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Solon's reforms addressed issues of his time

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political problems

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social problems

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allowed for more mobility

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but didn't undermine the underlying qualities in Athenian society

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after Solon's reforms, continuing tension and trouble

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590 BC, a year without an archon

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similar to year 404 with the year of the Thirty Tyrants

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one archon stayed in office for two years even though he was only elected for one

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probably wanted to make himself tyrant

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Sparta

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in South, had tried to expand

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had conquered Messinia

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undertook a campaign against Tegea [TEE-gee-ah]

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didn't work

•

formed alliances with Tegea

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then other states

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an informal Peloponnesian League coming together

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Athens

•

brief experiment with a board of governors

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replaced the archons

•

quickly abandoned

•

but a sign of upheavel

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regional factions

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the coast

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led by Lykourgos

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merchants

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the plains

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Megakles

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over the hill

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Peisistratos [pigh-SIS-trah-tus]

•

Peisistratos

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had already made a name of himself

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participated in war of Megara

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clearly had ambitions to rule Athens

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made three attempts to establish himself as tyrant

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1. wounded himself and came into the Agora and asked for a civic grant of armed guards, assembly gave it to him

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Solon who was old put his armor outside his house indicating that he would not take part

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Solonian poem talks about a wily man who will deceive the minds of the people, may be Peisistratos

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alliance of other two big men drove him out

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2. married Megakles' daughter

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Herodotus tells us

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dressed her up as Athena

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Athenians feel for this

•

he was staging a pageant

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something for the amusement of his fellow citizens, political theater

•

marriage was not successful

•

3. went north to Thrace, got into gold mines, returned to Athens with a mercenary force

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landed at Marathon

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skirmish

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established his rule quickly

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with little violence

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levied small tax on produce

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started set of public works

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water fountains

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circuit judges, who went out into the countryside to hear cases

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cleared the Agora of private dwellings

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made it public

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major public construction

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massive temple of Zeus Olympias

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next to the Acropolis

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civic religions

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especially cults honoring Athena

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panAthenaic games

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vases which held olive oil

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patron goddess Athena

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chariot race

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tragic and comic festivals in honor of Dionysus

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competition of choruses

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Athenian first coinage

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Athena

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owl

•

died in 528

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ambitious, ethical, capable ruler

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of peaceful old age

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never had to use a bodyguard

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this showed he was popular

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Athens began growing during his rule

•

kouros statues [KUR-ohs]

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represented male youths

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were represented as nude, unlike the Egyptian models

•

striding with one foot forward

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characteristic markers of the elite

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one had an inscription

•

stop and mourn beside the memorial of dead Croesus, whom fierce Ares cut down in the front ank of battle