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The name in Ancient Greek is Πεισίστρατος (Peisistratos). The standard spelling in English is Peisistratus; an alternate spelling (also used in Latin) is Pisistratus. The misspellings Psistratus, Peistratus, and Pesistratus are sometimes found.
Peisistratos of Athens
Peisistratos of Athens (ca. 607-528 BC) was a Greek statesman who became the Tyrant of Athens following a (quite popular) coup and ruled in 561, 559-556 and 546-528 BC.Peisistratos was the son of a philosopher and teacher called Hippocrates, and was named for the Peisistratos in the Odyssey. The eromenos of the Athenian lawgiver Solon,Plutarch, The Lives, "Solon" he assisted Solon in his endeavours, and fought bravely in the conquest of Salamis. When Solon left Athens, Peisistratos became leader of the party of the Highlands (poor, rural people) in 565 BC. Peisistratos used a clever scheme, calling for bodyguards after he pretended to be attacked. Those bodyguards were composed of the people of the Highlands who had entered Athens. In 561 BC he seized the Acropolis with this group of bodyguards, becoming turannos (tyrant). His rule did not last - he was driven out by Lycurgus, Megacles and others from the party of the Coast within the year. He returned in 559 BC with the help of Megacles, who had split from Lycurgus. Megacles had allied with Peisistratus on the condition that Peisistratos marry Megacles' daughter. The Athenians were persuaded by Megacles that Athena was bringing Peisistratus home and Peisistratus returned from exile in a carriage accompanied by a tall woman disguised as Athena in a suit of armor. Later, Megacles was angered by the fact that Peisistratos refused to have children with his daughter, and Peisistratos was again exiled in 556 BC by Lycurgus and Megacles. He went to Euboea and remained there for almost ten years, becoming quite rich through mining. He returned to Athens in 546 BC with a considerable force and regained power with the support of Lygdamos of Naxos. This time he worked well to retain his position. Peisistratus rewarded Lygdamos by making him tyrant of Naxos.
Consolidating his power by favouring rural citizens with new land laws, Peisistratus also kept a large force of mercenaries and took hostages. He kept the democratic forms introduced by Solon but ensured that family members held the highest offices. Peisistratus promoted the cults of Athena and Dionysus. He began the construction of the temple to Athena on the Acropolis and also promoted a number of other public works including the Lyceum, temples to Apollo and to Zeus as well as the Fountain of the Nine Springs. He also supported literature and the arts, and was given to pederasty,William Armstrong Percy III, "Reconsiderations about Greek Homnosexualities," in Same–Sex Desire and Love in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Classical Tradition of the West, Binghamton, 2005 having himself an eromenos, Charmus.Plutarch, The Lives, "Solon" The Panathenaic Festival (reintroduced shortly before his reign) and the city Dionysia festival flourished during his time. Athenian coinage was introduced by about 550 BC, and may reflect policy of his, though there is no reference in contemporary documents to such.
Peisistratus was succeeded by his son Hippias. But his other son, Hipparchus, is also mentioned together with Hippias, suggesting some form of joint rule..
Peisistratos has been credited with the development of the first welfare state through his policy of providing a land loan to the underprivileged in society as part of an effort to encourage autarky. According to a story first mentioned by the Latin author Cicero, Pisistratus ordered the writing down of the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, which had previously been transmitted orally.Cicero, On the Orator 3.137.
Notes
Sources
Herodotus. Histories
Peisistratus the son of Nestor
In Greek mythology, Peisistratus was the youngest son of Nestor and became an intimate friend of Telemachus the son of Odysseus on their first meeting. Peisistratus travelled with Telemachus on his unsuccessful search for his lost father (Odyssey III, 36, 400).
Characters in the Odyssey | 607 BC births | 528 BC deaths | Ancient Athenians | Pederasts
Peisistratos von Athen | Pisístrato | Pisistrate | Pisistrato | פייסיסטראטוס | Peiszisztratosz | Pisistratus | ペイシストラトス | Pizystrat | Pejzistrat | Peisistratos | 庇西特拉图
"Peisistratus"