19. The Downfall of Tyranny
As Hippias continued to spiral after the doomed scandal that ended his brother and almost did him in, opposition to his tyranny grew. Cleisthenes and his followers wanted help from the Spartans, who were known for their piety. So the exiles bribed the priests of Delphi, the Greek world’s most important religious site and home of the Oracle of Delphi, to put in a good word. The Oracle, which for centuries had given petitioners cryptic answers that could be interpreted in a variety of ways, suddenly began to give every Spartan petitioner who showed up the same uncryptic answer: “Liberate Athens!” So the Spartans marched into Attica in 508 BC, liberated Athens, then marched back home. The Athenians, left to govern themselves, immediately split into rival camps.
An oligarchic camp, led by Isagoras, wanted the government returned to the hands of the wealthy. A populist camp, which comprised a majority of Athenians and was led by Cleisthenes, declared Athens a democracy ruled by a popular Assembly. Cleisthenes’ camp prevailed, but the oligarchic faction solicited Spartan aid to overthrow the democracy. The Spartans, no fans of democracy, sent another army to Attica, overthrew the democracy, and replaced it with an oligarchy. Cleisthenes and 700 democracy-supporting Athenian families were exiled. However, Cleisthenes and the exiles soon returned. The population rose up in revolt, and the aristocratic faction and the Spartans were besieged in the Acropolis, Athens’ fortified hilltop. The rebels allowed the Spartans to leave, but the Athenian anti-democrats were annihilated.