Themistocles

"I've bested kings before, and sent them fleeing back across the sea."

- Themistocles, Rider-class Servant

Themistocles was an Athenian politician and general in ancient times, the mastermind of Greece's united defense against Persia in the Second Greco-Persian War. So great were his deeds and impact upon history that he was made a Heroic Spirit by the Holy Grail, destined to return to the world centuries later as a summoned Rider-class Servant. X2tDbEwTqnQ

Youth
"You, my boy, will be nothing insignificant, but definitely something great, whether for good or evil."

- A teacher of Themistocles’ youth.

Themistocles was born the son of a poor Athenian merchant named Neocles and his Thracian mistress, Abrotonon, in 524 B.C. Despite his illegitimacy, Neocles took the boy in, and Themistocles was raised alongside several half-brothers and sisters in Cynosarges, one of the less prosperous immigrant districts lying outside the city walls. This would be the only kindness his father showed him, however, and the resentment of his stepmother, Euterpe of Caria, led him to feel like something of an outsider. But Themistocles possessed a sharp cunning, and refused to merely accept his lot in life. He applied himself in training as a seaman on his father’s merchant ships and in formal schooling, and befriended many high-born children by inviting them to exercise with him in Cynosarges’ parks, breaking down the barriers between them. Still, Themistocles might have been relegated to a merchant-class life had he not lived in such a critical time, for democracy was about to be born in Athens.

When Themistocles was 14, the last in a long line of tyrants was cast down through the machinations of another would-be autocrat, Cleisthenes, only for him to lose the nobility’s support. At risk of exile, Cleisthenes proposed to the Athenian people a radical new form of government, one in which every man stood equal and could have their voices heard freely. The nobles were outmaneuvered, and the first democracy in history was put into action. The young Themistocles saw this as his chance to make something of his life, and dedicated himself very early to a career as a politician. In his free time, while others played or indulged themselves, Themistocles practiced rhetoric by composing speeches of accusation or defense, a peculiarity his father saw as a waste of time. Angered to see the son he’d so generously taken in throw away the effort spent on training him as a merchant, Neocles disowned him, but Themistocles had already acquired the wits and the means to look after himself.

Early Political Career
"I choose the likely man in preference to the rich man; I want a man without money rather than money without a man."

- Themistocles

While other politicians clustered themselves around the acropolis, Themistocles moved into the poor market district of Ceramicus to paint himself a man of the people, and offered his home to a very popular musician as a quiet place to practice in peace. Thus, when persons of note came to visit the musician, Themistocles was able to speak with them himself. Still, with the nobility maintaining control over so much, Themistocles appealed to them by practicing law, making himself the first man in history to prepare for public life in such a way. He used his knowledge to serve as an arbitrator for the common people, furthering his already considerable popularity. Such cunning, once he entered the public arena, would allow him to go far in Athens’ new system where older politicians, set in older ways, faltered. At the age of 30, Themistocles was elected to the office of Archon Eponymous, highest of the Nine Archons to preside over the city in the first year he was eligible to run.

In his two years as Archon, Themistocles made his first contributions towards a trend in his career of strengthening Athens as a naval power. This, to the great surprise of the populace, began with the abandonment of Athens’ docks at Phalerum in favor of constructing new landings at Piraeus, even further from the city. But Themistocles won over public support by expounding the advantage of its three natural harbors, each of which could be easily defended, and secured the backing he needed for this new port. At the same time, he commissioned the building of additional warships to defend client vessels coming in and out, advancing Athens’ appeal as a merchant stop and bringing revitalized trade to the city. But while he furthered the interests of Athens, Themistocles also furthered his own power. The ships of the age, called triremes, depended on three banks of oarsmen to row, and such large crews could only be filled by calling on the citizens of Athens as volunteers. To balance their participation in this reserve military, more power was placed in the hands of the common man, and common support lay with Themistocles.

