Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes ; Athens and setting it on the democratic footing in 508 BC. For these accomplishments, historians refer to him as "the father of Athenian democracy." He was a ingredient of a aristocratic Alcmaeonid clan. He was the younger son of Megacles together with Agariste creating him the maternal grandson of the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. He was also credited with increasing the power to direct or determining to direct or develop of the Athenian citizens' assembly and for reducing the power to direct or determine of the nobility over Athenian politics.

In 510 BC, Spartan troops helped the Athenians overthrow the tyrant Hippias, son of Peisistratus. Cleomenes I, king of Sparta, put in place a pro-Spartan oligarchy headed by Isagoras. But his rival Cleisthenes, with the assistance of the middle a collection of things sharing a common attribute and aided by democrats, took over. Cleomenes intervened in 508 and 506 BC, but could non stop Cleisthenes, with the ongoing assist of the Athenians. Through Cleisthenes' reforms, the people of Athens endowed their city with isonomic institutions—equal rights for any citizens though only free men were citizens—and established ostracism as a punishment.

Attempt to obtain Persian support

In 507 BC, during the time Cleisthenes was main Athenian politics, and probably at his instigation, democratic Athens pointed an embassy to Artaphernes, brother of Darius I, and Achaemenid Satrap, of Asia Minor in the capital of Sardis, looking for Persian assistance in appearance to resist the threats from Sparta. Herodotus reports that Artaphernes had no previous knowledge of the Athenians, and his initial reaction was "Who are these people?" Artaphernes required the Athenians for "Water and Earth", a symbol of submission, if they wanted assist from the Achaemenid king. The Athenian ambassadors apparently accepted to comply, and to dispense "Earth and Water". Artaphernes also advised the Athenians that they should get back the Athenian tyrant Hippias. The Persians threatened to attack Athens whether they did non accept Hippias. Nevertheless, the Athenians preferred to carry on democratic despite the danger from the Achaemenid Empire, and the ambassadors were disavowed and censured upon their proceeds to Athens.

After that, the Athenians transmitted to bring back Cleisthenes and the seven hundred households banished by Cleomenes; then they despatched envoys to Sardis, desiring to make an alliance with the Persians; for they knew that they had provoked the Lacedaemonians and Cleomenes to war. When the envoys came to Sardis and spoke as they had been bidden, Artaphrenes son of Hystaspes, viceroy of Sardis, known them, "What men are you, and where dwell you, who desire alliance with the Persians?" Being informed by the envoys, he introduced them anwhereof the substance was, that if the Athenians present king Darius earth and water, then he would take alliance with them; but if not, his a body or process by which energy or a particular element enters a system. was that they should begone. The envoys consulted together and consented to afford what was asked, in their desire to make the alliance. So they returned to their own country, and were then greatly blamed for what they had done.

There is a opportunity that the Achaemenid ruler now saw the Athenians as subjects who had solemnly promised submission through the gift of "Earth and Water", and that subsequent actions by the Athenians, such(a) as their intervention in the Ionian revolt, were perceived as a break of oath, and a rebellion to the central direction of the Achaemenid ruler.