Temistocle e i nothoi del Cinosarge. Il ginnasio tra integrazione ed esclusione

On the background of the important socio-economic, political, and cultural evolution of Athens between fifth and fourth Century BCE, Themistocles became an icon of the struggle for equality between bastards (nothoi) and well-born. The aim of the article is to trace the origins of the anecdote about Themistocles – training himself along with legitimate and illegitimate Athenians in the gymnasium at Cynosarges – back to Antisthenes and his school, and to investigate the reasons why the philosopher chose Themistocles as a symbol of his attempt to overturn the traditional prejudices against nothoi and other groups excluded from citizenship.