The resounding success of democracy and the heights he'd been able to reach within it made Themistocles a wholehearted believer in their new system of rule, and privately he desired to bring it to the other city-states of Hellas, allied and rival. Even before his two-year term ended, however, rumors began to circulate of the eyes of the Persian Empire turning east towards Greece. Five years before, Athens had sent an army into Persia to assist in the Greek city-states in Ionia to revolt, and after the rebellion was crushed, King Darius I of Persia commissioned a military force to bring Greece under his rule. Once Macedon to the north was under Persian rule, Darius set his sights on Athens and sent his troops south along the coast aboard a fleet of transport ships to land at the Plain of Marathon. As soon as word reached them of the attack, Athens mustered every soldier it could, and having already stepped down as Archon, Themistocles was chosen as one of the ten strategoi to command the army under the leadership of an Athenian who’d had more experience fighting Persia than any other: Miltiades.

Battle of Marathon and Interwar
When the Persians arrived at Marathon with 25,000 men, they were met by only 10,000 Greeks. But as the Persians disembarked, Miltiades made a bold move and led his gravely-outnumbered forces in an attack. The brash decision surprised the Persians, but did not stop them. Fresh troops continually poured off the boats until they had a foothold, and began pushing the Athenians back. But this was all in keeping with Miltiades’ strategy, all of which hinged on two commanders: Aristides and Themistocles. These two led the divisions at the center of the Greek line, and fought side by side. As their forces were pushed back, the sides of the line held fast, luring the Persians into an envelope. Surrounded, the Persians were routed even before their army had a chance to deploy completely, and were chased all the way back to the shore, where Persians clinging to the sides of ships attempting to cast off had their arms chopped off by the Athenian soldiers. By the battle’s end, the Persians had lost so many that they were forced to abandon their campaign and sail home, leaving a tiny city-state to celebrate its victory over a vast empire. But while his countrymen rejoiced, Themistocles could only find himself troubled, taking from the battle a very different lesson.

"He who controls the sea, controls everything."

- Themistocles’ observation at Marathon.

Were it not for their navy, the Persian army could never have fielded itself at Marathon. Themistocles was certain Persia would not let this humiliating defeat go unpunished, and to resist them again, he knew Athens would need a navy capable of achieving victory against their fleets. His fear, however, was not shared by the Athenian people, made overconfident by the singular victory, and Themistocles’ comrade Aristides used this confidence to rise to popularity in his own, becoming Themistocles’ rival. To overcome him, Themistocles sought Miltiades’ ear for support, but Miltiades had become so popular as a result of the battle, even outstripping Themistocles, that the nobility saw him as a threat to their power. After he was wounded in a campaign of retaliation against city-states which had supported Persia, Miltiades’ enemies seized on the chance to discredit him, and Miltiades died in disgrace after succumbing to his wound. Before he did, however, the persecution led Athens to take up the practice of ostracism: every year, each citizen of Athens would write a politician’s name on a shard of pottery, and he with the most votes would be exiled for no less than ten years.

This made the political games Themistocles had to play at to get his navy that much more dangerous, but he campaigned no more conservatively than he had before. The cost of such a fleet, however, put him at odds with the wealthy nobility, and as their champion, Aristides became his most vehement opposition and locked him into a stalemate. Then, however, came the opportunity Themistocles needed. In the town of Laureium, a great vein of silver was discovered, enough to pay each citizen of Athens a fortune. Themistocles petitioned for this money to go towards the construction of a fleet, but Aristides appealed to the common peoples’ self-interest, making that year’s ostracism a direct contest between the two. At last, however, Themistocles gained the upper hand, by deceiving the Athenian people. Rather than persuade them with the distant threat of a vengeful Persia, Themistocles used the threat of a conflict much closer to home; Athens had a long-standing rivalry with another city-state of note for its naval power, Aegina, and the prospect of war with them finally convinced the Athenian people they needed extra warships in their harbor more than coins in their pockets. Aristides was ostracized and Themistocles got his fleet, and none too soon: after the passing of Darius, his son Xerxes I began a campaign of retribution sworn to burn Athens to the ground.

