Pisistratus and his Sons (c.546-c.510 BC)
Solon’s political changes provoked new problems. His removal of the blood criterion set the battleground for a new struggle. Because of aristocratic rivalries the Areopagus was unable to agree on an archon in 590 and 586 BC. The eponymous archon chosen for 582 BC, Damasias, illegally remained in office for two years and two months after which he was forcibly removed and ten archons elected.
Three main factions had arisen in the Assembly: the pedieis, the wealthy Eupatrid inhabitants of the plains; the diacrii, the poor inhabitants of the hilly districts in the north and east of Attica; and the parali, the mercantile inhabitants of the coasts, intermediate between the other two. These factions later became known as the Plain, Hill and Coast respectively.
The Plainsmen were led by the Eupatrids, who disliked Solon’s reforms. The Coastmen were led by Alcmaeonids, returning from their expulsion, who associated themselves with Solon’s progressive views. The Hillsmen, for the most part shepherds and agricultural workers, had not succeeded in relieving their impoverishment.
Pisistratus (r.c.561*527 BC) first came to prominence when as polemarch (c.565 BC) in the war against Megara he captured the port of Nisaea. He was the leader of Hillsmen and made himself tyrant with the bodyguard granted to him by the Athenians (c.561 BC). After five years he was ousted by the Plain and Coastal factions led by Lycurgus (perhaps, like his namesake in the 4th century BC, a member of the noble clan Eteobutadae) and Megacles (2), leader of the Alcmaeonids, but then an understanding with Megacles led to a peaceful restoration. However, the agreement broke down. Pisistratus withdrew to Macedonia and the Mount Pangaeus mining district where he made money, hired mercenaries and fostered alliances with Thessaly, Thebes, Argos and Naxos. In 546 BC he landed near Marathon, defeated his opponents at Pallene (an area in the northeast part of Attica), and established his tyranny for the third time.
Pisistratus finally established the rule of the Athenians over Salamis, following Spartan arbitration in the Athenians favour against Megara. Black Sea trade, particularly the import of grain and corn, was strengthened by his capture of Sigeum on the Troad and Rhaecelus on the Thermaic Gulf. Revenues were swelled by flourishing Athenian trade, by seizure of lands from the Alcmaeonids who had fled once again, and by the earliest known taxation of citizens. He remained in power until his death in 527 BC.
Pisistratus was succeeded by his son Hippias (r.527-510; d.490 BC), who gained Eupatrid support by appointing the Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes (c.570-c.507 BC) eponymous archon 525/4 BC, and the Philaid Miltiades the Younger (c.550-489 BC) eponymous archon 524/3 BC. The latter was sent to maintain his uncle Miltiades the Elder’s Athenian regime in the Thracian Chersonese (c.516 BC). Hippias’ brother Hipparchus (c.555-514 BC) patronised the arts. The regime ran into difficulties. This was largely due to the loss of the outpost at Rhaecelus and the Pangaean mines to the Persian advance. When Hipparchus was murdered by Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the regime became more oppressive.
The Alcmaeonids, including Cleisthenes, were exiled. After several failed attempts to return and the loss of the fortified post they had set up at Leipsydrium in northern Attica, they gained the contract to complete the temple at Delphi and thereby won the favour of priests who began to urge any Spartans that consulted the oracle to depose the Pisistratids. In 511/10 BC the Spartans landed on the beach at Phalerum but the Pisistratids beat the Spartans with the aid of Thessalian cavalry. In 510 BC, however, a Spartan expedition under Cleomenes-I (Agiad; r.c.520-c.489 BC) ejected Hippias and he fled with his family to the Persian court. He accompanied the Persian fleet to Marathon in 490 BC and died shortly after.
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