Cleisthenes

1. Tyrant of Sicyon c.600–570 BC. His policy was consistently anti-Dorian and anti-Argive (Sicyon had originally been occupied by Dorians from Argos but retained a large pre-Dorian element in its population) and led to war with Argos. Earlier, Cleisthenes had taken a leading part in the Sacred War of c.590 in support of Delphi against Crisa. His daughter Agaristē married the Alcmaeonid Megacles and was mother of the Athenian Cleisthenes: see (2) below. For her marriage see HIPPOCLEIDES.

2. (d. after 507 BC), the founder of Athenian democracy, grandson of Cleisthenes, tyrant of Sicyon (see 1 above). He was archon under the tyrant Hippias in (perhaps) 525. When Hippias was expelled by the Spartan king Cleomenes I in 510 and those exiled had returned, there was a movement in favour of oligarchy by the aristocracy in Athens, led by Isagoras and supported by Cleomenes. At this point Cleisthenes put himself forward as the champion of democracy and overthrew the aristocrats. He then proceeded to pass far-reaching political reforms of a democratic nature. He broke up what remained of the old political organization based on family groups, and substituted a new system based on topography. He divided the territory of Attica, including the city of Athens, into demes (dēmoi), local communities or parishes, possibly on the basis of existing demes. Cleisthenes then grouped all the demes into ten new tribes so as to ensure that no tribe had a continuous territory or represented a local interest; on the contrary, each contained groups of demes (trittyes) from the city region, from the coast, and from the interior. By these means groups of people in various parts of Attica were brought together and required to act in common, and the old parties acting out of purely local interest were abolished. The organization of the army depended on the tribes, each of which contributed a regiment of hoplites and a squadron of cavalry. Cleisthenes subordinated the boule and the Areopagus to the supreme authority of the ecclesia, ‘assembly’ of all the citizens, which met regularly and might deal with any important state matter. In one respect Cleisthenes was conservative: he seems to have retained Solon's restrictions on eligibility for the higher offices of state. The archons could be chosen only from the two wealthiest classes of the population, and the Eupatridae retained the monopoly of priestly offices. At his death Cleisthenes received a public burial in the Ceramicus.