A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PEISISTRATUS. PEISISTRATUS. 171
theundisturbed possession of his supremacy. He took in Naxos. Others of the Athenians either fled or
a body of foreign mercenaries into his pay, and seized were exiled. Among the latter was Cimon, the
as hostages the children of several of the principal father of Miltiades, who, however, was afterwards
citizens, placing them in the custody of Lygdamis, permitted to return [CIMON]. The revenues which
Peisistratus needed for the pay of his troops, were
rable accuracy, as also the relative lengths of the derived partly from Attica (the produce, very
periods during which he was in possession of the likely, in part at least, of the mines at Laureion),
tyranny and in exile. Aristotle (Pol. v. 12, p. partly from some gold mines on the Strymon. How
1315, ed. Bekk.) says, that in the space of thirty- he became possessed of these we do not know.
three years he was in possession of the tyranny It is most likely that they were private property,
during 17 years; his sons holding the tyranny and came into his hands during his second exile,
after him for eighteen years, making thirty-five somehow or other through his connection with the
years in all. His tyranny commenced in B. c. 560; royal family of Macedonia, a connection of which
his death happened in B. C. 527. He had three we subsequently see a proof in the offer of the
distinct periods of government, with two periods of town of Anthemus made by Amyntas to Hippias.
exile, the latter amounting together to fifteen years. (Herod. v. 94.) It appears to have been shortly
The second period of exile lasted ten years complete after his restoration, that Peisistratus purified the
(Herod. i. 62). That would leave about five years island of Delos, in accordance with the directions
for the first exile. Clinton (Fasti Hellen. vol. ii. of an oracle, by removing all the dead bodies which
p. 203) assigns six years for the first period of go- had been buried within sight of the temple to
vernment, one for the second, and ten for the third. another part of the island. (Herod. i. 64; Thucyd.
In doing this he assumes that Hippias was born iii. 104.) Besides the subjugation of Naxos, the
in the first year of the tyranny of Peisistratus, and only other foreign military expedition which we
that it was in the first period of his rule that hear of his undertaking in this third period of his
Croesus sent to Greece to form alliances against tyranny was the conquest of Sigeum, then in the
Cyrus. To this scheme it is objected byVater (in hands of the Mytilenaeans. The Athenians had
Ersch and Gruber's Encyclop. art. Peisistratus) that long before laid claim to the island, and had waged
it is clear from the narrative of Herodotus (i. 59; war with the lMytilenaeans for the possession of it,
comp. i. 65, init.), that it was in the third period and it was awarded to them through the arbitraof the government of Peisistratus that Croesus sent tion of Periander. Peisistratus established his
to Greece; that Peisistratus was expelled shortly bastard son Hlegesistratus as tyrant in the town.
after he seized the citadel, before his power was (Herod. v. 94, 95.) Polyaenus (Strat. v. 14)
firmly rooted (a strange mode of describing a period mentions some operations conducted by his son
of six years); and that on the occasion of his mar- Hippias, for the suppression of piracy.
riage with the daughter of Megacles, Hippias (ac- Having now firmly established himself in the
cording to Clinton) would be only thirteen years government, Peisistratus maintained the form of
old, his brother Hipparchus still younger; and yet Solon's institutions, only taking care, as his sons
they are called veav6a' by Herodotus, and Hip- did after him (Thucyd. vi. 54), that the highest
parchus is stated to have married Phya; and when offices should always be held by some member of
Peisistratus shortly after retired to Eretria they the family. He not only exacted obedience to the
were both old enough to assist him with their laws from his subjects and friends, but himself set
advice (Herod. i. 61). The mention of Hippiasin the example of submitting to them. On one occaconnection with the battle of Marathon is not in the sion he even appeared before the Areiopagus to
least inconsistent with his being eighty or eighty- answer a charge of murder, which however was
five years old (his teeth were then so loose from not prosecuted. (Arist. Pol. v. 12, p. 1315, ed.
age that one of them dropped out when he sneezed). Bekker; Plut. So/on. 31). His government seems
That Hippias was born before the year B. c. 560 to have been a wise admixture of stringency as
is also shown by the fragments of the poetry regards the enforcement of the laws and the preof Solon, in which, immediately after the capture vention of disorders, and leniency towards indiof the citadel by Peisistratus, he reproaches the viduals who offended him personally. (For anecAthenians with havingthemselves aggrandized their dotes illustrating this see Plutarch, Apophth.
tyrants (Plut. Sol. 30). The plural would indicate HIIesrer. p. 189, b. c.; Polyaen. Strat. v. 14; Val.
that Peisistratus had sons at that time. Vater Max. v. 1. ext. 2.) He enforced the law which
places the commencement of the tyranny of Peisis- had been enacted by Solon, or, according to Theotratus in the latter part of B. C. 561; assigns half a phrastus (ap. Plut. Solon. 31) by himself, against
year for the first period of government; five years idleness, and compelled a large number of the
and a half for the first exile; half a year for the poorer class to leave Athens, and devote themselves
second tyranny; ten years and a quarter for the to agricultural pursuits. (Aelian. V. H. ix. 25; Dion
second exile; and sixteen years for the third Chrysost. vii. p. 258, ed. Reiske. xxv. p. 520.) The
tyranny. The embassy of Croesus is the only stories of his compelling the people to wear the
point that can occasion any difficulty; but the same Catonace (Hesychius and Suidas s. v. Kaerovdicil;
writer has shown that it is probable that the Aristoph. Lysist. 1150, &c., Eceles. 724; Schol.
capture of Sardes is placed a few years too early by ad 1. 755; Schol. ad Lysist. 61 9), probably have
Clinton. That a much shorter interval than Clinton reference to this. Those who had no resources of
supposes elapsed between the embassy of Croesus their own he is said to have supplied with cattle
to Greece and the capture of Sardes, is shown by and seed. His policy and taste combined also led
the circumstance that the presents sent by the him to employ the poorer Athenians in building.
Lacedaemonians to Croesus did not reach him before Athens was indebted to him for many stately and
he was taken prisoner. (Herod. i. 70; comp. Clin- useful buildings. Among these may be mentioned
ton, Fasti lellen. ann. B.c. 560, 546, 527, and a temple to the Pythian Apollo (Suidas s. sv.
appendix c. 2, p. 201, &c.) nuI0,ov; Hesych. s. v., nvo lv Xeo'aa. Vater has