17.7 Government in Exile
<p>While the democracy in Athens was being overthrown, Athenian forces on the island of <strong>Samos</strong> supported the Samian democrats in removing the oligarchy <strong>Peisander</strong> 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.</p>
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