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GREECE AND PERSIA GCSE (OCR) > Athens under the Tyrants > Flashcards

Athens under the Tyrants Flashcards

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1
Q

Tyrant

A

Someone ruling alone who had seized power unconstitutionally
Does not initially mean the ruler was cruel

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2
Q

Greece in the archaic and classical periods

A

made up of poleis (singular polis)
separated by natural boarders, each with its own identity and customs
Early archaic: each polis was governed by oligarchy made up of various aristocratic families, or a monarch: not universally popular

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3
Q

rise of tyrannies reasons

A

many possible reasons
Thucidydes suggests it was desire for power and wealth
Some may have felt angry that power was in only a few hands
Things were changing: non-aristocrats becoming wealthy from trade, and would want a share in power, not least because they were now responsible for protecting the polis as hoplites
Factors specific to each polis would have had a greater impact than any general factors

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4
Q

Rise of tyranny

A

7th and 6th centuries BC
A man who gained support of the people and then used this support to overthrow the oligarchy (or monarch), even though he was himself usually an aristocrat
Many successful and popular, at the beginning

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5
Q

Second generation tyrants

A

inherrited the power, began to fear it would be taken away, and so misused it, often leading to the tyranny being over thrown

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6
Q

Attica, start of archaic period

A

ruled by kings, and then nine magistrates chosen only from the élite Athenian families

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7
Q

Cylon

A

Tried to install himself as tyrant in 632.
Unsucessful and his supporters were executed
He escaped

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8
Q

Solon

A

638-558
Poet and archon
Initiated a series of legal, economic, and social reforms in 594
Aristotle says he established a law code and achieved ‘the shaking off of burdens’

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9
Q

Solon’s reforms

A

594
Divided people in 4 classes, so that agricultural production became basis for gaining political power
Cancelled existing debts
Achieve ‘shaking off of burdens’
Tried to appease everyone
Did not adequetely resolve the civil strife afflicting the city – both poor and rich unhappy

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10
Q

Solon’s divisions

A
  • Pentacosiomedimnoi: those with 500 measurements of grain, oil, or wine as an annual income
  • Hippeis: those who could afford a horse
  • Zeugitai: those who could afford their own armour (and therefore could fight for the state)
  • Thetes: the lowest property class, but the biggest
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11
Q

the shaking off of burdens

A

abolished practices of debtors falling into slavery if they could not pay their debts and of paying 1/6 of one’s produce to a landowner

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12
Q

Aristotle

How did Peisistratus gain power

A

He had achieved fame in the war against Megara.
He covered himself in wounds, blaming them on his enemies, and demanded a bodyguard.
Aristion wrote the proposal
Solon saw through Peisistratus’ plan and demanded others to join him against Peisistratus, but to no avail. In the end he said he had done all he could
Peisistratus seized power using his bodyguard.

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13
Q

Aristotle

Peisistratus’ first tenure as tyrant

A

Carried out public business more as a citizen than tyrant
Thrown out by Megacles and Lycurgus’ followers
Five years later Megacles made an alliance and brought Peisistratus back

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14
Q

Peisistratus’ first return to power

A

Megacles being hard pressed in politics, made an alliance with Peisistratus.
He would return Peisistratus on the condition the tyrant married Megacles’ daughter.
Megacles spread the word that Athena was restoring Peisistratus, dressed a beautiful woman up to look like Athena.
Peisistratus, driving a chariot with ‘Athena’ beside him, entered the city and the people fell down and worshipped him

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15
Q

Phye

A

Herodotus: a woman from the deme of paiania
Others: a Thracian garland seller from Kollytos
Megacles dressed her up to look like Athena so as to secure Peisistratus’ return to power

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16
Q

How long did Peisistratus last before his second exile

A

7 years

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17
Q

Why was Peisistratus exiled the second time?

