Episode Description
Despite the best efforts of the lawgiver Solon, political upheaval continued in Athens. A strongman named Pisistratus, after twice seizing power and losing it, ultimately established an autocratic regime that lasted over 35 years. During that time, he and his successors improved city infrastructure, strengthened Athenian control over Attica, created lasting cultural institutions, and introduced policies that paved the way for a more democratic system. In this episode, host Scott Emmons guides you through the rise and fall of the fascinating period known as the Pisistratid tyranny.
For images illustrating aspects of this episode, check out Episode 22 at epicgreekhistory.substack.com.
Reading Suggestions
Herodotus, Histories 1.59-64, 5.62-65
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.20, 3.104, 6.54
Aristotle, Constitution of Athens, chapters 14-19
A. Andrewes, The Greek Tyrants
Victor Ehrenberg, From Solon to Socrates
Robin Osborne, Greece in the Making: 1200-479 BC
Anthony Snodgrass, Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment