Editing Peisistratus

'''Peisistratus''' (Πεισίστρατος, Peisístratos; Pisistratus; /paɪˈsɪstrətəs/) of '''Athens''' was a pivotal figure in the evolution of Athenian democracy, albeit through less conventional means than his reformist precursor, '''[[Solon]]'''. Remembered primarily for his role as a '''tyrant''', Peisistratus' reign is marked by a complex blend of autocracy, populist policies, and cultural patronage that significantly impacted Athens' social, political, and economic landscape. Despite the pejorative connotations of tyranny, Peisistratus' governance was characterized by stability and prosperity, contributing to the groundwork for Athens' '''Golden Age'''.

Peisistratus hailed from the region of '''Brauron''' in <u>Attica</u> and belonged to a distinguished family, claiming descent from the ancient hero, '''[[Theseus]]'''. His ascent to power was neither straightforward nor unchallenged; it involved a series of coups and exiles, reflecting the turbulent political climate of Athens following Solon's reforms. Peisistratus's charisma, military prowess, and strategic marriages played crucial roles in his eventual consolidation of power. Solon was one of Peisistratus' relatives on his mother's side, and though his reforms had done some good, they had not satisfied the bitter aristocratic competition that played out over the role of '''archon'''. Two major factions separated the aristocracy - <u>the Plain</u> (led by '''Lycurgus'''), and <u>the Coast</u> (led by '''Megacles''').

In 565 BCE, Athens was at war with the city of '''Megara''', and Peisistratus gained military fame when he took their harbor ('''Nisaea'''). He leveraged his new notoriety to create a third faction, <u>the Hillsmen</u>, including noble families from the eastern part of <u>Attica</u> (his own quickly growing region). His governance is often highlighted by historians for its astuteness in melding autocratic rule with populist measures that endeared him to the common Athenian. Notable policies included:

* policies to redistribute land to the landless and provided loans and equipment to farmers, fostering agricultural prosperity and reducing economic disparities.
* major cultural projects, including the construction of significant religious and civic     buildings. The renovation of the Temple of '''[[Athena]]''' on the '''Acropolis''' and the establishment of the '''Panathenaic Festival''' are emblematic of his efforts to unify the city-state through religion and culture.
* enhancement of Athens's infrastructure, with the establishment of a water supply system, the '''Fountain of Enneacrounos''', and the construction of roads connecting Athens to other parts of Attica, which facilitated trade and military mobilization.
* reorganized the judicial system to make it more accessible to the common people and     centralized administrative control, which streamlined governance but also concentrated power in his hands.

Peisistratus' rule was not without opposition. His methods of seizing and maintaining power - through force, exile of opponents, and manipulation of religious and symbolic authority - demonstrate the coercive aspects of his tyranny. However, the stability and prosperity of Athens during his reign contributed to the city-state's development, laying economic and cultural foundations that would flourish in subsequent generations. Peisistratus supposedly wounded himself and his mules in order to justify a request for a private bodyguard, which the people voted into place for him; citizens armed with clubs. 

With this force, he briefly seized the Acropolis in 560-559 BCE; he was forced out and again seized power ~556-555 before being forced out again by Lycurgus and Megacles. From here he lay in exile in northern Greece for several years, but he built a solid base for his return, exploiting silver and gold mines as well as the support of conservatives in '''Thebes''', '''Argos''', '''Naxos''', and beyond. 

In 546 BCE he went to '''Eretria''' (on <u>Euboea</u>) with a privately funded military force and invaded Athens from there. At '''Pallene''', he launched a surprise attack while the Athenian army was sleeping off the mid-day heat; and after this victory he finally became the undisputed ruler of Athens and served as its tyrant until his death in 527 BCE. His sons, [[Hippias]] and [[Hipparchus]], succeeded him as tyrants and rulers of the city.

The assessment of Peisistratus' rule is complicated by the nature of the sources available to us. Like Solon, much of what we know about Peisistratus comes from later historians, such as '''[[Herodotus]]''', '''[[Thucydides]]''', and '''Plutarch''', whose accounts are shaped by the political and philosophical concerns of their own times. These sources often portray Peisistratus sympathetically, emphasizing his wise and moderate governance, despite the undemocratic means by which he held power. This portrayal may reflect the authors' biases or the complexities of Athenian attitudes towards tyranny and democracy. Peisistratus's legacy in the context of Athenian democracy is paradoxical; while his rule was autocratic, his policies promoted economic equity, cultural development, and infrastructure improvements that benefited the broader population and strengthened the city-state. 

His ability to maintain power through populist measures, alongside coercion, suggests a form of governance that, while centralized, also responded to the needs and aspirations of the populace. This blend of autocracy and populism under Peisistratus's tyranny presents a case study in how the consolidation of power can lead to stability and prosperity, albeit at the expense of political freedoms. Peisistratus' tenure as tyrant of Athens complicates the narrative of Athenian democracy's evolution. His legacy, characterized by both autocratic rule and significant contributions to Athens' cultural and economic prosperity, reflects the intricate dynamics of power, governance, and societal development in Greece. While his methods of seizing and maintaining power contrast sharply with democratic ideals, the outcomes of his rule contributed to the conditions under which Athenian democracy would later flourish.