Second Greco-Persian War
This news spurred the city-states of Greece to convene a meeting where an alliance was negotiated, with Athens and the city-state of Sparta, famous for its land army, at the forefront. During the negotiations, it was unanimously decided Sparta should take charge of the land forces, but Athens, Aegina, and Corinth, all possessing a strong navy, disagreed on who would command the fleet. Themistocles was the obvious choice, but to secure Aegina and Corinth’s allegiance, he suggested a Spartan take charge, and a Spartan named Eurybiades was given command, though only in name. The wise knew true leadership would rest with Themistocles.

"What precise heights of oratory he attained, what stirring and memorable phrases he pronounced, we have no way of knowing…only by the effect it had on the assembly can we gauge what surely must have been its electric and vivifying quality—for Themistocles’ audacious proposals, when put to the vote, were ratified."

- Tom Holland, historian.

Returning to Athens to break the news, Themistocles knew he would have one last challenge. His campaign in the ten years since Marathon had yielded the fruit of two hundred additional ships, making three hundred in Athens’ navy, but these required so many men to row for them that it necessitated every able-bodied man in Athens. Meeting with the Assembly, Themistocles recited an impassioned speech ten years in the making, drawing on all he had hoped and fought for over the past decade to make his case to them and see merchant and tradesman, politician and beggar, take their places side by side at the oar of warships built to defend Athens and its system of democracy, under which all men were equal. At its end, his proposal was accepted, and after a strategy meeting with their allies, Athens’ three hundred ships sailed north to block the Persian navy at the Strait of Artimisium, even as three hundred Spartans under their King Leonidas took up a position at the nearby pass of Thermopylae.

Battle of Artemisium
When they arrived, however, they were greeted by the sight of over a thousand Persian vessels anchored across the strait at Aphatae. The two sides lay in their respective camps overnight before beginning the battle, and the Greeks observed the Persians sending two hundred of their own ships south, around the island of Euboea which made up half of the strait, to flank them from behind. That night, Eurbiades called his commanders together and announced they would be retreating in the morning, yielding the strait without putting up so much as a fight. Furious with Eurybiades’ cowardice, Themistocles stormed out and returned to his own tent, wracking his mind for a way to countermand his order. Luckily, the answer came to him from outside. The Euboeans, hearing of Eurybiades’ order, came to Themistocles with an offering of gold for Athens in hopes of enticing their force, at least, to stay. Considering for only a minute, Themistocles accepted this gift for Athens, then used it to bribe Eurybiades into staying and giving him command of the battle.

Dawn the following day revealed the Persians hadn’t moved from their harbor; still outnumbering Themistocles’ fleet more than six-to-one, their commander figured the Greeks would not be so foolish as to attack and had only to wait until his smaller contingent rounded the island to destroy them. But to his utter surprise, Themistocles took the field, leading a vanguard himself in harassing the outermost Persian ships with arrows before drawing back to fill the narrowest part of the strait. Unable to let such gall go unanswered, the Persian fleet set sail, sure they could defeat the Greeks even without their smaller force. As Themistocles arrayed his ships in a circle in the middle of the span, the Persians split up, still intending to surround him, which was a mistake. As the Persian ships tried to slip by, Themistocles gave the order: attack. His triremes shot out from the circle and caught many of the Persians broadside, ramming and sinking them. From there, the battle began in earnest, and through sheer numbers the Persians might have done great damage, except for the time of day Themistocles had chosen to attack: late in the afternoon. Nightfall came on quickly, and without anything to see by, a naval battle could not be fought in the dark. Thus, Themistocles minimized the damage done if the battle should turn against him. At the day’s end, the Greeks had captured or destroyed more than thirty ships.

