public records vs public memory

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Public RecoRds vs Public MeMoRy

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Public Records vs Public MemoryA study of the Peisistratid yranny through the

public archives and comparing them to thememories of the Athenian public

Emmanuel Agoratsios

A t f th Ptrat ra thrh th p arh a mpar thm

t th mmr f th Atha p. T am f th papr t what th

p arh f arha Ath prr at th ar f th Ptrat ra

a mpar t t what th Atha p rmmr at th Ptrat ra

a th vt f th pr. Frty, th at v that xtat w

an t w nr whr th vn am frm, whthr t prapha,

trary r arhaa. sy, what a prrvat f a p rr a what

a p mmr w th a mpar t whh r t what

mht ha happ.

.

(... A rat th at m th

i ha pr that thr th H at

ar r th Atha thm a arat at at thr w

trat r th t...)1

i th r frm h arrat f th Ptrat ra, Tk rt-

th rr kp f th Atha a arat a f pr qaty. Tky- at that h t t pr () that th wa th a, a that

h t rrt mm h w at th Ptrat ra.

1 hk 6.54.1 (tra P. Frt), l, 1867 [l et].

Agoratsios, Emmanuel 2009. Public Record vs Public Memory: A Study of the Peisistratid

Tyranny through the Public Archives and Comparing them to the Memories of the Athenian Public.

In M. Rossetto, M. Tsianikas, G. Couvalis and M. Palaktsoglou (Eds.)

"Greek Research in Australia: Proceedings of the Eighth Biennial International Conference of

Greek Studies, Flinders University June 2009". Flinders University Department of Languages - Modern Greek: Adelaide, 107-113.


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T Ptrata pa a majr r th pt f Ath fr haf a trtwn 561/0 bc an 511/0 bc, n whh tm Athn wa raay tranfrmwth a r f p wrk that at th p pa f Athn. Ty awr rp fr th prat f th at ia t th a f d

n th Aan.2 Hwvr, th ntrtn ma y th Ptrat yranny waprrr th Atha f thr tm a th majrt f th rvv at frm th h try a prtray th tyray a atv way.it r hw th tra trt t th pmt f Ath.3

Te Public Memory

T pt ftradition th at f th ary htry f Ath a thhtf a what th Atha v ha happ th htra pat, t ary

what ha happ.4 T at fmyth th at wa a wa t mhth at a r ta t mak th at mr thhth wr t part f th tr, r ha ta that wr tt attt

th ra at. T tw pt frm th a f what i ha a thpublic memory.

Tpublic memory th t a r-t f th vt f th htra pat thatmp trat a mth t rat th tr that wr ha w thrh th

rat wa f ra trat. T ma pra, rt ha atf th wh wr nvv wth th vnt f th tm r ha v at th tm thy

rr. Hwr, ah rat a thr w pra th t th trha thm trt r atr th fat t t thr w prp.

2 Fr f Ptrat prfat f th a f d hk 3.104 aHrt 1.64. hk mt th jt wth th prfat fd 426/5 bc a th r-tahmt f th da gam whh wa t nka. ufrtaty w t hav a pr at fr th Ptrat prfat f dt t mht a ar a 545 bc a Hrt. s c. R. l, grk, cara,an th Prfatn f d,AJA 62 (1958), pp. 297306 an mr rnty R. brk,h a th Atha Prfat f d,Mnemosyne 49 (1996), pp. 3217 fr

th prfat f d Ptrat.3 F. J. Frt, war a Htr f Ptrat Ath, J. W. ea & J. or, he Crat othe Ancient Historian: Essays in Honor o Chester G. Starr(laham, 1985), pp. 5778 haft thrh th a tr ma prm wth th . R. str,stat dmnt n Arha Athn, nAthens Comes o Age: From Solon to Salamis(Prt, 1978), pp. 2042 tr mar prm wh tat th prr f Arha Ath. Mr rt, th mmta wrk f H. sa-Wr-r, Peisistratos and the Tyranny: A Reappraisal of the Evidence, (J. c. g, Amtram,2000) rtat a apt f th tra a th trt th tra ma tth pmt f Ath th arha pr.

4

A. e. Rathk, What th grk thht at thr ear Htr,Ancient World20(1989), pp. 3945.

Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auArchived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au


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Te Public Record

Apart frm thpublic memory, thr a anthr y f vn: thpublicrecord.5 Tpublic records wr rr kpt th tat whh wr prmat

rpt that wr thr mmmrat r pta/a. cmmmrat -rpt wr th k r thak t a partar ty r mmmrat thv f rat m. Pta r a rpt wr th k a ammt t thttt r th xat f a w aw.

cr th mpat that th Pra War ha p arha Ath, arr r th rat arat f 480 bc? A ma amt f rptav at prr t 480 bc that rvv th trt f Ath mtratat at that th Atha attmpt t rvr th ty rr htry thr prrt th Pra attak Ath r th aa prat ar th grk tr at

saam.6Tr a rpta v that ha rvv frm th h try whh

mht a ht t what pr thm. A ta xamp th AthaArh lt at t th at h try; wa thr a arr t whh th w twa p frm, whh wa thr p f r t at a atr ta. 7

Athr vry mprtat p f v frm th arha pr wa th kyrbeis.T kyrbeis wa a w fram that ta a r f ax p whh w

5 str (1978) rfrr t th a tat mt t i ha h t a thmp rr.