A

Lost Megacles’ support and, afraid of the political factions, he left the country

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18
Q

Peisistratus’ second return to power

A

11 years after exile: went to Eretria, used force: supported by Thebans and Lygdamis of Naxos
Won a battle at Pallenis, took Athens, and disarmed the people.

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19
Q

How did Peisistratus remove the people’s weapons

A

Called an armed parade at the Theseum. Gave a speech to distract the people while his henchmen removed the people’s weapons. After it had been done, he told the people what had happened and sent them back to their work

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20
Q

Lygdamis

A

Supporter of Peisistratus’ second return to power – Peisistratus captured Naxos and gave it to him

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21
Q

Aristotle’s Athenian Constitution problems

A

It is well informed, and we can cross-refrence his comments with evidence from other sources
However:
Repeats Herodotus, is writing nearly 2 centuries later, used oral sources, biased

  • Did not support tyranny or democracy, but liked aristocracy – views Hippias and Hipparchus as tyrants and Peisistratus as an aristocrat
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22
Q

Peisistratus as a tyrant

A

Promoted prosperity and security of Athens, perhaps to keep the people on his side
Many sources attribute all of the reforms of the tyranny to Peisistratus – Aristotle says he was very popular and his rule was a ‘Golden Age’

Likely that Hipparchus and Hippias initiated/ completed many projects

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23
Q

Peisistratus’ legal reform

A

Introduced travelling judges to ensure those in the countryside did not go to the city
Often accompanied them and suttled disputes himself

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24
Q

Peisistratus’ economic reform

A
  • Granted loans to farmers to ensure they stayed on the farm, thus increasing agricultral production
  • Encouraged planting olive trees as they were a money-making crop
  • Imposed tax of 1/10th on all agricultral produce to pay for his loans and for some of his cultral projects
  • Provided employment for many through large-scale biulding projects
  • His son, Hippias, minted coins with an owl on them – trade within Attica easier
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25
Q

Peisistratus’ social reform

A

Various aristocratic families exiled to limit aristocratic power within Attica

Alcmaeonids

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26
Q

Peisistratid’s religious and cultural reform

A
  • Large scale building projects, continued by his sons. For public use, included temples (such as a large temple to Athena on the Acropolis built by Peisistratus), and acqueducts (Hippias and Hipparchus)
  • Peisistratus introduced the Panathenaia
  • Introduced the CIty Dionysia
  • His sons promoted artistic projects – Aristotle says Hipparchus was keen on literature and the arts and invited famous poets to Athens
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27
Q

Peisistratus’ foreign policy

A
  • Promoted peace, allowing economic growth, and religious and cultural reform
  • Made links with important overseas powers, including other tyrants. Improved trade and exchange of skills. A lot of Athenian pottery started to be circulated abroad
28
Q

The impact of the Peisistratid’s actions

A
  • Not all positive – early on he did much to just consolidate his power
    Long-lasting effects
    1.poetry, drama, art, scuplture flourished, raising cultural and relifious profile of Athens across Greece, and benefitted the lives of Athenians
    2. Encouraged foreigners to visit, and so increased money generated by trade
  • Political, economic, and legal reforms were just as significant
    1. Economic reforms made more people able to hold office of archon because they met Solon’s wealth criteria. Crucial for the democracy of the next centuary
29
Q

Political structure under the tyrants

A

Still held some of the ideals of the oligarchy

  • Relatives and friends had major offices, Thucydides
  • Therefore they ruled with the support of many of the aristocratic families that had ruled Athens before
  • Many of Solon’s political changes kept, so giving the changes time to settle
30
Q

Archons

A

9 magistrates who supervise religious, legal, cultural, and economic affairs of the polis

  • A chief magistrate (later gives his name to the year)
  • a magistrate in charge of military affairs and the army (polemarch)
  • a magistrate in charge of religious affairs and trials for murder
  • 6 magistrates in charge of legal affairs
  • Only pentacosiomedimnoi and hippeis could become archons
31
Q