The reveling that night in the Greek encampment was diminished by a storm passing over them, but the next morning, they were given two pieces of good news; first, that the three hundred Spartans had managed to hold Thermopylae in the face of a million Persian soldiers, and second, that the very storm which passed over them had caught the two hundred Persian ships sailing around the island in already dangerous waters, sinking nearly every one. Though a skeptic himself, Themistocles encouraged the idea of it being a sign of Poseidon’s favor and led his fleet to take to the strait again.The Persians, however, their ships not faring the storm as well, stayed back and took the day to enact repairs. Though even he dared not attack such a large force, when the few survivors of the two hundred which had tried to round the island came back, a handful of Athenian vessels fell upon and sank them before they could return to the safety of the fleet. Again, night fell before the Persians could launch a response, and again, the Greeks celebrated as the defenses at both Artimesium and Thermopylae held.

At last, on the third day, the Persians set sail in force, early in the day, and Themistocles marshaled his fleet to face them. Though still outnumbered at least five-to-one, Themistocles no longer had to worry about an enemy fleet behind him and could focus his efforts to the front, through his leadership holding against the Persian fleet for the entire day. While the Greeks lost many more ships than they had both days before, they inflicted twice as many casualties upon their enemy, but having such a small number to begin with, it was a number Themistocles could scarcely afford, and by the day’s end more than half the Athenian ships were lost. What’s more, word reached them of the fall of Thermopylae. The Spartans had been surrounded and slain to a man, Leonidas falling with them. Now that the Persian army could march south unopposed, there was no more reason to hold the strait, and the fleet evacuated to regroup at Salamis.

Return to Athens
With Thermopylae lost and no other choke points by which the armies of Greece could hold back their enemy, the Persians marched rapidly for Athens, slowing only to conquer or raze as they went. Themistocles' fleet was engaged in a race against time to sail home before they reached their goal, but as they sailed south along the coast, Themistocles stopped at major wellsprings and watering holes where Xerxes' army might make camp, and left messages addressed to the conscripted Greeks of the Ionian city-states already subjugated by Persia. These told the Greeks to desert, or at least help their true countrymen by fighting poorly, in an effort to sabotage the Persians. Even if it this did not convince the Ionians to desert, it was still a success, as it cast suspicion on them from among the other Persians, and hampered their ability to trust one another.

"Then far-seeing Jove grants this to the prayers of Athene; Safe shall the wooden wall continue for thee and thy children."

- The Oracle at Delphi, Herodotus 7:141

While the ships of all other city-states sailed to anchor together at Salamis, Themistocles arrived back in Athens to find the evacuation had yet to even begin. The city's nobility knew Athens would be attacked, but resisted efforts to evacuate for fear of losing their holdings, while and many of all standings decreed it blasphemy to abandon the temples of their gods for the Persians to desecrate. In their indecision after hearing of the retreat from Artemisium, they had sent an envoy to the Oracle at Delphi, and received a most puzzling answer. The assembly asserted the wooden walls were those of Athens, and by making a stand within their city, they might prevail. Themistocles knew better, but his pleas were derided by his rivals as cowardly and going against the word of the gods. In answer, Themistocles came up with a new interpretation of the Oracle's words. They referred not to a literal wall, but the wooden hulls of his ships. Swaying many by aligning his plan with the supposed divine will, Athens was evacuated and its people taken to Salamis, where Themistocles regrouped with the allied Greeks, but for a few who stuck to their beliefs and hid within the acropolis. When the Persians reached Athens, Xerxes made good on his word. His armies burned the city to the ground, and spared none who had stayed behind. Themistocles considered himself lucky he'd been able to twist the Oracle's words to convince his countrymen, but for the first time wondered if his words had been a lie at all, or if the Oracle had meant the wooden walls to be interpreted as ships all along.

Battle of Salamis
"Eurybiades said to him, "Themistocles, at the games those who start too soon get a caning," "Yes," said Themistocles, "but those who never rise at all never win laurels." And when Eurybiades lifted up his staff as though to strike him, Themistocles said: "Strike, but hear me.""

