Constitution of the Athenians

​After these things, it happened that the tyranny became much harsher; for both because of avenging his brother and because of having put many to death and having expelled them, he was untrustworthy and bitter to all. In about the fourth year after the death of Hipparchus, since affairs in the city were in a bad state, he attempted to fortify Munychia, intending to resettle there; but while he was engaged in these things, he was expelled by Cleomenes, the king of the Lacedaemonians, because oracles were constantly being given to the Laconians to put down the tyranny, for the following reason. The exiles, of whom the Alcmeonidae were leaders, were not able by themselves to effect their return, but always met with failure; for not only were they frustrated in the other things they did, but having fortified Leipsydrion in the country above Parnes, where some of those from the city joined them in going out, they were besieged and taken by the tyrants; whence later after this disaster they always sang in their scolia: / Alas, Leipsydrion, betrayer of friends, / what sort of men did you destroy, / good at fighting and of noble birth, / who then showed of what fathers they were. Failing, therefore, in all other things, they contracted to build the temple in Delphi, whence they became well supplied with money for the assistance of the Laconians. And the Pythia always enjoined upon the Lacedaemonians when they consulted the oracle to liberate Athens; to this she urged the Spartans, although the Peisistratidae were guest-friends to them; and not least a share of the impulse was contributed to the Laconians by the friendship existing between the Peisistratidae and the Argives. First indeed they sent Anchimolus by sea with an army. But when he was defeated and died because Cineas the Thessalian brought help with a thousand horsemen, being further angered by what had happened, they sent out Cleomenes the king with a larger force by land, who, when he defeated the Thessalian cavalry who were preventing him from passing into Attica, having shut up Hippias in the so-called Pelargikon wall, besieged him with the Athenians. While he was sitting before it, it happened that the sons of the Peisistratidae were captured as they were secretly leaving; when these were taken, having made an agreement for the safety of their children, and having carried away their property within five days, they surrendered the acropolis to the Athenians during the archonship of Harpaktides, having held the tyranny for about seventeen years after the death of their father, and the whole period with that which their father ruled lacks one of fifty years.

​When the tyranny was dissolved, there arose a factional dispute against each other between Isagoras, the son of Teisandros, who was a friend of the tyrants, and Cleisthenes, who was of the family of the Alcmeonidae. Being defeated in the political associations, Cleisthenes won over the people, giving the constitution to the multitude. Isagoras, falling behind in power, again called upon Cleomenes, who was his guest-friend, and persuaded him to drive out the pollution, because the Alcmeonidae were thought to be among the accursed. When Cleisthenes had secretly departed, Cleomenes arriving with a few banished seven hundred households of the Athenians; having accomplished these things, he attempted to dissolve the Council, and to establish Isagoras and three hundred of his friends with him as masters of the city. But when the Council resisted and the multitude gathered, those around Cleomenes and Isagoras fled to the acropolis, and the people, sitting before it, besieged them for two days, and on the third day they let Cleomenes and those with him all go under a truce, and summoned back Cleisthenes and the other exiles. When the people obtained control of affairs, Cleisthenes was leader and champion of the people. For the Alcmeonidae were almost the chief causes of the expulsion of the tyrants, and they continued in opposition for the most part. Even before the Alcmeonidae, Cedon attacked the tyrants, wherefore they also sang of him in the scolia: / Pour also for Cedon, server, and do not forget, / if indeed one must pour wine for good men.