THE ASSISTANT OF EDUCATION. AUGUST, 1826. A SKETCH OF GENERAL HISTORY. ATHENS, FROM the death of Solon, TO THE BATTLE OF MARA- WE left the history of Athens at the death of Solon, which was considered to be about the year B.C. 562. A few years previously, Pisistratus had assumed a sort of sovereignty in Athens. That people began as they ended: they had always a sovereign in effect; and when they banished or put to death one they were tired of, it was only a concession to the influence of another. Pisistratus was the relation and intimate friend of Solon. He was in disposition courteous and affable, generous and beneficent in the extreme. He had always two or three slaves near him with bags of silver coin; when he saw any man look sickly, or heard that any one had died insolvent, he comforted the one with a sum of money, and buried the other at his own expense. If he perceived people melancholy, he enquired the cause; if it was poverty, he furnished them with what was sufficient, but not to live in idleness. He would not suffer his servants to shut up his gardens and orchards; but allowed every one to walk in, and take what they pleased. His manner was easy and sedate, his speech was smooth and modest: he affected to be a great lover of equality and of the constitution. Such a character was sure to be popular: but Solon appears to have early penetrated the design of all this condescension. While yet his friend, he endeavoured to persuade him of the iniquity of his dissimulation, and said to him, "Sir, if it were not for your ambition, you would be the best citizen of Athens." And, unable to make any impression on Pisistratus, he did not fail to warn the citizens of his designs. The warning did not avail. Under a false pretext of danger, Pisistratus prevailed with the Athenians to give him a guard. With these he seized the citadel, and made himself sovereign. B.C. 560. Solon, who held all sovereignty to be tyranny, and saw the equality he had laboured to establish thus early destroyed, went into voluntary banishment. The name of tyranny apart, however, Athens was as free, and probably better governed than in the democracy. So far from overturning the laws of Solon, Pisistratus did his utmost to provide for their better administration, and lost nothing of the moderate character that distinguished him in his private station. He did every thing he could to persuade Solon to return. All the rigid lawgiver would concede, was that Pisistratus was the best of tyrants, and he returned no more. Megacles, a noble of Athens, a seditious rival of Pisistratus, had left the city on his usurpation, and soon carried on negociations with some that remained to accomplish his ruin. The facility with which this was done in Athens, will strike our attention throughout her history. There was no character so mischievous, but that by artful appearances of virtue could gain her favour-there was none so excellent, but could be discarded and disgraced, as soon as any one chose to attempt to ruin them in publick opinion. Without any other conduct than that which raised him to the throne, Pisistratus found himself obliged to retire and seek shelter in a foreign land; and notwithstanding all the love they had shown for him, the Athenians went so far in enmity, as to order all his goods to be sold. Megacles, who procured his disgrace, offered to restore him on condition of his marrying his daughter. This was agreed to, and Pisistratus again was king: but his treatment of this wife not being satisfactory to the father, discontents were again fomented, and Pisistratus banished himself a second time. To resume once more the sovereignty, he had recourse to arms; and procuring assistance from the neighbouring states, took possession of Athens and the government by force: probably the citizens had no great care to prevent him. The better to secure himself in this third usurpation, Pisistratus obliged the citizens to give themselves to agriculture, that they might have less opportunity to assemble in the market-places, and cabal against him. This was of great benefit to the Athenian territories, and caused the planting of olive grounds, and the better cultivation of the corn lands. As prince, he received a tenth part of the profits of every man's rents; which, though applied to the service of the state, was considered a great grievance. It happened once, that Pisistratus being in the country, saw an old man very busy in creeping over the rocks and gathering something. The prince asked him what he was doing in that wild place, and what were the fruits of his labour. "Troubles and a few plants of wild sage," replied the old man, "and of these Pisistratus must have a tenth." It is added that the king thenceforth remitted to him the tribute. Pisistratus was always averse to severity, and tried much, though not successfully, to mitigate the fierceness of the Athenian character. The city of Athens was much improved and adorned by his taste and munificence. He laid the foundation of the famous temple of Jupiter Olympus. He was the first who built a library for publick use; and directed that the poems of Homer should be digested into regular order as we at present have them. In every way he encouraged learning, and was in familiar intercourse with Crotrosuates, the Epic poet, who at this time wrote the history of the Argonauts. In war he was not undistinguished, having assisted at the taking of Salamis, and in other victories. Nothing seems wanting to his character as a sovereign. Athens owed him much, and could charge him with no wrong, but having seized a government to which he had no claim. Her laws, as he found them, he not only sustained, but himself submitted to them. It is told, that being accused in the Areopagus of murder, taking no advantage of his station, he came as a private man and submitted himself to judgment. Another anecdote is told, that having offended some Athenians of consequence, they retired in disgust to the castle of Phyla. Pisistratus went after them the next day, with a cloakbag on his back; being asked what he meant, he said, "Either to persuade you to go back with me, or myself to remain with you therefore I came provided." From the time of his first assuming the sovereignty, there appears to have been about thirty-three years to his death. In this time he was twice exiled; the first time for about five years, the second time for eleven years. The descendants of this prince, by the name of the Pisistratidæ, had much to do in Athenian affairs. He left at his death two sons, Hippias and Hipparchus, and some other children. B.C.527. The brothers, Hippias and Hipparchus, divided between them the supreme authority; but it does not quite appear whether both, or Hipparchus only, assumed the name of king. It was under the rule of the Pisistratidæ, that Athens rose to such rapid and high distinction, in literature, science, and taste. Hipparchus is represented to have been a man of great learning, and in every way to have encouraged it. He directed that the Rhapsodists, as they were called, a sort of professional bards, should sing at the great feasts called Panathenus, all the poems of Homer, that the Athenians might be generally instructed in them. He kept the poet Simonides always near him, and sent a galley to fetch the famous Anacreon. Farther to cultivate the minds of the people, Hipparchus caused statues of Mercury to be erected, and wise counsels in elegiac verse to be written on both sides of them. It is curious to remark these efforts to inform and cultivate the populace, while the means of writing were so difficult and rare. Athens was never so well governed, and probably never so happy, as under the usurpation of the Pisistratidæ. They seemed to be quietly settled in the sovereignty; but fell victims to the private resentment of two individuals, Harmodius and Aristogeton, who formed a conspiracy to murder both the princes at a festival. With Hipparchus they succeeded, and he died under a multitude of wounds. The people took no part with the conspirators, but allowed Harmodius to be killed on the spot by the king's guards, and themselves seized Aristogeton, and delivered him to justice. Yet after their death, with the caprice that ever characterized this brilliant, but unstable people, they exalted them to the character of patriots dying for their country's freedom. They caused their praises to be sung at the great festivals; forbad any citizen to call his slave by their names; and erected brazen statues for them in the forum: these statues Xerxes carried into Asia; and we have already mentioned that they were brought back by Alexander, or one of his generals. Hippias remained in sole possession of the kingdom; but governing with cruelty and oppression, the sovereignty, which nothing but the excellence of the government had preserved, came to an end about a twelvemonth after, and the democracy was restored. This was effected by the devices of the Alcmæonidæ, the family of Megacles, who had remained in exile ever since the second restoration of Pisistratus, and collected about them all who left Athens in discontent. This |