6 h nta f f th Pran trtn f Athn wa th trhn f th Akrp- n th Pran ha an a t th Akrp, fr th Hrt 8.517.hk 1.89 tat that th frtfat wa a ma f th th twr ruins wh th Atha rtr t th t a th rt f Ath wa trh Mar wh th Pra aa Ath ar 479 bc, fr th Hrt9.13. hk 1.93 tat that ma f th r wr mh a tht r th w frtfat a w a ptr a par frm tm. ot fth trt th Atha rtr a prr apt f th t htr a w

ha . h rpt kw t at t th pr that r th trt arIG i 761 (datn f Ptrat, sn f Hppa .521 bc); IG i 501 (epram -rat a Atha vtr r bta a Khak . 506 bc); IG i 784 (datf Kamakh 490 bc).

7 h framt f th Arh lt that ha r m frm a t mp th atffth tr R. M a d. M. lw,A Selection o Greek historical inscriptions tothe end of the fifth century BC (oxfr, 1969), . 6, pp. 912. Frt ea & or (1985),p. 67 a str (1978), pp. 247 th ar that a Arh lt xt a t watay a t wth ah arhhp thrw hw w th Atha kw tham f Arh that wr ff th ary part f th svth ctry bc? A r

wrk t t f . J. cax, h Atha Arh frm Kr t Hph,JHS 68 (1948), pp. 70123.



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tat rtat.8 T w tat wr r wth th aw f s. i hLie o Solon, Ptarkh tat that wht n Athn, h vw what wa fth kyrbeis th Prta, a at that t ha r th arat f480 bc t ha r war a tar r a mr f tr rqr t t

h wth th Prta t prtt t.9

Apart frm th rvva f arhaa a rpta v, thr aa y f trary vn that ha rvv n framntary frm. T vnkw aAtthides (Atthis th ar frm) wr hr f whh ha

r mpt t tat r thr trar wrk h th ra fframt. W at r what pth th wrtr, fr xamp Hak,

Art, eratth, Phrk a Phkhr t am a fw, r tht thrAtthides, t th mt ha ta thr frmat frm m-

whr, arrAtthides r thr rr k rpt. T t xamp f a ar

mptAtthis ArttAthenaion Politeia.10ak thpublic memory apublic recordt prptv, r am t vr

whthrpublic records ar fat th ar f a htra vt whh thpublicmemory ha attmpt t h t y mpy trat a myth t th apa k tthr. T a t that w t tt th a th mrr

f Hpparkh 514/3 bc. T f th mt at t f th at 6thtr bc, whh tmat ha th r f Atha htr.

Who was Hipparkhos?

Hpparkh wa a mmr f th Ptrat famy, th whm h fathrPtrat ha fathr h Atha wf (am kw). H wa f frknwn n f Ptrat.11 T famy tr f Hpparkh wa qt w knwna Tky tat that amt th at th Akrp a par () wa rt a th rpt ta th famy tr f th Ptrata;th ra that t mmmrat th jt mmtt th trat.12

ufrtaty, wh th rpt ha t rvv t mr tm, thh trvv th Pra War. T pt that Tky interpretedth rp-

t a mmmrat th rt f th tra, p rt hrt ar thxp f Hppa 511/0 bc.13 T prm that Tky y mtthat th fam tr wa r th par a t mt ath

8 Ptarkh, Solon 25.9 Ptarkh, Solon 25.10 Artt,Athenaion Politeia 141.11 Artt,Athenaion Politeia 17.34.12 hky 6.55.1: ... ... it w appar that

hk wa that th wa th xpaat fr th par rpt.13 hk 6.55.1: ... ...



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at th rpt, a t r whthr Tk trprtat fth par wa rrt.

o th ty f th at; Tky t t wa a par ( ).on vry fam par nrptn atn t 490/89 bc th atn t Ka-makh, Pmarh f Ath that ar wh hra at th batt f Mara-th.14 Kamakh t wa a hrt par tpp wth a i apta a pth at a tattt.15 Athh w hav rpt f th Ptrat par, t mayha f mar a t wa tha a dedication. Wh t wa at anthr prm. Tky av a tantan that t w apparthat th atn wa rt tthr wth th xtnn t th atar f PythanAp t Hppa Ptrat th yr.16

T vn that rvv n th arhaa rr v nrt vnat th tm f th mrr f Hpparkh. Hwr, m ta at th t

wr rr th p rr a prrv. Frty, t w tat th rp- Harm a Artt, wh a aaat attmpt p Hp-parkh r rthr, th trat Hppa, th prat a tk th f f

