Themistocles: The Man who saved Greece

While King Leonidas of Sparta may get most of the glory for bravely taking a heroic stand against the overwhelming numbers of the Persian army at Thermopalae, there is another man who deserves recognition.

Themistocles, born 524 BC, was a populist politician in ancient Athens, maybe the first, having strong support from the lower classes. He was unusual for his time because he came from a non aristocratic background who was elected Archon (meaning ruler in ancient Greek) in 493 BC. There was tension between him and the aristocrats, but nevertheless he achieved his main political goal in increasing Athens' naval power, likely due to the looming threat of the Achaemenid empire.