Ancient History - Tyranny and Democracy Flashcards GCSE

Who was Solon and when and what were his reforms? [2], [5]

- Athenian politician

- 594 BCE

- 4 political classes decided by wealth

- New law code with appeal

- Abolished debt-slavery

- Created ekklesia (assembly)

- Created Boule of 400

Who was Peisistratus and when did he rule [1], [3]

- Tyrant of Athens

- 561 - 559

- 556 - 555

- 546 - 527 (died)

How did Peisistratus gain then lose power the first time according to Aristotle, and why can we (not) trust? [4], [1]

- "Most well disposed towards the people"

- "Covered himself in wounds" and pretended to have been attacked

- "More a citizen than a tyrant"

- Thrown out by Megacles

- Bias towards Peisistratus so possible exaggeration

How did Peisistratus gain then lost power a second time according to Aristotle [3]

- Megacles married daughter to Peisistratus

- P used a garland seller who he pretended was Athena to enter the city

- Left because he did not want to sleep w/ Megacles's daughter

How did Peisistratus gain power a third time according to Aristotle? [3]

- Gathered an army and conquered Naxos and Athens

- Set up Lygdamis as ruler of Naxos

- Stole people's weapons whilst giving a speech

How was Peisistratus according to Aristotle and how far can we trust this? [3], [2]

- Loans to those in needs

- "Compassionate [and] merciful"

- "Always provided peace"

- Authorial voice

- Covers both strengths and weaknesses

How was Peisistratus according to Thucydides and how far can we trust this? [3], [1]

- Agora to 12 gods

- Decorated city

- "Unoppressive in the eyes of the people"

- Contradicts Aristotle

Who were Harmodios and Aristogeiton and how were they remembered? [3,1]

- Male lovers

- Killed Hipparchus

- Hailed as heroes of Athenian democracy

- Statue in agora

Who was Hipparchus and what did he do for Athens according to Aristotle ? [1], [1]

- Elder brother of Hippias

- Invited poets and craftsmen to Athens

What did Aristotle tell us about the murder of Hipparchus and how reliable is it? [3], [2]

- Thessalus was lover of Harmodios

- Many conspirators in murder of Hipparchus

- Trap sprung too early

- Only person to mention Thessalus

- Mostly agrees with Thucydides

What did Herodotus tell us about the murder of Hipparchus and how reliable is it? [2], [3]

- Hipparchus was killed by Aristogeiton and Harmodios

- Hipparchus had a dream of a man standing over him uttering rhymes

- Specific details

- Mention of dreams

- Agrees mostly with A and T

What did Thucydides tell us about the murder of Hipparchus and how reliable is it? [3], [2]

- Tyranny was overthrown by the Spartans not Athenians

- "Not many conspirators"

- Aristogeiton captured and tortured, Harmodios killed on the spot

- Says he's trying to be a better historian than Athens#

- Exiled by Athenian democracy

What does Aristotle tell us about Hippias? [3]

- Ruled with an iron fist

- Married daughter to a family with power over Darius

- Exiled by Spartans + Alcaemonids

What does Thucydides tell us about Hippias? [3]

- Became harsher after Hipparchus's death

- Expelled by Cleomenes + Alcaemonids

- Spartans trapped Hippias

What does Herodotus tell us about Hippias? [4]

- Alcaemonids bribed Pythia

- Cleomenes attacked Athens and defeated Hippias

- Hippias sent to Sigeum

- Darius demanded Athenians make Hippias tyrant again

Who was Polycrates? [3]

- Tyrant of Samos

- Persian Ally

- Took power in c.535

What does Herodotus tell us about how Polycrates's political situation? [4]

- Oroetes - Polycrates took power with "15 hoplites"

- Gave some of Samos to his brothers, than killed one and exiled the other

- Created a treaty with Amasis which fell through because the latter thought P was too lucky - fish and signet ring

- Crucified by Oroetes after tricking Maeandrius with a fake chest of gold

What did Polycrates do to remove insurgents according to Herodotus? [2]

- Send 40 triremes of insurgents to Cambyses and told him to not give them back

- Locked wives and children of insurgents in boathouses and threatened to burn them - insurgents were assisted by Corinth + Sparta

According to Herodotus what were Polycrates's main building projects ? [3]

- Rebuilt Heraion after it was destroyed by an earthquake

- Breakwater to protect ships in the harbour

- Water tunnel through a hill for residents

Why is Herodotus trustworthy and untrustworthy with Samos? [2], [3]

- Lots of details and places

- Logical

- Lived in Samos for a long time - bias

- Numbers rounded + large

- Stories of gods and luck

Who was Maeandricus? [3]

- Advisor of Polycrates

- Took power after his death

- Brother of Lycrateus and Charilaus

What happened after Polycrates's death according to Herodotus and how trustworthy is it? [3], [3]

- Maeandricus proclaims isonomia but is challenged by the people

- Lycrateus killed prisoners

- Truce between Persia + Samos where Syloson gained power of Samos and Maeandricus would leave Samos

- Direct speech

- Possible bias

- Lots of detail

Who was Syloson? [2]