- Plutarch’s “The Parallel Lives”, Vol. II, “The Life of Themistocles”

With Athens burned, the Persians turned once more to eliminate the Greek resistance. As their fleet closed in on the Strait of Salamis, Eurybiades and many of the other Allied commanders favored retreating north through the strait to join the ground forces at Corinth who guarded the sole land bridge to Sparta and the rest of the city-states in the Peloponnese. Themistocles, however, argued the narrow strait, just as with Artemisium before, favored the Greeks, and desperate to keep them from leaving, he stubbornly threatened to abandon the Allies, taking Athens' citizens and the largest single contingent of the fleet to exile in Sicily. Though it made him the object of much resentment among the other commanders, his opponents knew without the full strength of the fleet, they would be lost, and yielded to him. Yet, without them united behind him, Themistocles privately began to harbor doubts about their victory, even when the terrain worked to their advantage. If they lay waiting much longer, Themistocles feared his rivals would outmaneuver him, or worse, take their fleets and desert. So, to force the Xerxes' hand, he again engaged in subterfuge.

Themistocles penned a letter and dispatched one of his servants, Sicinnus, to carry it in secret to Xerxes. The letter claimed Themistocles had had enough of arguing with his Greek allies, which corroborated with the reports of Xerxes' spies, and his people would pledge loyalty to the king. To prove this, he wrote that the Greeks planned to evacuate Salamis that very night, and if he were to attack the next morning, the Persians would catch them unprepared. If Xerxes believed the letter, either the Persians would enter the strait and be defeated, or they would triumph and Athens might receive some mercy from its new monarch. Anxious to see how his gambit would turn out, Themistocles woke early the next morning to find Aristides, his old rival recalled from ostracism, had come to support him and bore good news. The Persians had begun sailing for Salamis, falling for his trap. Excited by this news, he shared his plan with Aristides, who, approving of it, went to the other commanders and incited them to make ready for the battle to come. As the Persians sailed into the strait, they found instead of retreating and overburdened with refugees, the Greek ships were arrayed and ready for battle.

Before setting sail, however, Themistocles had been obligated to take part in ceremonial tributes paid to Athena, in hopes of garnering her favor for the battle to come. Unexpectedly, a priest by the name of Euphrantides interjected in the proceedings, a group of soldiers behind him bringing forth three prisoners of war: Sandaucé, sister of Xerxes, and her two infant children. Euphrantides called for their blood to be sacrificed to the gods, and the Greeks, who knew how badly outmatched they were and were desperate for hope, were incited to support him. Themistocles was appalled, thinking Euphrantides a madman, but knew he could not oppose the crowd, and took each victim to the altar himself. As the Greek fleet took up its position in the strait, a flock of small owls, creatures said to signify the wisdom and strength of Athena, took flight and briefly perched among the masts of their ships. This was taken as a sign of great fortune, but while Themistocles had no doubt the advantage would lie with them that day, he was somewhat troubled by the possibility the gods had responded to so savage an offering.

As the battle was joined, the Greeks used the narrow limits of the strait to press the Persian vessels together tightly. Oars from ships packed side-by-side tangled with one another, creating confusion and leaving many Persians open to attack from the Greeks. Persian ships broke and sank in droves, while still others were boarded and captured or ruined by Spartan marines. Many Athenians distinguished themselves on that day for feats such as killing Ariamenes, brother of Xerxes, and turning back Artemisia, the Persians' most successful naval commander, but Themistocles himself hung back and directed the battle, orchestrating the most significant victory of the entire war. In its aftermath, Xerxes was forced to abandon his attempt to conquer Greece, though by burning Athens he had accomplished that which he set out to do.

