Abstract
The oligarchic regime of the Thirty is well known for its repressive nature. A paradoxical fact, however, is that it did not immediately acquire such a character: at first, only discredited individuals were persecuted, and only later did executions extend to the innocent. This is undoubtedly linked to the transition of leadership within the ruling collegium from Theramenes to Critias. The article proposes an answer to the question of the reasons for this transition: the latter is connected to the fact that the Thirty consisted of three "tens" (one of which was headed by Theramenes, another by Critias), which rotated in power. Overall, it is stated that the oligarchy of 404 BC, like the oligarchy of 411 BC, fell due to a lack of unity among the oligarchs.
Keywords
Classical Greece, Athens, oligarchy, democracy, coups d'etat, Peloponnesian War, Theramenes, Critias, Lysander.
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