Editing Themistocles (section)

=== Early years of the democracy ===
The new system of government in Athens opened up a wealth of opportunity for men like Themistocles, who previously would have had no access to power.<ref name = h164 /> Moreover, the new institutions of the democracy required skills that had previously been unimportant in government. Themistocles was to prove himself a master of the new system; "he could infight, he could network, he could spin... and crucially, he knew how to make himself visible."<ref name = h164>Holland, pp. 164–167</ref> Themistocles moved to the [[Kerameikos|Ceramicus]], a down-market part of Athens. This move marked him out as a 'man of the people', and allowed him to interact more easily with ordinary citizens. He began building up a support base among these newly empowered citizens:

<blockquote>[H]e wooed the poor; and they, not used to being courted, duly loved him back. Touring the taverns, the markets, the docks, canvassing where no politician had thought to canvas before, making sure never to forget a single voter's name, Themistocles had set his eyes on a radical new constituency...<ref name = h164 /></blockquote>

However, he took care to ensure that he did not alienate the nobility of Athens.<ref name = h164 /> He began to practice law, the first person in Athens to prepare for public life in this way.<ref name = h164 /> His ability as attorney and arbitrator, used in the service of the common people, gained him further popularity.<ref name = PT5>Plutarch, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0182;layout=;query=chapter%3D%23221;loc=Them.%204.1 Themistocles, 5]</ref>