While the democracy in Athens was being overthrown, Athenian forces on the island of Samos supported the Samian democrats in removing the oligarchy Peisander had set up there. The fleet headquartered at Samos consisted of about one hundred ships, each with a complement of two hundred men. The great majority of these were oarsmen, who came from the lowest class in Athens. They were all pro-democratic, because only in a radical democracy did they enjoy the privileges of citizenship. So with twenty thousand armed supporters of democracy in one place, Samos would remain a center of democratic power. After replacing the oligarchy, the men at Samos sent a ship to Athens to report, only to find out that Athens had become oligarchic. The base at Samos now became virtually a democratic government in exile, hostile to the developments in the mother city.
A Most Equal Government
To begin, the basis of the American Constitution is inherently flawed, particularly surrounding democratic government. A constitution designed by the elite of their time…