Hello, and welcome back to the history of ancient Greece, episode 27, The Democracy of Klyssethanes.

It appears that there were no immediate political problems after the expulsion of hippius as tyrant,

probably owing to the fact that the Pisistridids had virtually left Solon's constitution intact,

apart from ensuring their control over the eponymous archonship, that is.

However, Athens was not politically stable just yet.

They were still occupied militarily by the Spartans,

as Kleistines had weaseled his way into a power-sharing agreement with Cleomenes.

In driving hippies from power, the co-rulers had a single, common aim, but Clycenes wanted in Athens free from tyranny and the return to Eupatriad-Di dominance, whereas Cleomenes wanted

Athens on a short Spartan leash.

It only took a couple of years for the split to become formal,

resulting in a serious political clash between two aristocratic-led factions. There is no way of

knowing how many other powerful political families were involved on either side, or if there were

other factions. But in 508 BC, Cleomone's officially backed Kleistini's opponent, a rival noble named

Isagoras, for the Archon ship of 508-507 BC. This struggle is reminiscent of the rivalry and

the infighting between the aristocratic leaders immediately following Solon's self-imposed exile

from Athens.

The ex-Arcon, Kleistinies, wished to prevent Isagoras' election, and therefore his eventual membership of the Ariopagus.

Clearly, both Kleistines and Isagoras regarded the post-tirony political situation as an opportunity

to return to the normal pre-tirony style of politics.

This view is reinforced by the fact that all of the main sources either state or strongly imply

that they were aided by their heteroi or aristocratic supporters.

The word literally means followers.

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