Lacare ad Atene : l’ascesa al potere di un ‘tiranno’

This paper aims to investigate Lachares’ rise to power. It will focus on Lachares’ political activity before Cassander persuaded him to establish a tyranny on Athens ; in this regard, particular attention will be given to P.Oxy. x 1235, where Lachares is mentioned in connection with Menander’s Imbrioi. Afterwards, I will investigate the stasis between Lachares and Charias, focusing on the chronology and the political meaning of its main event : Charias’ occupation of the Acropolis. I will argue that the occupation of the Acropolis led to Charias being considered an aspirant tyrant, and that Lachares took advantage of it to legitimize his intervention against Charias and subsequently to have him and his fellow plotters sentenced to death by the Athenian assembly. Finally, I will suggest that eisangelia eis ton demon was used to condemn them and that the several unlawful acts committed led to the beginning of Lachares’ downfall.