Person

Themistocles

c. 524–459 BCE · 5th century BCE

Themistocles was an Athenian statesman and general who persuaded Athens to build a large fleet with the silver of Laurion. He led the Greek fleet to victory over the Persians at Salamis in 480 BCE and had the walls of Athens rebuilt. Later ostracised and accused of treason, he fled to Persia, where Artaxerxes I gave him the revenues of several Anatolian cities.

Themistocles
Image: Evald Hansen · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

AthensMilitaryDelphiImpact

Mentioned in 4 state histories

MyusAndrosLampsacusHellenic Alliance

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Themistocles. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/themistocles
MLA
“Themistocles.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/themistocles. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Themistocles.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/themistocles.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Themistocles’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/themistocles (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