To Peisistratos THE RISE OF ATHENS

ATTICA

Relatively crappy soil, perfect for olives!

Excellent port(s)Geographically

determined large polisGood red claySilver minesMt PenteliWhere the Dorian and

Ionian worlds meetAnd of course the

most important: Autochthonoi Athenians with pretty slender legs ;)

ATHENS

SYNOIKISMOS

Aristocratic familial social system: Four tribes divided into three phratres

Eupatrids, well-born, on top of the heap.Hippeis, cavalry, nextZeugitai – the ones conjoinedThetes, po' trash683, The College of Archons: Eponymous, Polymarch,

BasileusAreopagusThesmothetes – judges

EARLY ATHENIAN SOCIETY

(Not from Battlestar Gallactica) Olympic victor Attempted coup; he takes the Akropolis.Megacles, one of the Alcmaeonidae, leads the

opposition with archons in tow. Lock the Cylonians in the temple.

Megacles cuts the rope to a wellMiasma- The Curse of the Alcmaeonidae

CYLONIAN AFFAIR, 632

Code of Draco, 621Published law code, shows decline in power of

AristocracySimilar to Hammurabi

DRAKON

Debt enslavement crisis: Attic farms turn multiple bad crops.

Hektemoroi, basically sharecroppers. Horoi are mortgaged farms.

Sole archon because of his sophrosyne, self control and moderation.

Cancels all debtsChanges coin weights from Pheidonian to Euboic for

easy trade East. Encourages olive and grape production…only!

Off ers citizenship to foreigners of extraordinary ability, opens the city to Metoikoi (metics).

Establishes social classes based on agricultural output.

Established boule of 400. Ekklesia of all citizens, Pnyx. Court of appeal.

594, SOLON

Moderate approach made everyone mad10 year, self-imposed exileDe facto anarchy with powerful locals vying for powerThe strongman in favour of demotic privilege from the

east, beyond Mt Penteli from Marathon down to Laurion emerges…

EFFECTS OF SOLONIAN CONSTITUTION

War hero vs MegaraSolon warns the people after his return…but everyone

wants itPeisistratos asks the assembly for a bodyguard for his

safety, which he promptly uses to take the Akropolis561-56 he rules, but driven out, so off to other

tyrants to learnComes back rich & smart, gets rid of his wife (?),

marries Megacles' daughter, needs a great entrance into the city…

PEISISTRATOS

Peisistratos wants a clear succession for his fi rst children

Deinomache complains to her fatherThey drive out Peisistratos againSo, he regroups and invades AtticaBattle of PelliniSo kids, if you want something and don'tget it, keep trying

MEGACLES EVENTUALLY GETS MAD

He actually governs well and fairly, Ur Parthenon, Olympian Zeus

PUBLIC WORKS OF PEISISTRATOS

Reinstates archons, ekklesia, & law courts and adds circuit judges to bench. Circuit justice is genius! The people love it and it keeps local aristocracy out of touch.

'Peisistratos did not (seek to) change the constitution, but to dominate it.' - Kagan

He makes sure his people are in charge of civic institutions.

Exiles those he finds diffi cult: eg AlcmaeonidaeMedici parallel?Somehow, the large farms of aristocrats are broken

upReadily lends cash to farmers. Did they buy land

back?Athenian agriculture blossoms ;) when it hadn't

before5% tax. Popular in lower classes, not so much the

aristocracy.The farmer from Hymettos – the Souda

ADMINISTRATION OF PEISISTRATOS

Hippias and Hipparchos514, Tyrannicides kill HipparchosHippias becomes paranoid and becomes 'tyrannical'Meanwhile the Alcmaeonidae (previously thrown out,

again) make nice with Delphi 'First, free the Athenians'511-10 King CleomenesHippias flees to Persia

527, DEATH OF PEISISTRATOS

Economic expansion: Olives and grapes; each oikos is reunited with its kleros; Athenian pottery from Sicily – Ukraine. Overtake Corinth as primo pottery purveyors

Diminution of aristocratic power: judges, land allocation. Athens become undisputed center of Attica.

Continuation of the archons, experience of self government by the non-aristocratic under tyranny. Ultimate irony that tyranny leads to democracy in Athens.

SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF TYRANNY IN ATHENS