Cleisthenes Research Paper

Cory Wootten
January 27, 2014
History 212-2
Cleisthenes: Father of Democracy
Cleisthenes is an important figure in ancient Greece, he was the father of democracy. Cleisthenes was born in the year 570 bc. in the city-state of Athens. He was born into a rich family that raised him to be a nobleman. At the time when Cleisthenes was being raised there was a great divide in normal citizens against their wealthy noble rulers. As a young boy he had great expectations to live up to, his grandfather was the ruler of Sicyon, a great Olympian, and was famous all over Greece.
There was a power struggle in Athens when Cleisthenes was only ten years old and his older brother (Pisistratus) seized power over Athens. After his reign was over he passed the

throne down to his son, Hippias, he was a successful ruler at first then became a savage ruler after his right hand man was assassinated. Cleisthenes, well into his forties then saw his opportunity, he managed to get Spartan help to overthrow Hippias.
At the time another nobleman named Isagoras challenged the power that Cleisthenes was longing. The urge for power between the two got so intense that Isagoras calls for a favor from the Spartans to remove Cleisthenes, which forced him to flee from the city in hopes that Spartans would not occupy the city. Isagoras was then named the chief civil official in 508 b.c, as soon as he came to power ordered Cleisthenes and his clan to be banished from the city of Athens. Isagoras having done that it was clear to all Athenian people that he was putting an end to all oppression so he can rule freely.
While Cleisthenes is in exile Isagoras was taking away every part of Athens’s traditional government with the help of his Spartan allies. Athenians were furious with their ruler’s changes and rule so they rioted in the streets, which led into a full out revolt. The angry Athenians overwhelmed Isagoas and his Spartan Allies, which led to the Spartans fleeing from Athens with Isagoas escaping leaving his allies to be executed by the people.
The Athenian people successfully took their city back and now need a person in charge, Cleisthenes was called out of exile to create the worlds first government of the people, we know this today as a democracy.
His fix to the situation was to create a council of free men that each had one vote. We now call this type of government direct democracy. They would often get together and talk about things that needed to be addressed in the city, the exact location of the meetings is not known but there are speculations that it was located in the Pnyx.
Cleisthenes’ changes impacted Athens almost immediately in a better way, the government made Athens thrive and bring new ideas to the city-state that they didn’t propose before. This time in Ancient Athens was known as an age of Achievement and prosperity. It is still a mystery what happened to Cleisthenes after he created his reforms is still a mystery to this day.