Close of the War
As winter approached, the Greeks settled into Salamis to recover, celebrate, and begin planning the reconstruction of their homes. Themistocles, however, saw each city-state returning to their fractious camps, thoughts already turning to the day the next war would be fought between them for dominance. Seeing his chance to spread democracy through a united Greece slipping away, Themistocles conceived of a plan which would ensure Athens' supremacy, but feared it was too terrible to speak of. After sharing his fear with the other leaders of Athens' displaced people, he agreed to confide in Aristides and let him judge it. What he told Aristides was that while the other Greeks' navies were anchored together, Athens' ships could burn them all, and become the sole naval power in Greece. Aristides returned to the others and said, "no action could be more advantageous, nor more unjust" than Themistocles' proposal, and it was rejected. This was just as well, as Xerxes had not completely abandoned his war effort, leaving behind a partial force under General Mardonius to harass the Greeks. Within a year, however, this force was destroyed in the Battles of Plataea and Mycale, pushed all the way back to where the war's first battles had been fought, and without the threat of the Persians looming over them, Greece was able to lay down its arms for a time.

Celebrations were held in Corinth and Sparta to commemorate their victories, and while the voting admirals squabbled amongst each other for recognition, Themistocles was invited to Sparta for special recognition where he was a guest of honor at the year's Olympic Games. At last, he thought, he was reaping the benefits of his work on behalf of Greece. Soon, however, the praise went to his head, and upon returning to Athens, his peers grew tired of his boasting. Command of the navy was taken from him and allowed others to take his place in the Persian's final defeats, but taking it as an opportunity, Themistocles again focused on his career as a politician, and quickly won back the favor of the masses. Now, rather than through mutual necessity, Themistocles aimed to unite Greece by diplomacy and political savvy.

Formation of the Delian League
While his rivals sought military glory, Themistocles oversaw the reconstruction of their reclaimed home city and gauged the feasibility of the other city-states as allies. Delos and Aegina, among others, seemed likely, but as Athens began rebuilding the walls fortifying it, Sparta began to fear their growing power and forbade them from reconstructing the defenses. Not about to bow to their demands, Themistocles went to Sparta as an ambassador and told them they were building no such thing, and bade them to dispatch envoys to see for themselves. By the time they arrived, they found the fortifications completed and ready, and when they asked what the meaning of it was, the Spartan envoys were taken captive by Athens. Not only had Themistocles bought Athens the time it needed to finish construction, but to get their envoys back, the Spartans were forced to return Themistocles in trade. In time, however, this would only breed more enmity between the two greatest military powers in Greece, and lead Sparta to seek allies and form a league of their own.

Themistocles was quick to implement a policy which would have Athens build more warships every year, making up for the war's losses and ensuring Athens' continued supremacy on the sea, but his idea of strengthening Athens didn't end with military forces. Over the next decade, he would lead movements to decrease taxes on merchants and artisans, making trade through Athens all the more lucrative, and extended the wartime offer of protection from the Athenian Navy to all vessels, bringing other city-states which relied on the sea into their fold. Almost every major power in Greece's Mediterranean islands and the distant Ionia pledged themselves to Athens' newborn alliance, putting them in command of the powerful federation dubbed the Delian League.

Exile
Power, as Themistocles eventually learned, begot two things: corruption, and enemies. After all he had done to turn back Persia in the wars, Themistocles developed a strong sense of entitlement and grew arrogant, making as many enemies with his attitude as he did by seizing a position of power for Athens, including one famous and particularly sharp-tongued poet. Seeking to turn public opinion back in his favor, Themistocles funded the building of a small temple not far from his own home, remembering how the gods had seemed to lend their favor to him at Salamis. His political rivals, however, saw it as a vain construction to his own glory as a reminder of his part in the victory, and turned it against him. Soon, the Spartan ambassadors collaborated with powerful Athenian politicians, such as Aristides, to have Themistocles ostracized in the annual vote. Knowing he was beaten, Themistocles left for Argos to live out his ten years away, but word reached him of the Spartans accusing him for a part in inciting a recent rebellion against Sparta, and sought to have him tried by a council of all Greece. Recognizing the trap being laid for him, Themistocles fled, and once he was declared a traitor for doing so, crossed Greece's borders, never to return.

