A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

134 Athens
His death;
his children.
Arist. Const.
Ath. 17.
Here is a misconception
of
the writer.
It was lawful
for an
Athenian to
marry a foreign
woman
till 4SI B.C.;
Greece, 178 f.;
A ncient
World, 200.
of the nobles and commons were pleased with his rule.
The former he attached to himself by his associations with
them, the latter by aid in their private affairs.
Throughout
these times the laws of the Athenians concerning
tyrants were mild, and particularly the one referring to
the establishment of tyranny. The law runs thus: "These
are the ancestral usages of the Athenians. If anyone
attempts to make himself tyrant, or if anyone has a hand
in establishing a tyranny, let him and his gens be disfranchised."
Peisistratus accordingly grew old in ofifice and died of
illness in the archonship of Philoneos, having lived thirty
three years after the time when he first became tyrant,
but having actually remained in power nineteen years;
for during the rest of the time he was in exile.
Evidently
therefore they speak foolishly who assert that Peisistratus
was a youthful favorite of Solon and a general in the war
with Megara for the possession of Salamis. Their ages
do not agree, if one reckons the length of their respective
lives and the dates of their deaths. After the decease
of Peisistratus his sons secured the power and conducted
the administration in the same way. Of his lawful wife
he had two sons, Hippias and Hipparchus, and two of his
Argive wife,
lophon and Hegesistratus, surnamed Thettalus.
Peisistratus had married from Argos the daughter
of an Argive named Gorgilus. This lady, Timonassa,
had formerly been the wife of the Cypselid Archinus of
Ambracia. Thence arose his alliance with the Argives,
a thousand of whom fought on his side in the battle of
Pallene, having been brought by Hegesistratus. Some
say he married the Argive woman after his first banishment,
others while he was in possession of his authority.
Because of their greater reputation and age Hipparchus