the athenian constitution-第4章

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through　a　motion　proposed　by　Aristion；　to　grant　him　a　bodyguard。　After　he　had　got　these　'club…bearers'；　as　they　were　called；　he　made　an　attack　with　them　on　the　people　　and　seized　the　Acropolis。　This　happened　in　the　archonship　of　Comeas；　thirty…one　years　after　the　legislation　of　Solon。　It　is　related　that；　when　Pisistratus　asked　for　his　bodyguard；　Solon　opposed　the　request；　and　declared　that　in　so　doing　he　proved　himself　wiser　than　half　　the　people　and　braver　than　the　rest；…wiser　than　those　who　did　not　see　that　Pisistratus　designed　to　make　himself　tyrant；　and　braver　than　　those　who　saw　it　and　kept　silence。　But　when　all　his　words　availed　nothing　he　carried　forth　his　armour　and　set　it　up　in　front　of　his　house；　saying　that　he　had　helped　his　country　so　far　as　lay　in　his　power　（he　was　already　a　very　old　man）；　and　that　he　called　on　all　others　to　do　the　same。　Solon's　exhortations；　however；　proved　fruitless；　and　　Pisistratus　assumed　the　sovereignty。　His　administration　was　more　like　a　constitutional　government　than　the　rule　of　a　tyrant；　but　before　his　power　was　firmly　established；　the　adherents　of　Megacles　and　Lycurgus　made　a　coalition　and　drove　him　out。　This　took　place　in　the　archonship　of　Hegesias；　five　years　after　the　first　establishment　of　his　rule。　Eleven　years　later　Megacles；　being　in　difficulties　in　a　party　struggle；　again　opened…negotiations　with　Pisistratus；　proposing　that　the　latter　should　marry　his　daughter；　and　on　these　terms　he　brought　him　back　to　Athens；　by　a　very　primitive　and　simple…minded　device。　He　first　spread　abroad　a　rumour　that　Athena　was　bringing　back　Pisistratus；　and　then；　having　found　a　　woman　of　great　stature　and　beauty；　named　Phye　（according　to　Herodotus；　of　　the　deme　of　Paeania；　but　as　others　say　a　Thracian　flower…seller　of　the　deme　of　Collytus）；　he　dressed　her　in　a　garb　resembling　that　of　the　　goddess　and　brought　her　into　the　city　with　Pisistratus。　The　latter　drove　in　on　a　chariot　with　the　woman　beside　him；　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　city；　struck　with　awe；　received　him　with　adoration。

Part　15

　　In　this　manner　did　his　first　return　take　place。　He　did　　not；　however；　hold　his　power　long；　for　about　six　years　after　his　return　he　　was　again　expelled。　He　refused　to　treat　the　daughter　of　Megacles　as　his　wife；　and　being　afraid；　in　consequence；　of　a　combination　of　the　　two　opposing　parties；　he　retired　from　the　country。　First　he　led　a　colony　　to　a　place　called　Rhaicelus；　in　the　region　of　the　Thermaic　gulf；　and　thence　he　passed　to　the　country　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Mt。　Pangaeus。　Here　he　acquired　wealth　and　hired　mercenaries；　and　not　till　ten　years　had　elapsed　did　he　return　to　Eretria　and　make　an　attempt　to　recover　the　government　by　force。　In　this　he　had　the　assistance　of　many　allies；　notably　the　Thebans　and　Lygdamis　of　Naxos；　and　also　the　Knights　who　held　the　supreme　power　in　the　constitution　of　Eretria。　After　his　victory　in　the　battle　at　Pallene　he　captured　Athens；　and　when　he　had　disarmed　the　people　he　at　last　had　his　tyranny　securely　established；　and　was　able　to　take　Naxos　and　set　up　Lygdamis　as　ruler　there。　He　effected　the　disarmament　of　the　people　in　the　following　manner。　He　ordered　a　parade　in　full　armour　in　the　Theseum；　and　began　to　make　a　speech　to　the　people。　He　spoke　for　a　short　time；　until　the　people　called　out　that　they　could　not　hear　him；　whereupon　he　bade　them　come　up　to　the　entrance　of　the　Acropolis；　in　order　that　his　voice　might　be　better　heard。　Then；　while　he　continued　to　speak　to　them　at　great　length；　men　whom　he　had　appointed　for　the　purpose　collected　the　arms　and　locked　them　up　in　the　chambers　of　the　Theseum　hard　by；　and　came　and　made　a　signal　to　him　that　it　was　done。　Pisistratus　accordingly；　when　he　had　finished　the　rest　of　what　he　had　to　say；　told　the　people　also　what　had　happened　to　their　arms；　adding　that　they　were　not　to　be　surprised　or　alarmed；　but　go　home　and　attend　to　their　private　affairs；　while　he　would　himself　for　the　future　manage　all　　the　business　of　the　state。

