Westren Civ Blog 18

Today in class we went over the Greece powerpoint. We learned about Hippias who was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE. His brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh. Eventually he was expelled from Athens, this is called being ostracized. in revenge, he began working with the Persian king Darius I, helping them invade Marathon. With Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both were aristocrats - surprise!) engaged in a power struggle. Isagoras had support from some fellow aristocrats, plus from Sparta. Cleisthenes had support of the majority of Athenians. Isagoras becomes archon eponymous, he was a tyrant. He ostracizes Cleisthenes. Cleisthenes’ supporters and the ordinary Athenian citizens, they revolt against Isagoras’ tyranny. They trap Isagoras on the acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished. The date 508 BCE is important, it marks when democracy was created. Cleisthenes was definitely a member of the elite, he was very rich. He insulated from the “hoi polloi," he was a crafty politician.