Pisistratus

For other people with the same name, see Peisistratus (disambiguation).
Pisistratus
Fictitious depiction of Pisistratus from the 19th century
Tyrant of Athens
In office
561 BC, 559–556 BC, 546–527 BC
Succeeded byHippias
Personal details
Bornc. 600 BC[1]
Philaidai
DiedSpring 527 BC (aged c. 73)[2]
Athens
ChildrenHipparchus and Hippias
ParentHippocrates

Pisistratus (also spelled Peisistratus or Peisistratos; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Πεισίστρατος Peisistratos; c. 600 BC – 527 BC) was a politician in ancient Athens, ruling as tyrant in the late 560s, the early 550s and from 546 BC until his death. His unification of Attica, the triangular peninsula of Greece containing Athens, along with economic and cultural improvements laid the groundwork for the later pre-eminence of Athens in ancient Greece.[3][4] His legacy lies primarily in his institution of the Panathenaic Games, historically assigned the date of 566 BC, and the consequent first attempt at producing a definitive version of the Homeric epics. Pisistratus' championing of the lower class of Athens is an early example of populism.[5] While in power, he did not hesitate to confront the aristocracy and greatly reduce their privileges, confiscating their lands and giving them to the poor. Pisistratus funded many religious and artistic programs,[6] in order to improve the economy and spread the wealth more equally among the Athenian people.

Pisistratids is the common family or clan name for the three tyrants, who ruled in Athens from 546 to 510 BC, referring to Pisistratus and his two sons, Hipparchus and Hippias.

  1. ^ Lavelle, B. M. (2010). "Pisistratus". In Gagarin, Michael (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-517072-6.
  2. ^ D.M. Lewis, "The tyranny of the Pisistratidae", Cambridge Ancient History, vol. IV, p. 287
  3. ^ Everdell, William R. (2000). The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 42. ISBN 978-0226224824.
  4. ^ Starr, Chester (April 2019). "Peisistratus: TYRANT OF ATHENS". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  5. ^ Holladay, James (1977). "The Followers of Peisistratus". Greece & Rome. 24 (1): 40–56. doi:10.1017/S0017383500019628. JSTOR 642688. S2CID 145629351.
  6. ^ Furlow Sauls, Shanaysha M. (18 April 2008). The Concept of Instability and the Theory of Democracy in the Federalist (Thesis). Duke University. p. 77. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.1005.6216. hdl:10161/629.