).
The revolution of the 400 (411 BCE)
In 413, the Athenians replaced the council of 500
citizens chosen annually by lot and charged with managing
the city with a board of 10 overseers. Despite its set
backs, Athens rebuilds its fleet.
Alcibiades, meanwhile, offered to come back to Athens
and to help Athens win the support of Persia against
Sparta, if aristocrats in Athens overthrew the democracy.
In 411, aristocrats "persuaded" the Assembly to vote
itself out of existence in favor of a council of 400
wealthy Athenians while the new the fleet (where most of
the poorer and more radically democratic citizens served)
was away.
The aristocrats almost immediately began fighting
with each other, however, and by 410 had agreed to
compromise with the democrats. The new constitution had
stricter property requirements for participation in
political life, but was far more democratic than the
oligarch regime. The new government called home
Alcibiades and the exiled aristocrats.
However the fleet enjoyed some important naval
victories, returned home and demanded the restoration of
the democratic constitution that had been in effect
before 411.
The Spartans, funded by the Persians, eventually
built a fleet that finally defeated the Athenians in 404.
Athens fleet and the walls which protected the city were
destroyed. She had lost half her population during the
course of the war.
The Thirty Tyrants
After their victory, the Spartans installed a board
of 30 Athenian aristocrats to govern the city. Athenians
referred to these men as the Thirty Tyrants, and they
weren't exaggerating. The year 404-403 was a reign of
terror in Athens. A democratic resistance formed and
succeeded in 403 in driving the aristocrats out of
Athens. Then Spartans were having their own internal
disputes, and did not intervene.
The amnesty
The new democratic government in Athens then declared
an amnesty. No citizen, regardless of their political
affiliation, could be sued over conduct during the period
404-403.
In 399, Socrates was sued.
more info at:
Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek
History from Homer to Alexander (Perseus Project):
The
oligarchic coup