Peisistratus was by Greek definition a '''tyrannos''', having come to power by means of force. He maintained a mercenary bodyguard, composed in part of <u>Scythian</u> archers; he may have disarmed the citizens; and he certainly placed hostages from major families in safekeeping on the island of '''Naxos'''. Yet he preserved the constitutional forms of government created by Solon and made them operate more efficiently. Some aristocrats cooperated and were permitted to hold the yearly post of archon; others went into exile.

He brought the great shrine of '''[[Demeter]]''' at '''Eleusis''' under state control and constructed the first major Hall of the Mysteries ('''Telesterion''') for the annual rites of initiation into the cult. Many local cults of Attica were either moved to the city or had branch shrines there. Artemis continued to be worshiped at Brauron, but also had a shrine on the Acropolis built in her honor; this indicates a shift in the locus of her worship from more dispersed, local sites to a prominent, centralized one in Athens. '''[[Athena]]''' now became the main deity to be revered by all Athenian citizens. 

Peisistratus constructed an entry gate (later destroyed and replaced by Pericles’ '''Propylaea''') on the Acropolis and perhaps built an old '''Parthenon''' under the temple that now stands on the crest of the Acropolis. Many sculptured fragments of limestone from Peisistratid buildings have been found on the Acropolis, and the foundations of a major, unfinished temple can still be seen.

Festivals and literature also flourished in Peisistratid times. The tyrant enhanced the glory of the Panathenaea, a yearly festival to Athena, by accentuating the <u>Great Panathenaea</u> (every four years) with athletic contests and prizes for bards who recited the Homeric epics. After the cult of '''[[Dionysus]]''' was placed under state sponsorship, prizes were awarded at the yearly Dionysia for the singing of dithyrambs and, from 534 BCE, for the performance of tragedies. Poets such as '''[[Anacreon]]''' lived at the court of Peisistratus and his sons, who also encouraged the collection of oracles and supported the famous soothsayer '''[[Onomacritus]]'''.

The cult of Dionysus being placed under state sponsorship, especially in association with the dramatic festivals in Athens, is significant. It means that the state officially endorsed the cult, which involved integrating the worship of Dionysus into the civic calendar with public festivals like the '''Dionysia'''. These festivals, where tragedies and comedies were performed, became a key part of Athenian culture and identity. State sponsorship of a cult could also serve to promote certain values and narratives conducive to the political aims of the rulers. Dionysus was associated with themes of rebirth, transformation, and the blurring of social boundaries, which could have resonated with Peisistratus' own political programs that aimed to break down old aristocratic structures and foster a sense of common Athenian identity.

At the time of the tyranny, Athens was just becoming a city, growing from an agglomeration of villages. Peisistratus built an '''aqueduct''' that fed the Enneakrounos Fountain on the edge of the agora and beautified and systematized the marketplace itself; 6th-century BCE markers of its borders have been found in agora excavations. Just outside the city, on the banks of the <u>Ilissus</u> stream, he began a temple to '''Olympian Zeus''', but this was not finished until centuries after his death.

In the countryside, Solon had encouraged the growing of olive trees and vines to produce cash crops; Peisistratus made loans to small farmers for tools and equipment. In a few cases the estates of exiled aristocrats appear to have been broken up, but the major force in reducing aristocratic control over rural <u>Attica</u> seems to have been the regularization of government. 

Peisistratus instituted a system of '''traveling judges''' to provide state trials of rural cases on the spot; he himself made inspection tours. This extensive cultural and political activity was financed by Peisistratus’ revenues from the mines of <u>Mount Pangaeum</u> and from internal sources. The silver mines of <u>Laurium</u> were state property, and dues were exacted from the growing trade at Athenian harbors. Peisistratus instituted a tax, probably of 5 percent, on agricultural production. On one tour of inspection, according to a famous story, he saw a farmer digging in a field of stones and asked what his income was. When the farmer replied, “Just so many aches and pains; and of these aches and pains Peisistratus ought to take his 10 percent,” the tyrant remitted all taxes to the farmer.

Athenian industry and commerce expanded tremendously in the latter half of the 6th century BCE; the main contribution of Peisistratid rule to these developments was probably the guarantee of internal tranquility and the protection of foreign immigrants. Externally, the tyrant pursued a policy of peace, probably because he dared not allow the Athenian citizenry to bear arms in a major war. But at this time the Greek world was also in a temporary state of balance. In the Aegean, Peisistratus helped such friends as '''Lygdamis''' of '''Naxos''' to become local tyrants. He purified the sacred island of '''Delos''' by removing the old graves near its temple of '''[[Apollo]]'''. His main efforts, however, were concentrated in gaining control of the <u>''Hellespont''</u>, through which came the exported grain of <u>south Russia</u>. To this end he secured command of '''Sigeum''' and installed a younger son, '''Hegesistratus''', as its ruler. More important, he encouraged the Athenian '''Miltiades''' to lead a private venture that gained mastery over '''Chersonesus''' (near modern <u>Sevastopol, Ukraine</u>).

On the death of Peisistratus, Athens was still much less important politically and militarily than was '''Sparta'''. Commercially, states such as '''Miletus''', '''Corinth''', and '''Aegina''' were at least as active, and the contemporary tyrant '''Polycrates''' of '''Samos''' was as important a patron of the arts and letters. Nonetheless, the religious and patriotic unification of Athens had made great progress during Peisistratus' calm, even rule. As Aristotle reports, it became a common saying that the tyranny of Peisistratus had been the '''Age of Cronus''', the Golden Age.
[[Category:Archaic Greece]]
[[Category:Athens]]
[[Category:Tyrants]]