The National Hellenic Museum has released its acclaimed Trial of Themistocles for free online viewing, giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to experience one of its most popular educational programs.
Originally staged on April 1, 2025, at Chicago’s Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the event brought together distinguished members of the legal profession, historians, and a live audience to revisit one of the most enduring controversies of Ancient Greece: Did Themistocles, the hero of Salamis, ultimately betray Athens?
Watch the full trial below:
The production was part of the National Hellenic Museum’s long-running Trial Series, which examines historical figures through modern courtroom proceedings. The event featured retired Illinois Appellate Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham, retired Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kyriakopoulos, retired Cook County Judge Georgia Alexakis, and attorney Jeffery Chrones serving as judges.
The prosecution was led by attorneys Sarah King and Patrick Salvi II, while the defense was presented by Patrick Collins, Tinos Diamantatos, and Katerina Alexopoulos. Actor Jonathan Shaboo portrayed Themistocles, with Judge Megan Goldish appearing as the fictional witness Arcinia.
Trial of Themistocles revisits one of Ancient Greece’s greatest debates
The program centers on Themistocles, the Athenian statesman and military strategist widely credited with transforming Athens into the dominant naval power of the ancient Greek world. His strategy at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC helped secure a decisive Greek victory over the invading Persian fleet, preserving the independence of the Greek city-states and paving the way for Athens’ Golden Age.
Despite those achievements, Themistocles’ political career ended in exile. After being ostracized from Athens, he eventually entered the service of the Persian king Artaxerxes I, prompting a debate that has endured for more than two millennia: was he a patriot forced into exile by political enemies, or did he ultimately become a traitor to the city he had once saved?
During the trial, the prosecution argued that Themistocles abandoned his allegiance to Athens by accepting high office under the Persian king. The defense countered that no credible historical evidence proves he ever aided Persia during the Persian Wars and maintained that the accusations stemmed from political rivalries rather than documented acts of treason.
National Hellenic Museum audience returns a not guilty verdict
Like every installment of the National Hellenic Museum’s Trial Series, the production invited both a jury and the audience to evaluate the evidence before a verdict was announced. The jury voted 11-1 to acquit Themistocles, while all four judges concluded that the prosecution had failed to prove treason beyond a reasonable doubt. The audience likewise overwhelmingly voted not guilty.
Although presented as courtroom theater, the production draws on one of antiquity’s most debated historical questions, blending classical history with legal advocacy in a format that encourages viewers to examine the evidence for themselves.
The National Hellenic Museum’s Trial Series has become one of the institution’s signature public programs, engaging audiences by exploring famous figures from Greek history through the lens of modern jurisprudence.
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