The Athenian Revolutions

The Development of Athens

Attica – 3 Plains divided by Mountains

Confederation (sunoikismos) of Attica - myths of Theseus

Securing the borders – Eleusis and Salamis

Cylonian conspiracy 630 BCE

The Curse on the Alcmaionids

Purifications of Epimenides

Law code of Drakon 621 BCE

Reforms of Solon

Solon as poet and political actor - Archon 594/3

seisachtheia - the shaking off of burdens

hectemoroi - farmers owing one-sixth of land's produce to nobles

debt slavery

New Socio-Economic Classes -

- Pentacosiomedimnoi - 500 bushels of produce

- Hippeis (knights) - 300 bushels

- Zeugitai (hoplites) - 200 bushels

- Thetes - less than 200 bushels

Political and Legal Reforms - new systems and offices

Nine archons: eponymous, polemarch, archon basileus, 6 thesmothetai

Areopagus

Boule (Council) of 400

Ecclesia (Assembly) of all citizens

Heliaia – the courts of the Assembly

Tyranny in Athens: The Pisistratids

Anarchia

Geographic factions

- the Coast Dwellers led by Megacles the Alcmaionid

- the Plains Dwellers led by Lycurgus son of Aristolaides

- Hills Dwellers led by Pisistratus

Pisistratus as Tyrannos:

first tyranny 561 BCE

second tyranny 557 -555? BCE

third tyranny 547-528/7 BCE

Pisistratids as Patrons of Culture

Acropolis Building Projects

Great PanAthenaic Festival established 566 expanded by Pisistratids

City Dionysia established

- Dionysos comes from Eleuthera

- choral competitions and tragedy - Thespis 534 BCE

Building at Eleusis - expansion of the Mysteries?

Purification of Delos - Delian Festival for Ionians

Expulsion of the Pisistratids

Pisistratids: Hippias and Hipparchus succeed their father

Harmodius and Aristogeiton - assassination of Hipparchus - 514 BCE

Alcmaionids at Delphi - temple building and favorable oracles

Cleomenes, king of Sparta, brings Spartan force to expel Hippias - 510 BCE