Of all the unlikely places, Themistocles eventually found refuge in Persian Ionia, now ruled by Xerxes' son Artaxerxes. Though a bounty had been placed on his head, through a mutual acquaintance with the king, Themistocles was smuggled into the king's palace, and came before him offering to enter his service. Though Themistocles had done more harm than any single Greek to Persia, Artaxerxes recognized the value of Themistocles as an ally, and made him the governor of three cities in Asia Minor. There, Themistocles was eventually joined by the family he had been forced to leave behind in Athens, and lived to a ripe old age. As Themistocles' golden years came to a close, however, trouble began to stir within the Persian Empire, and seeking to make up for the ground lost by conquering more, Artaxerxes sent a message to Themistocles household. In it, Artaxerxes suggested again attempting the subjugation of Greece, and would have Themistocles lead it. Unwilling, or perhaps thinking it impossible, to carry out this order, Themistocles decided to end on his own terms. With goodbyes to his family, Themistocles ingested poison and passed away in his quarters alone, his last thoughts of his homeland. Upon learning of this, it was said, Artaxerxes admired the man even more.

Themistocles' deeds had profound effects on the course of Greek history, and through them, all of Western civilization, enough to register him as a Heroic Spirit in the eyes of the Holy Grail and add him to the Throne of Heroes. Trained in sword and spear as any soldier of Greece, he was capable of manifesting in the Saber or Lancer class with no more strength than any other famous soldier, but through his masterful command of Greece's navy, became eligible for the Rider class, in which he could truly excel. His association as defender of Athens and champion of their patron deity, Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle, makes the feather of the Greek little owl, a talisman of Athena, capable of summoning him. His lifelong wish, to see a world united through democracy, motivates him to seek the Holy Grail for a Master he deems worthy, and as his past intentions show, is willing to use any means necessary to attain victory.

Personality and Traits

 * A champion of democracy, Themistocles will always yield to any proposal if outvoted by his allies.
 * Pride is a personal fault, but he is not above sacrificing his personal honor if treachery advances his cause.
 * As with Salamis and Artemisia, Themistocles will use the features of his battlefield to his advantage, and given the chance, will pick them well to suit himself.
 * Can withdraw out into the water aboard Trireme Hellas, which other Servants will find not as easily accessible and where Themistocles can see them coming for miles.

Quotes
"I never learned how to tune a harp, or play upon a lute; but I know how to raise a small and inconsiderable city to glory and greatness."

- From Plutarch's The Parallel Lives.

"May I never sit on a tribunal where my friends shall not find more favor from me than strangers."

- Also from Lives, shows he believes in fairness.

Parameters
Themistocles' parameters are mostly average for a Servant of the Grail, but vary widely from the typical Rider-class container. His Agility is noticeably lower than the class' B-rank base trait, but possesses both a higher Strength and Endurance. Due to his training as a hoplite soldier with sword and spear, Themistocles himself might be more well-suited to a Saber or Lancer-class container if the great deeds of his lifetime were not factored in. His expertise as a naval tactician is reflected in the summoning of his flagship, the Trireme Hellas, as a Phantasm, which requires an enormous amount of magical energy to sustain. Thus, as most Masters cannot boast the number of magic circuits necessary, Themistocles takes on a great deal of the requirement himself through a high Mana statistic, allowing Trireme Hellas to manifest as constantly as other Riders do their steeds.

Class Skills

 * Magic Resistance: D
 * Cancel Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects prana.
 * Riding: A
 * Able to freely manipulate all beasts and vehicles, save mythical beasts and divine beasts.