Part　16

　　Such　was　the　origin　and　such　the　vicissitudes　of　the　tyranny　of　Pisistratus。　His　administration　was　temperate；　as　has　been　said　before；　and　more　like　constitutional　government　than　a　tyranny。　Not　only　was　he　in　every　respect　humane　and　mild　and　ready　to　forgive　those　who　offended；　but；　in　addition；　he　advanced　money　to　the　poorer　people　to　help　them　in　their　labours；　so　that　they　might　make　their　living　by　agriculture。　In　this　he　had　two　objects；　first　that　they　might　not　spend　their　time　in　the　city　but　might　be　scattered　over　all　the　face　of　the　country；　and　secondly　that；　being　moderately　well　off　and　occupied　with　their　own　business；　they　might　have　neither　the　wish　nor　the　time　to　attend　to　public　　affairs。　At　the　same　time　his　revenues　were　increased　by　the　thorough　cultivation　of　the　country；　since　he　imposed　a　tax　of　one　tenth　on　all　the　produce。　For　the　same　reasons　he　instituted　the　local　justices；'　and　　often　made　expeditions　in　person　into　the　country　to　inspect　it　and　to　settle　disputes　between　individuals；　that　they　might　not　come　into　the　city　and　neglect　their　farms。　It　was　in　one　of　these　progresses　that；　as　the　story　goes；　Pisistratus　had　his　adventure　with　the　man　of　Hymettus；　who　was　cultivating　the　spot　afterwards　known　as　'Tax…free　Farm'。　He　saw　a　man　digging　and　working　at　a　very　stony　piece　of　ground；　and　being　surprised　he　sent　his　attendant　to　ask　what　he　got　out　of　this　plot　of　land。　'Aches　and　pains'；　said　the　man；　　'and　that's　what　Pisistratus　ought　to　have　his　tenth　of'。　The　man　spoke　without　knowing　who　his　questioner　was；　but　Pisistratus　was　so　　leased　with　his　frank　speech　and　his　industry　that　he　granted　him　exemption　from　all　taxes。　And　so　in　matters　in　general　he　burdened　the　people　as　little　as　possible　with　his　government；　but　always　cultivated　peace　and　kept　them　in　all　quietness。　Hence　the　tyranny　of　Pisistratus　　was　often　spoken　of　proverbially　as　'the　age　of　gold'；　for　when　his　sons　succeeded　him　the　government　became　much　harsher。　But　most　important　of　all　in　this　respect　was　his　popular　and　kindly　disposition。　In　all　things　he　was　accustomed　to　observe　the　laws；　without　giving　himself　any　exceptional　privileges。　Once　he　was　summoned　on　a　charge　of　homicide　before　the　Areopagus；　and　he　appeared　in　person　to　make　his　defence；　but　the　prosecutor　was　afraid　to　present　himself　and　abandoned　the　case。　For　these　reasons　he　held　power　long；　　and　whenever　he　was　expelled　he　regained　his　position　easily。　The　　majority　alike　of　the　upper　class　and　of　the　people　were　in　his　favour；　the　former　he　won　by　his　social　intercourse　with　them；　the　latter　by　the　assistance　which　he　gave　to　their　private　purses；　and　his　nature　fitted　him　to　win　the　hearts　of　both。　Moreover；　the　laws　in　reference　to　tyrants　at　that　time　in　force　at　Athens　were　very　mild；　especially　the　one　which　applies　more　particularly　to　the　establishment　of　a　tyranny。　The　law　ran　as　follows：　'These　are　the　ancestral　statutes　of　the　ATHENIANs；　if　any　persons　shall　make　an　attempt　to　establish　a　tyranny；　or　if　any　person　shall　join　　in　setting　up　a　tyranny；　he　shall　lose　his　civic　rights；　both　himself　and　his　whole　house。'

Part　17

　　Thus　did　Pisistratus　grow　old　in　the　possession　of　power；　and　he　died　a　natural　death　in　the　archonship　of　Philoneos；　three　and　thirty　years　from　the　time　at　which　he　first　established　himself　as　tyrant；　during　nineteen　of　which　he　was　in　possession　of　power；　the　rest　he　spent　in　exile。　It　is　evident　from　this　that　the　　story　is　mere　gossip　which　states　that　Pisistratus　was　the　youthful　favourite　of　Solon　and　commanded　in　the　war　against　Megara　for　the　recovery　of　Salamis。　It　will　not　harmonize　with　their　respective　ages；　as　any　one　may　see　who　will　reckon　up　the　years　of　the　life　of　each　of　them；　and　the　dates　at　which　they　died。　After　the　death　of　　Pisistratus　his　sons　took　up　the　government；　and　conducted　it　on　the　same　system。　He　had　two　sons　by　his　first　and　legitimate　wife；　Hippias　and　Hipparchus；　and　two　by　his　Argive　consort；　Iophon　and　Hegesistratus；　who　was　surnamed　Thessalus。　For　Pisistratus　　took　a　wife　from　Argos；　Timonassa；　the　daughter　of　a　man　of　Argos；　named　　Gorgilus；　she　had　previously　been　the　wife　of　Archinus　of　Ambracia；　one　of　the　descendants　of　Cypselus。　This　was　the　ori