Peisistratos (Athens)

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Peisistratos or Peisistratus (Greek: Πεισίστρατος)^[1] (ca. 607-528 BCE) was a Greek statesman who became the Tyrant of Athens following a (quite popular) coup and ruled in 561, 559-556 and 546-528 BCE. Peisistratos was the son of a philosopher and teacher called Hippocrates(Check Link), and was named for the Peisistratos in the Odyssey. He was a great ruler of Athens. He lowered taxes and increased Athens' economy. According to Plutarch he was the eromenos of the Athenian lawgiver Solon,^[2] he assisted Solon in his endeavours, and fought bravely in the conquest of Salamis (however, the Athenian Constitution, written by Aristotle, directly contradicts this and says that there was no relationship and that it was 'palpable nonsense'). When Solon left Athens, Peisistratos became leader of the party of the Highlands (poor, rural people) in 565 BCE. Peisistratos used a clever scheme, calling for bodyguards after he pretended to be attacked. Those bodyguards were composed of the people of the Highlands who had entered Athens. In 561 BCE he seized the Acropolis with this group of bodyguards, becoming turannos (tyrant). His rule did not last - he was driven out by Lycurgus, Megacles and others from the party of the Coast within the year. He returned in 559 BCE with the help of Megacles, who had split from Lycurgus. Megacles had allied with Peisistratus on the condition that Peisistratos marry Megacles' daughter. The Athenians were persuaded by Megacles that Athena was bringing Peisistratus home and Peisistratus returned from exile in a carriage accompanied by a tall woman disguised as Athena in a suit of armor. Later, Megacles was angered by the fact that Peisistratos refused to have children with his daughter and because Pisistratus lay with her in an unnatural way, and Peisistratos was again exiled in 556 BCE by Lycurgus and Megacles. He went to Euboea and remained there for almost ten years, becoming quite rich through mining. He returned to Athens in 546 BCE with a considerable force and regained power with the support of Lygdamos of Naxos. This time he worked well to retain his position. Peisistratus rewarded Lygdamos by making him tyrant of Naxos.

Consolidating his power by favouring rural citizens with new land laws, Peisistratus also kept a large force of mercenaries and took hostages. He kept the democratic forms introduced by Solon but ensured that family members held the highest offices. Peisistratus promoted the cults of Athena and Dionysus. He began the construction of the temple to Athena on the Acropolis and also promoted a number of other public works including the Lyceum, temples to Apollo and to Zeus as well as the Fountain of the Nine Springs. He also supported literature and the arts, and was given to pederasty,^[3] having himself an eromenos, Charmus.^[4] The Panathenaic Festival (reintroduced shortly before his reign) and the city Dionysia festival flourished during his time. Athenian coinage was introduced by about 550 BCE, and may reflect policy of his, though there is no reference in contemporary documents to such.

Peisistratus was succeeded by his son Hippias. But his other son, Hipparchus, is also mentioned together with Hippias, suggesting some form of joint rule.

Peisistratos has been credited with the development of the first welfare state through his policy of providing a land loan to the underprivileged in society as part of an effort to encourage autarky. According to a story first mentioned by the Latin author Cicero, Pisistratus ordered the writing down of the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, which had previously been transmitted orally.^[5]

[edit] Notes

^ also romanized as Peisistratus and the Latinized Pisistratus. The misspellings Psistratus, Peistratus, and Pesistratus are sometimes found. The traditional English pronunciation is /paɪ'sɪ.stɹə.təs/.
^ Plutarch, The Lives, "Solon"
^ William Armstrong Percy III, "Reconsiderations about Greek Homosexualities," in Same–Sex Desire and Love in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Classical Tradition of the West, Binghamton, 2005
^ Plutarch, The Lives, "Solon"
^ Cicero, On the Orator 3.137.

[edit] Sources

Athenian statesmen \| Ancient Greece
Aeschines - Agyrrhius - Alcibiades - Andocides - Archinus - Aristides - Aristogeiton - Aristophon - Autocles
Callistratus - Chremonides - Cimon - Cleisthenes - Cleophon - Cleon - Critias
- Demades - Demetrius Phalereus - Demochares - Democles - Demosthenes
Ephialtes - Eubulus - Hyperbolus - Hypereides - Laches- Lycurgus - Lysicles
Miltiades - Moerocles - Nicias - Peisistratus - Pericles - Philinus - Phocion - Themistocles
Theramenes - Thrasybulus - Thucydides - Xanthippus