The council of the Areopagus

A
  • Counsil of ex-archons,
  • Conduct in office investigated, those that past joined the council
  • Serve for life
  • Elected archons and acted as judge and jury for high-profile trials
  • Later sources suggest they acted as guardians of the law
  • Membership controlled by the Peisistratids as they made sure their allies were archons
32
Q

The Boule

A
  • Council of 400 male citizens
  • Created by Solon (Aristotle)
  • Advised the ecclesia and responsible for the day-to-day running of the city
  • Membership less restricive than the Areopagus, but the thetes were not eligible
33
Q

The Ecclesia

A
  • Assembly of citizens who had completed 2 years militery service
  • Solon created it, all Athenian male citizens participated
  • Eventually voted on all important matters of state, but probably had very little power in this period
34
Q

The years following Peisistratus

A
  • Little known of years after his death
  • Seems that at least some of his projects continued by Hippias
  • Thucydides gives evidence that the regime was still popular
  • 514, things start to go wrong, recounted by Herodotus, Thucydides, and Aristotle
35
Q

Who killed Hipparchus

A
  • Harmodios and Aristogeiton
36
Q

Hipparchus

A

Brother of Hippias
Thucydides outlines that Hippias, not Hipparchus was the tyrant

37
Q

Result of the assassination of Hipparchus

A

Hippias becomes more oppressive, the tyranny is overthrown, and democracy is created in the next century

38
Q

Sources on the assassination of Hipparchus

A

Herodotus: mentions it twice, both in passing
Thucydides and Aristotle agree on the main sequence, so it is likely that Aristotle based his account on Thucydides’.

39
Q

Summary of the events leading up to the assassination of Hipparchus

A
  • Harmodios and Aristogeiton were in love
  • Hipparhcus was also in love with Harmodios, he attempts to approach Harmmodios, but was rejected
  • Aristogeiton was worried that Hipparchus might force Harmodios to become his lover as Hipparchus was so powerful
  • Aristogeiton therefore started to come up with a plan to overthrow the tyranny
  • After being rejected again by Harmodios, Hipparchus decided to humiliate him in public. He invited Harmodios’ sister to carry a basket in a procession. When she turned up, she was told that she was not suitable for the procession and was asked to leave
  • Harmodios and Aristogeiton decided to take revenge at the Panathenaia, as they could walk around with weapons without being noticed (weapons were commonly carried by those in the religious procession of this festival)
40
Q

Differnces between Herodotus and Thucydides’ accounts of the build up to the assassination of Hipparchus

A

Herodotus does not mention that they were lovers, he says they were from teh same family

41
Q

Differences between Aristotle and Thucydides’ accounts of the build up to the assassination of Hipparchus

A
  • Aristotle says Thessalos, another Peisistratus brother, was the one who was in love with Harmodios
  • Aristotle does not mention that Aristogeiton worried Hipparchus would force Harmodios to be his lover
  • Aristotle states Thessalos insulted Harmodios by calling him effeminate and that Thessalos prevented his sister from carrying the basket for this reason
42
Q

Summary of the assassination of Hipparchus

A
  • On the day of the festival procession, the tyrant Hippias was outside the city preparing for the procession. Harmodios and Aristogeiton were ready with daggers. The number of conspirators was small, for reasons of safety – they hoped others would join in once the attack begun
  • Harmodios and Aristogeiton saw that one of their fellow plotters was chatting with Hippias. They were frightened, beleiving that someone had betrayed them by revealing their plan
  • They deided to get on with taking revenge on Hipparchus straight away. They ran up to Hipparchus and killed him.
  • Hippias’ bodygaurd caught up with them. Harmodios was killed on the spot. Aristogeiton escaped but was later arrested.
  • Hippais then examined those in the religious porcession who were still bearing arms, and picked out those whom he believed to have been part of the plot, as well as all those carrying daggers
43
Q