Hpparkh attak hm a ta hm mtp tm.17 s, th tman pa f th rm whh rr rn th r f th grat Panathnaaftva a th pa wa th lkr, a at mmt th Ara prt.18

T frm thpublic memory athh t attmpt t th ta atth mrr f Hpparkh, t a prmat. Frty, thr th prm f t- at wth th r. T prm ha ar a wh pp rprt

th vt, thy w rprt what thy rmmr, a th a f Hpparkhmrr th f a pa t a w hav ma th a th mr pra.o prm whr Hppa wa at th tm f th mrr. Tk rprtthat Hppa wa t th ty wa th Kramk qartr rt th rf thPaatha pr.19 ctrary t Tky, Artt rprt that Hp-pa wa th Akrp.20 bth pa Hpparkh at th lkr th Ara.21

sy, trat ar frm th tyray that rat thpublic memory,fr xamp a w knwn Athnan rnkn n qt y Athna.22 in th

14

Hrt 6.114.15 IG i 784. s a A. e. Rathk, Dedications from the Athenian Akropolis (camr,Ma., 1949), . 13, pp. 1820 v that f a fr f a w wma t thpar t w thr ir r nk (vtr).

16 hk 6.54.7.17 hk 6.57.34, Artt,Athenaion Politeia 19.3.18 hk 6.57.34, Artt,Athenaion Politeia 19.3.19 hk 6.57.1.20 Artt,Athenaion Politeia 19.3.21 hk 6.57.34, Artt,Athenaion Politeia 19.3.22

Atha, Deipnosophistai 695 a. s a Artpha,Akharnians 980 fr th amqtat.



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Harm a Artt wr r fr a th tyranta makAth a pa f qa rht.23 T trt f htra fat th rk w hav a Atha v that Hpparkh wa th tyrant, a that h ramatfa frm ra rht qk a pta ha t Ath. T trpr-

tat f th t a t th mrr f Hpparkh wa a a trmph f vr v wtht a ra f n th haratr nvv. unfrtnaty frHpparkh, h wa t v a v th try a h wa th v a vaqh.

T a t th thr pnt at hw th Athnan p frm pnnat th tyranny, an hw th pnn vp nt what th p amt at th tra. T mt mprtat pt hr hw th pat th tyranny wr frm, n partar fn n th r f Arttn.Wh Artt wa ha fr Hppa, h a mr f m fhh tt fr -pratr.24 T mpr that Artt ha

a pta r r w th tra trrr Hppa t rr thma xt f h pprtr a th wak th trah f th tyrayn Athn. T pnn that wr frm an rnat at th tyranny wrthat t wa an v rm that n t n away wth an that Arttnrprt th hr ma ar hmf fr th f Ath.25 Hw-

r, Artt mt wr pra t pta a h tt wa t kHppa nott r w th tra t t atf h hrt pr a that f h

r Harm.26

T prm aat wth th public memory an hw th p atay

rmmr vt a hw thy rr ar vry mprtat. T mtrprtatf th tat at th tm w ha t p, rmr, a th trtf th fat. Prhap w annt am th Athnan p fr th, t th pana th mrr f Hpparkh w rtay hav t p frma rat th m f th Atha p fr rat.

T that thpublic recordwa rtay th ar fat at th vtf th htra pat whh thpublic memory attmpt t h t. T mrr fHpparkh tr a tr xamp f hw th tr a t a r-tvr th nratn, an hw th fat an trt t t th story that was

being toldrathr tha th real story. cr xamat f th rath aw th apt a wth th a t .

23 Atha, Deipnosophistai695 a: , . (wth arat ah r).

24 Artt,Athenaion Politeia 18.46.25

Atha, Deipnosophistai 695a.26 hk 6.59.1.



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brk, 1996

R. brk, T a th Atha prat f d,Mnemosyne 49, pp. 3217.

cax, 1949

. J. cax, T Atha Arh frm Kr t Hyph,JHS 68 (1948), pp. 70123.

Frt, 1985

F. J. Frt, war a Htr f Ptrat Ath, J. W. ea & J. or Te Craf o

the Ancient Historian: Essays in Honor o Chester G. Starr(laham), pp. 5778.

M & lw, 1969

R. M & d. M. lw,A Selection o Greek Historical Inscriptions to the end o the fhcentury BC. oxfr.

Rathk, 1949

A. e. Rathk, Dedications rom the Athenian Akropolis. camr, Ma.

Rathk, 1989

A. e. Rathk, What th grk thht at thr ear Htr?Ancient World20,

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H. sa-Wrr, Peisistratos and the Tyranny: A Reappraisal of the Evidence. J. c. g,Amtram.

str, 1978

R. str, stat dmnt n Arha Athn, n Athens Comes o Age: From Solon toSalamis. Prt, pp. 2042.


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