Thucydides son of Milesias

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Thucydides the son of Milesias (possibly related to the historian of the same name) was an aristocratic Athenian probably born early in the 5th century.

An opponent of Athenian imperialism, he was a kind of opposition (in the British sense) to Pericles prominence in the setting of Athenian policy. In particular he asserted that the revenue from the Athenian empire, intended for use against the Persians, should not be diverted to the building program on the Athenian acropolis. Clashing with Pericles over this, he was expelled by ostracism in 443 BC.

He is credited with having his supporters sit together at assembly meetings to form a visible and audible bloc.

He is known to have returned to Athens, because he was prosecuted in his old age (Aristophanes Acharnians...)

References

Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2nd edition: Thucydides (1)

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