Restoration of Athenian Democracy

In 403 BC, democracy was restored in Athens after the brief and bloody rule of the Thirty Tyrants. The turning point came when a small band of exiled democrats led by Thrasybulus crossed the border from Thebes and seized the fortress of Phyle in the mountains of Attica. Their numbers grew, and they took Piraeus, the port of Athens, where they defeated the forces of the Thirty in battle, killing their leader Critias. Sparta intervened, but its king Pausanias preferred a settlement to further fighting and helped negotiate peace between the two sides. Democracy was reestablished, and the Athenians then took a remarkable step. They declared a general amnesty, promising not to prosecute citizens for crimes committed during the civil conflict, except for the Thirty themselves and a few other officials. It is one of the earliest recorded examples of a political amnesty. The agreement largely held, allowing Athens to recover. The restored democracy lasted for more than 80 years, though one of its most famous trials, that of Socrates, took place just four years later.