Athens - The Thirty

Athenians would refer to this new government as hoi tria conta tyronois, or the 30 tyrants. The 30 stated purpose was to frame a new constitution based on their ancestral laws. Their powers as a governing body were only to last until they had completed this deed. Most of them saw this as merely a pretext for getting into power and now their only objective was to insure that power would be retained in their own hands.