How Did Peisistratus Have Power In Greek Politics

Throughout the Archaic period, the majority of Greece’s affluent cities were ruled by tyrants. This “age of tyranny” as it was named, was not only a transitional stage in the Greek polis’ political development, but in the development of art during the Archaic period as well. A Greek tyrant was someone from the aristocracy that gained his political power through a military coup. In order for the military coup to be successful, along with the continuation of the tyrant’s new-found power, he needed the full support of the people. To decrease their chances of being overthrown, tyrants solidified their power in various ways. One way was to rule mildly and to meet the needs of the people that supported them, not fall into the trap of brutality

Solon, who was Athens’ political leader during the first half of the 6th century BCE, had enacted reforms that were failing and were causing political unrest within the polis. By 560 BCE an aristocrat by the name of Peisistratus proclaimed that as tyrant, he would be able to solve Athens pollical problems. However, unlike Cypselus, he was not successful in seizing power on his first attempt around 560BCE, nor his second attempt in 557BCE. After his failed second attempt, Peisistratus realized that needed more troops and more alliances outside of Attica in order to successfully seize power. Over the next eleven years, Peisistratus would obtain more wealth from mines from Mount Pangaion to pay for more troops and would acquire allies such as mercenaries from the Peloponnese as well as the forces of Lygdamis and was finally able to successfully seize Athens in 547BCE. Throughout both of their tyrannies, both Cypselus and Peisistratus used their wealth and their new-found authority to use art and architecture to compliment and solidify their power. The commissioned art and architectural works that best complimented and solidified their power were Temple the Apollo at Corinth, the Peplos Kore, and the Andokides Painter