Differences between Aristotle and Thucydides’ accounts of the assassination of Hipparchus

A
  • Aristotle states the number of conspirators was large
  • Aristotle explicitly states that the version of Hippias picking out conspirators randomly is incorrect. He alleges that in order to get the names of the conspirators, Hippias tortured Aristogeiton. Hippias eventually killed him in a fit of rage. Aristotle mentions that the democratic writers claim Aristogeiton blamed friends of the tyranny to stir up trouble, but there are contrasting accounts in which he only told the truth.
44
Q

Thucydides’ overarching purpose

A

At the start of his History he claims he is writing an accurate account.
His aim was; however, to lay out what he saw as the causes of the Peloponnesian War. Athenian politics is not his main focus

45
Q

The purpose of Thucydides’ story of the assassination of Hipparchus

A
  • It is a digression from his story, and is mainly unrelated to his main narrative
  • He aims to correct various mistakes which were floating around in his day
  • Many Athenians believed Hipparchus, not Hippias, to have been the tyrant at that time
  • The pleople believed that the assassination was an attempt to overthrow the tyranny. The democracy of Thucydides’ time also wanted to show them as the tyrannicides in order to downplay Cleisthenes’ reforms that helped lead to the democracy.
  • Thucydides also wants to show that the the tyranny under Hippias was popular until 514.
46
Q

Aristotle’s view on the assassination of Hipparchus

A

Saw it as an attempt to overthrow the tyranny, therefore making Harmodios and Aristogeiton much more to blame for the fall of thePeisistratids than the Spartan/Alcmaeonid plot.

47
Q

Reason to question Thucydides

A

Aristototle clearly states that Hippias did not pick out the other conspirators in the way described (calling the armed men as if to give a speach, telling them to leave their weapons, and then picking out those he believed to be part of the conspiracy, and all that carried daggers)
Thucydides might have invented this part to discreddit Hippias, as by this point the Athenians had been permanently put off tyrants.

48
Q

How long did Hippias remain in power after Hipparchus’ death

A

4 years (removed in the 4th)

49
Q

Long term effects of the removal of Hippias

A

reforms of Cleisthenes and the creation of democracy

50
Q

Who according to Herodotus, Thucydides, and Aristotle overthrew the tyranny

A

The Alcmaeonids with the eventual help of the Spartans

51
Q

Year Hippias is removed from power

A

510 BC

52
Q

Herodotus and Aristotle on the overthrow of the tyranny by the Alcmeaonids and Spartans

A

Herodotus gives a long, detailed, account, which is summarised later by Aristotle

53
Q

Plausible parts of Herodotus’ account of the overthrow of the tyranny by the Alcmaeonids and the Spartans

A
  • Alcmaeonids might wish to drive out the peisistratids due to the relationship of the families
  • Alcmaonids might gain power by taking out hte tyranny
  • Herodotus restates that the Alcmraeonids were responisble at another point in his work
  • Herodotus makes the Alcmaeonids responsible for freeing Athens, not Harmodios and Aristogeiton
  • The idea the Spartans act on the advice of the Oracle of Delphi is plausible – it was the most famous and taken seriously
54
Q

Problems with Herodotus’ account of the overthrow of the tyranny by the Spartans and the Alcmaeonids

A
  • He was writing much later
  • Based on what he saw and heard, not written evidence – oral, which gets modified by generations
  • Interested in religion, believing the gods played a major role. Perhaps he heard an implausible account, but wrote of it because if fit his ideals?
  • Was he trying to entertain the reader with a slightly bizzare story he did not believe?
  • By focusing on the Oracle of Delphi he does not give more plausible reasons for Sparta helping – if they did
55
Q