- Exiled brother of Polycrates

- Became tyrant of Samos

What did Herodotus tell us about Syloson's takeover of Samos? [4]

- Syloson once gave Darius a cloak "on a whim"

- Otanes launched an edxpedition to Samos to reinstall S into power

- Charilaus fought the Persians whilst knowing he could not win, breaking an agreed peace treaty

- The Persians then massacred the Samians

Who was Periander? [3]

- Tyrant of Corinth

- 627 - 585 BCE

- Son of Cypselus, Father of Lycophron, Husband of Melissa

What does Herodotus tell us about Periander + Melissa and how reliable is it? [3], [2]

- Periander killed Melissa

- Slept with dead body and saw her ghost

- Burnt garments of all the women in the city to appease the ghost

- Mention of oracles

- Direct speech

What does Herodotus tell us about Periander + Lycophron? [4]

- Herodotus banished Lycrophron to Corcyra which he then controlled

- Eventually agreed a swap where L would rule Corinth and P would rule Corcyra

- Corcyreans did not want P so they killed L

- As punishment Periander send 300 Corcyrean boys to Samos to be castrated, which was stopped

Who was Cypselus? [2]

- Tyrant of Corinth 657 - 627

- Father of Periander

What did Herodotus tell us about Cypselus and how reliable is it? [1], [2]

- "Exiled many Corinthians, bankrupted many Corinthians, and more than anything else killed many Corinthians"

- Mention of oracles

- Bias against tyrants

Who was Cleisthenes? [2]

- Alcaemonid

- Beat Isagoras and became leader of Athens (democratically) - 508

What does Aristotle tell us about how Cleisthenes initally gained power and how reliable is it? [3], [2]

- Isagoras was "a friend of the tyrants"

- When Cleisthenes was losing he "turned to the people"

- Defeated Isagoras

- Possible bias towards C

- Lots of factual detail

What reforms did Cleisthenes make according to Aristotle? [5]

- Division of Athens into 10 tribes, 30 trittyes, 139 demes

- People referred to by deme

- Ostracism laws

- Increased size of boule 400 -> 500

- Each tribe could nominate an army general

How did Isagoras try gaining power a second time according to Aristotle? [4]

- Convinced Spartan king Cleomenes to assist him

- Forced out 700 Athenian households

- Tried to disassemble Boule but they resisted

- Cleomenes trapped on Acropolis for 3 days

What does Herodotus tell us about Cleomenes's second attack on Athens and how reliable is it? [3], [2]

- Cleomenes convinced Boeotians, Chalcidians and others to attack Athens

- Corinthians realised they were "immoral"

- Athenians defeated Boeotians and Chalcidians, taking 2 minae ransom

- Authorial voice

- Bias towards democracy

Who was Aristagoras? [3]

- Tyrant of Miletus

- Was Persian but joined Athens

- Responsible for Ionian Revolt

- What does Herodotus tell us about the Ionian Revolt and how reliable is it? [6], [1]

- Aristagoras was ignored by Sparta but Athens agreed to help

- Athens sent 20 ships to Ionia, Eritrea sent 5

- March on Sardis where temple of Cybebe was destroyed

- Athens withdrew following losses

- 492 - Mardonius deposed Athenian tyrants and replaced them with democracies

- Herodotus claims this was to subdue Greek cities

- Bias against tyranny and Persia

- What does Herodotus tell us about the Battle of Marathon and how much can we trust it? [3], [3]

- Athenians led by Miltiades, who used to by tyrant of Cheronese but was aquitted of tyranny

- Hippias led Persians

- Hippias had a bad omen and knew they would lose the battle

- Mention of gods

- Direct speech

- Bias against Persia

What does Nepos tell us about the Battle of Marathon and how reliable is it? [4] ,[1]

- Athenians crushed Persians

- Colonnade in Athens

- Miltiades given honours

- Miltiades sent to attack Paros, and when attack failed was imprisoned for treason

- Bias towards Miltiades

Who was Themistocles? [3]

- Athenian Politician

- Rash and impulsive

- Rival to Aristides

What does Plutarch tell us about Themistocles and how reliable is it? [5], [4]

- Attracted to fame and glory

- Love rival to Aristides

- Embezzled funds

- Created a story to get Aristides ostracized

- Spent money from silver mines for 100 military ships

- Bias towards Aristides

- Authorial voice

- Direct speech

- Writing both sides of argument

Who was Aristides? [3]

- Athenian politician

- Calm and collected

- Rival to Themistocles

What does Plutarch tell us about Aristides and how reliable is it? [5], [3]

- Friends with Cleisthenes

- Often opposed Themistocles - called him out for embezzlement

- Focused on being conservative and just

- Wanted best for the people - retracted law proposal as he realised it was bad for the people

- Ostracised for 2 years

- Trying to make Aristides seem important

- Writing both sides of argument

- Authorial voice

What does Nepos tell us about Aristides and how reliable is it? [2], [3]

- Often opposed Themistocles

- Helped man write his name on an ostrakon

- Known inaccuracies

- Matches up with Plutarch

- Bias towards Aristides