Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – By modern definition, a tyrant is a cruel and oppressive ruler who is hated by most people.
Peisistratos was a tyrant, but this doesn’t mean he was a bad ruler, and he was certainly not despised by people. On the contrary. He was immensely popular among poorer people because he did not hesitate to confront the aristocracy. He was a fair ruler who boosted the city’s economy and spread the wealth more equally among the Athenians.
Unlike many other rulers, Peisistratos did not seize power violently. Instead, he used a cunning and funny way to convince people he was their ideal ruler.
Born in 608 B.C., in Athens, Peisistratos was a one-time brother-in-law of Cleisthenes, an ancient Athenian lawgiver credited with reforming the constitution of ancient Athens and setting it on a democratic footing in 508 B.C. He was also related to the Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet Solon.
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