Cleisthenes (Athens)
Family: Athenian · Role: politician, descendant of Alcmaion · First appears: Book 5 · §63–69
Life events
- Cleisthenes bribed the Pythian prophetess to urge the Spartans to free Athens.(Book 5 · §63–69 · 📍 Delphi)
- “persuaded the Pythian prophetess by gifts of money, that whenever men of the Spartans should come to inquire of the Oracle, either privately or publicly sent, she should propose to them to set Athens free.”
- Cleisthenes and Isagoras entered a power struggle, and Cleisthenes joined forces with the people.(Book 5 · §63–69 · 📍 Athens)
- Cleisthenes reorganized Athens into ten tribes and included Ajax among their heroes.(Book 5 · §63–69 · 📍 Athens)
- With: Ajax
- “After this he caused the Athenians to be in ten tribes, who were formerly in four; and he changed the names by which they were called after the sons of Ion, namely Geleon, Aigicoreus, Argades, and Hoples, and invented for them names taken from other heroes, all native Athenians except Ajax, whom he added as a neighbour and ally, although he was no Athenian.”
- Cleisthenes added the common people to his party and increased the tribes from four to ten.(Book 5 · §63–69 · 📍 Athens)
- “he changed the names of the tribes and made them more in number than they had been; he made in fact ten rulers of tribes instead of four, and by tens also he distributed the demes in the tribes; and having added the common people to his party he was much superior to his opponents.”
Book 5 · §63–69
- with Codros (Shared ancestry; the passage does not specify the exact genealogical link.) “These also were originally Pylians and sons of Neleus, descended from the same ancestors as the family of Codros and Melanthos”
- with Melanthos (Shared ancestry; the passage does not specify the exact genealogical link.) “These also were originally Pylians and sons of Neleus, descended from the same ancestors as the family of Codros and Melanthos”
- with Alcmaion (interaction) “Cleisthenes a descendant of Alcmaion”
- rivals with Isagoras “These men came to party strife for power”
- younger kin: Cleisthenes (Sikyon) “the Athenian Cleisthenes, who was his daughter's son and was called after him”
- with Ajax (Ajax is described as an ally.) “Ajax, whom he added as a neighbour and ally, although he was no Athenian”
- child: Alcmaion “Cleisthenes a descendant of Alcmaion”
- child: Cleisthenes (Sikyon) “this Cleisthenes was imitating his mother's father Cleisthenes the despot of Sikyon”
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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.