Clash of Tyrants

• Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
• his brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh
• eventually, he was expelled from Athens (this is called being ostracized)
• in revenge, he began working with the Persian king Darius I, helping them invade Marathon
• with Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both were aristocrats - surprise!) engaged in a power struggle
• Isagoras had support from some fellow aristocrats, plus from Sparta
• Cleisthenes had support of the majority of Athenians
• Isagoras becomes archon eponymous (tyrant)
• He ostracizes Cleisthenes
• Cleisthenes’ supporters - and the ordinary Athenian citizens! - revolt against Isagoras’ tyranny
• they trap Isagoras on the Acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished
• 508 BCE!  Yes!

• Cleisthenes - definitely a member of the elite
• very rich
• insulated from the “hoi polloi”
• but… a crafty politician
• saw the value of tapping into the talents, intelligence, and energies of the non-aristocrats (the middle class citizens)
• too bad he didn’t realize the value of women - but, hey, one step at a time...