Di(e)itrephes

Abstract

A fascinating case for the study not only of late fifth-century Athenian politics; but also of social history and social anthropology is that of Dieitrephes from the deme Scambonidae. Members of his family feature prominently in the narratives of Herodotus and Thucydides; they assumed high offices under the Athenian democracy throughout the fifth century. The family’s aristocratic origins are beyond dispute, yet Dieitrephes participated in the oligarchy of the Four Hundred and seems to have followed the lowly occupation of wicker flask manufacturer.