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Ephialtes strips the old Areopagus council of power

c. 461 BCE, Athens. An event.

Where and when

c. 461 BCEAthens

about 2,486 years ago

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, Athens

Ephialtes, with Pericles' party behind him, takes most of the old Council of the Areopagus's powers away. He is murdered soon after.

Not only was the Council robbed of most of its jurisdiction by Ephialtes, but Cimon also, on the charge of being a lover of Sparta and a hater of the people, was ostracized

Plutarch, Life of Pericles 9.4Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1916)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Pericles 9.4, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Ephialtes, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

Many modern historians consider these reforms the beginning of the radical democracy Athens would become famous for. After Ephialtes' death, leadership passed to his deputy, Pericles.

Based on Wikipedia: Ephialtes

In the late 460s BC, he oversaw reforms that diminished the power of the Areopagus, a traditional bastion of conservatism, and which are considered by many modern historians to mark the beginning of the radical democracy for which Athens would become famous.

In the wake of his death, the political leadership of Athens passed to his deputy, Pericles.

Wikipedia, Ephialtes (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-06-21. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 461 BCEThis momentEphialtes strips the old Areopagus council of power
  2. 447 BCEabout 14 years later Work begins on the Parthenon Also in Athens
  3. set in c. 447 BCEabout 14 years later Pericles counsels waiting for Time Also in Athens
  4. 446/445 BCEabout 15 years later Athens and Sparta agree a Thirty Years' Peace Also in Athens
  5. c. 441 BCEabout 20 years later Haemon on a city ruled by one man Also about democracy and government
  6. 430 BCE, written laterabout 31 years later Thucydides on Pericles Also about democracy and government

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