The Rise of Athens

A hymn to Apollo The quotations come from Hom Hymn Ap 146f and 51–61.

he alone of all the poets Lyc Leo 102.

“A reminder from Hipparchus” For both reminders, [Plato] Hipp 229a–b.

men of very different character Arist Con 18 1.

Hipparchus was younger and flightier Some ancient opinion made Hipparchus the elder of the brothers, but it is more likely that Hippias was.

He sent a state warship For this sentence, see [Plato] Hipp 228c.

“Young man with the girlish looks” Anac 360–63.

“Any man is good” Plato Prot 344e–345a.

“hissless hymn” Bury, p. 204.

Aristogeiton was losing his patience The story of Harmodius and Aristogeiton is told in Arist Con 18, Thuc 6 53–59, and Her 5:55–57.

one of their fellow-conspirators Much the same thing happened before the assassination of Julius Caesar, when Brutus and Cassius saw a friendly senator chat with the dictator immediately after wishing them and their “project” well.

“died no easy death”

Thuc 6 57 4.

“Fine warriors and from good families’ ” Arist Con 19 2–3.

The initial contractors failed See Scott, p. 100.

“like eyebrows on a smiling face” Eur Ion 185ff.

“more beautiful than the plan” Her 5 62 3.

“First of all free Athens” Ibid., 63 1.

Cleomenes was a man For the career of King Cleomenes, see Herodotus books 5 and 6 passim.

A pillar was set up Thuc 6 55 1–2.

“high principles and intelligence” Ibid., 6 54 5.

“was still governed by the laws” Ibid., 6 54 5–6.

“Athens, which had been great” Her 5 66 1.

7. INVENTING DEMOCRACY

Aristotle’s Athenian Constitution, 20–22, is a major source for this chapter. Also Herodotus for the main narrative of events.

“A bright light shone” IG I³ 502.

So reads the inscription The inscription survives, but the statues are gone.

“Darling Harmodius” Ath 695b, Skolion 894 PMG.

“Spartan stranger, go back” Her 5 72 3.

revolutionary nature of his analysis The career of Cleisthenes bears a curious similarity to that of Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who initiated what he intended to be reforms but were in fact a revolution; and who disappeared from the political scene as soon as his work was done.

Cleisthenes invented democracy One of the great challenges facing the scholar is the paucity of information in the literary sources about most Greek city-states: we are well informed about the constitutional arrangements of Athens and Sparta and to a lesser extent Thebes, but of few others. It may well be that some other unknown reformer brought democracy to his polis before its introduction in Athens.

“enlisted the people”

Her 5 66 2.

“Let each man come to close quarters” Tyrt poem 11.

ten life-size bronze statues See Camp, pp. 157–59.

Pnyx Ibid., pp. 46–47, 264–65.

“the poor have more power” Arist Pol 13l7b.

Bouleuterion Camp, pp. 44, 127.

Another innovation of Cleisthenes was ostracism It is uncertain whether this was a project of Cleisthenes or a later development, but the former is probable. What is known is that the first ostracism took place in 487.

“humble and cut back” Plut Arist 7 2.

“archaic rationality” Murray, p. 279.

“everyone is governed” Arist Pol 13l7b.

“Now Athens grew more powerful” Her 5 78 1.

“This potsherd says” Murray, p. 286.

8. EASTERN RAIDERS

The main source for the Persian raids on Eretria and Athens is Herodotus. He is cited here passim.

The young man was tired out For the story of Pheidippides, see Her 6 105–6.

It was August 5, 490 There is an argument. Some scholars believe that the month of Marathon was September. I prefer August. See Green, Greco, p. 31.

Mount Parthenium Paus 8 54 7.

a hallucination caused by exhaustion Green, Greco, p. 31.

“Pheidippides, kindly ask” Paus 6 105 2.

Then nine tents, called “sunshades” Ath 4 141.

“Men of Sparta, the Athenians” Her 6 106.

“Sir, remember the Athenians” Ibid., 5 105 1–2.