Personal Skills

 * Pioneer of the Stars: EX
 * The unique Skill given to heroes that became turning points in the human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered “impossible” turn into “events that can be realized”.
 * Themistocles masterminded the successful defense of a handful of bickering city-states against the mighty Persian Empire, preserving the Greeks’ legacy to form the basis for much of Western Civilization.
 * Voyager of the Storm: A
 * The talent to sail vessels recognized as ships. Because directing a ship requires the ability to lead a group, this Skill also has the effects of Charisma and Military Tactics.
 * Themistocles’ exploits in the Battles of Artemisium and Salamis more than qualify him for a master of the sea, capable of directing entire fleets.
 * Charisma: A
 * The natural talent to command an army. Increases the ability of allies during group battles. A rare talent, it is said that a rank of B in this skill is sufficient to lead a nation as its King.
 * Themistocles was elected Archon Eponymous, the highest of nine concurrent Archons to lead Athens’ new democracy, and led for a term of 493-492 B.C. Later, in preparing for renewed war with Persia, he was able to convince the Athenian assembly to dedicate every man in Athens to his new fleet.
 * Military Tactics: A
 * Tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Bonus modifiers are provided during use of one’s own Anti-Army Noble Phantasm or when dealing against an enemy Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.
 * Themistocles was a commander in the Battle of Marathon and was the true commander in all but name of the combined Greek navy in the Second Greco-Persian War.

Noble Phantasms
"I carry with me two gods, Persuasion and Compulsion."
 * Trireme Hellas, the Vessel to Unite All Greece
 * Anti-Fortress class Noble Phantasm
 * Rank: A++
 * Themistocles’ flagship, and pride of the Athenian fleet. Built of fir, pine, and cedar, three rows of oars give the trireme its name and provide the lightweight vessel with remarkable speed, put to use bringing the ship’s principle weapon into play: a cedar-and-brass ram fitted on its prow. With enough speed built up, and in conjunction with Pioneer of the Stars, the ship can ram its way through the defenses of even Fortress class Phantasms declared impossible to breach. Themistocles christened his vessel the Hellas, the collective name for Greece at the time, in honor of his wish to bring its denizen city-states together as a free, unified nation under Athenian democracy.
 * High Mana requirement
 * Hoplon Phalanx: The Wall of Bronze and Muscle
 * Anti-Unit (Self) class Noble Phantasm
 * Rank: C+
 * Usable only so long as Themistocles possesses his shield, Athene Noctua. A Noble Phantasm common to all Heroic Spirits trained and equipped as hoplites. The strength of the ancient battle formation known as the phalanx, used famously by the soldiers of Greece, was in its overlapping wall of shields, each man protecting those beside him. This manifests as the ability to refract up to three phantasmal duplicates of the shield through the Second Magic, similar to Sasaki Kojirou's Tsubame Gaeshi, for moments at a time, helping Themistocles make up for his low Agility in interpersonal combat.

- Themistocles


 * Persuasion
 * Themistocles’ dory, a nine-foot long spear which served as the primary weapon of hoplites in phalanx formation. Its spearhead is balanced for throwing by a butt plate at its back sharp enough to be used as a second piercing weapon. Longer than most other examples, Themistocles is able to strike with this weapon from safety on the deck of Trireme Hellas.
 * Compulsion
 * Themistocles’ xiphos, a two-and-a-half foot long, double-edged straight sword, the hoplite’s secondary weapon. More versatile than the dory, Themistocles is likely to use this when facing an opponent on even ground.
 * Athene Noctua
 * Themistocles’ hoplon, the shield which gives rise to the name hoplite. Three feet wide, the shield is coated with bronze and uses an argyve grip to afford its wielder more control. Themistocles’ hoplon is decorated with the little owl of Athena, patron goddess of Athens who blessed it and sent a parliament of the creatures to fly over Themistocles’ fleet before the Battle of Artemisium, signifying her blessing and good luck.
 * Corinthian Helmet
 * Black-painted helmet shaped from a single sheet of bronze, enclosing its wearer’s head completely and protecting all but their eyes and mouth from attack. Its heavy weight, however, makes Themistocles likely to remove it.
 * Llamalar Armor
 * A sleeveless cuirass made of layered bronze, linen, and leather. While exceedingly tough, it is light and provides the wearer with complete freedom of movement in battle.