Summary of Aristotle’s account of the overthrow of Hippias

A
  • Tyranny harsher under Hippias after his brother’s death
  • In the fourth year since, Hippias attempted to fortify Mounicha, in order to make a move there, but got overthrown first.
  • The Alcmaeonids had fortified Lipsydrium, but were beseiged and expelled by the tyrants
  • They had then been hired to build the temple at Delphi
  • The Oracle always told the Spartans to free Athens, and so eventually they decided to, despite the Peisistratids being friends of Sparta. The Peisistratids were growing close to Argos, which was also a reason for the Spartans to attack.
  • They sent Anchimoius by sea, but he was defeated by Thessalian cavalry
  • The Spartans sent King Cleomenes, who defeated the Thessalians and beseiged Hippias in the Pelasgic Wall.
  • Hippias tried to smuggle his children out, but they were captured. hippias agreed to leave in return for his children’s safety.
  • In 5 days they removed themselves.
56
Q

How many years had Hippias held office

A

17 years

57
Q

Thessalians helping Hippias

A

Cineas brought a thousand cavalry and defeated Anchimoius’ invasion force.
Cleomenes; however, defeated the Thessalians

58
Q

Spartan invasions of Athens to free the city from Hippias

A

Anchimoius invaded by sea, but was killed by Thessalian cavalry
Cleomenes took a larger force and defeated the Thessalians. He then beseiged Hippias, captured the Peisistratid children, and forced the Peisistratids to leave

59
Q

Summary of Herodotus’ account of the Alcmaeonid and Spartan overthrow of the tyranny

A
  • Hippias even nastier
  • Alcmaeonids had been banished and tried to force their way back along with other exiles
  • Alcmaeonids fotified Lipsydrium, and leant their services to the Amphictyons in building the temple of Delphi, making a beautiful temple that was better than agreed
  • The Alcmaeonids then bribed the Pythia to tell all Spartan visitors to set Athens free
  • The Spartans eventually sent Anchimolius to drive out the Peisistratids
  • The gods willed it that Anchimolius failed. He docked at Phaleron and his army disembarked
  • Peisistratids had learnt of the danger, sent King Cineas of Condia, king of Thessaly with 1000 cavalry. The tyrants prepared the ground at Phaleron for cavalry. The Spartans are defeated
  • Cleomenes sent over land. Bursts into Attica, routs the Thessalians, killing 40 men, the rest return to Thessaly
  • Spartans and Athenian allies drive the tyrants into the Acropolis
  • Cleomenes would not have won: no intention to blockade, enemy had plenty of provisions
  • However, sons of the Peisistratids are. captured as they are being smuggled out. The Peisistratids agree to leave within 5 days provided their children are released
  • They had ruled for 36 years
60
Q

Lipsydrium

A

fort on the spur of Mount Parnes north of the deme Paeonidae

61
Q

Anchimolius

A

son of Aster
Sent by Sparta to drive out the Peisistratids
Sent by sea, defeated by Thessalian cavalry

62
Q

Cineas of Condia

A

King of Thessaly
Successful against Anchimolius using 1000 cavalry
Beaten by second Spatan attack

63
Q

Peisistratid ancestors

A

Neleus of Pylos, same family tree as Codrus and Malenthus who came from abroad to rule Athens
Hippocrates names his sone Peisistratus in Nestors’ memory

64
Q

Alcmaeonids and Peisistratids

A

Sometimes allies, sometimes enemies
The Alcmaeonids were blamed for the execution of Cylon’s allies, and cursed and exiled as they killed men under divine protection as they were seeking shelter by the statue of Athena
Solon let them back into Athens
Assisted in Peisistratus’ first return
Peisistratus married an Alcmaeonid girl, daughter of Megacles, but refused to have children with her.
When Peisistratus god back again, he had the Alcmaeonids exiled
Later the Alcmaeonids pretended to have been exiled for the whole tyrannny, however some were archons in this time period

65
Q

Who are these?

A

Harmodios and Aristogeiton
Roman copy of statues that stood in the agora

GREECE AND PERSIA GCSE (OCR) (10 decks)

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