The Five Thousand
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the Five Thousand
in the texts
History of the Peloponnesian War
The proposed broader citizen body of five thousand invoked to legitimize and later moderate the oligarchy.
He then dismissed them with an answer from himself, that he did not object to the Five Thousand being in power, but ordered them to depose the Four Hundred, and to establish the council of Five Hundred as before.
and that not more than five thousand should have a share in the government, and those such as were most competent to do the state service both with their property and their persons.
that they should elect five men as presidents, who, again, should elect a hundred, and each of the hundred three for himself, and that these, amounting to four hundred, should enter the council-chamber, and govern as they might think best, with full powers, and should elect the five thousand also, whenever they might please.
Constitution of the Athenians
Body of enfranchised citizens intended to hold constitutional authority during the war, initially nominal under the Four Hundred
The whole rest of the government was to be entrusted to those of the Athenians most able to serve with their persons and their property, not fewer than five thousand, so long as the war lasted.
When these had been ratified, the Five Thousand chose from among themselves a hundred men to draw up the constitution.
When this constitution had come into being, the Five Thousand were chosen in name only, and the Four Hundred, entering the Council-house with the ten plenipotentiaries, ruled the city;