1.  Competition for political offices  Attica coalesced into 3 groups:  Men of the Plain  Men of the Coast/Shore  Men of the Hills (Hill faction—radical)—led by Pisistratus

2. ATTICA  Less productive farmland  Cut off from prosperity  Radicals—cries of land redistribution  Aristocrats fight amongst themselves—sometimes ally with coast, hill folk.  Pisistratus—moderate war hero

3.  Solon does not prevent tyranny but determines its form. Pisistratus  560 Pisistratus three attempts at tyranny—third time successful. 560, 555, 546-527.  Under Pisistratus—a “law-abiding tyranny”  Packs archonships with friends and supporters  Kept a standing mercenary army  Held the children of political opponents hostage.

4.  While he alleviated some of the suffering of the poor, Solon’s reforms did not remove the specter of internal conflict from Athens.  Taking advantage of simmering unrest, Pisistratus, a distant relative of Solon, seized power in a coup around 560 and again in 546.  Like other tyrants, Pisistratus pushed through commercial expansion and public building projects, and sponsored artists and religious festivals to enhance the city’s, and his own, prestige.

6.  Both rich and poor gain from his rule.  Industry—aggressive expansion of trade.  Attic pottery shows up everywhere—black and red figure.  Growth of commerce and ambitious foreign policy go hand in hand.  Helped neighboring tyrants—helped to install one at Naxos.

7. DRACHMA  New colonies First silver coins—Athenian owls— most trustworthy currency of ancient world  Did NOT redistribute land—nobles who were rebellious or too independent were exiled; had estates confiscated and distributed to poor.

8.  Taxed farmland under production at 10%-- proceeds went to a fund to benefit poor farmers. (Hill Folk wanted more).  Public works—monumental temples of Athena, Zeus  Subterranean aqueducts, public fountains  Roads throughout Attica  Massive construction = new jobs  Tendency for rural poor to drift into the city.

9. DIONYSIUS  Dionysiaca  Commissioned definitive versions of Iliad, Odyssey— Panathenaic festival  Satyrs wearing goat skins at Dionysiaca evolves from tragodia to great Athenian tragedies in fifth c.  Patronage poets, artists— Athens a cultural and artistic capital.

10. Figure 5.4. Attic redfigure psyktēr (wine cooler) attributed to Oltos (c. 520–510 BC), showing armed warriors riding on dolphins, probably representing the chorus of an early theatrical production. The vessel was made for use at drinking parties (symposia) and, therefore, depicts a wine cup as the device on the central warrior’s shield.

11. HARMODIUS AND ARISTOGEITON TYRANNICIDES  527 Pisistratus dies—2 sons rule  Hippias and Hipparchus  Granted amnesty to many exiles—bring Greek writers and poets to Athens  514—lover’s quarrel— Hipparchus assassinated.  Hippias becomes strange, paranoid, archetypical tyrant

12.  Sparta chases Hippias out but later supports aristocrat Isagoras.  Athenians rise up and trap Spartan troops on Acropolis.  Sparta forced to withdraw; Cleisthenes and his supporters return.  But in a rush to judgment, Athens requested Persian aid—means becoming a subject of Persia. Athens agreed and gave earth and water—but when Spartan threat faded Athens forgot its obligations to Persia—Persia did not.

13.  Knew he had to break the strength of aristocrats to prevent tyranny.  Sweeping constitutional reform program— continuation of Solon’s reforms—George Washington pt 2 of Athens.  First, abolished 4 ancient tribes and substituted them with ten new ones.

14.  He established 10 new tribes, each composed of a “third” from one of Attica’s three geographical divisions, and constructed from “demes”, village or neighborhood precincts.  The hope was to create new loyalties, to demes, tribes, and across Attica, rather than to family connections and strictly parochial interests.  A new Council ( Boule ) was formed, with 500 members drawn by lot, a board of 10 elected generals ( strategoi ) was created, and an Assembly place for the people was carved out of a hill called the Pnyx.

15.  Now represented geographical areas like electoral districts  Divided Attica into 3 geographical districts: coast, plain, hills. All 3 districts were divided into ten units each.  Each new tribe contained three units (one component hill, one plain, one coast).  All roughly equal in population  Goal: to prevent one group from ganging up on others (i.e., plain people against coast)

16.  Each tribe sends fifty members—elected by lot.  New role: not only prepares business, but manages financial and foreign affairs.  Divided into smaller committees—too large to govern Athens. Steering committee ( Prytaneis ) of 50 members would serve for 1/10 of the year. 9 smaller committees. Entire council supervised by chairperson—new one elected by lottery each day.

17.  Council of 500 gradually replaces the Areopagus.  Ostracism —once a year Ecclesia can vote to ostracize someone—or kick them out of the city for ten years. Need 6,000 votes—originally intended to keep Pisistritus’ descendents out of office  Aristides?  First known ostracism in 484 but suspect that Cleisthenes may have been ostracized himself for seeking Persian aid.

18. OSTROKOS

19.  But gradually diminish in importance—487 open by lot so any Athenian male for run for that office.  By 501, tribes begin to elect military leaders or generals—each one has a strategos —or 10 strategoi.