Recent from talks
Alcmaeonidae
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Alcmaeonidae
The Alcmaeonidae (/ˌælk.miː.ˈɒn.ɪd.iː/; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμαιωνίδαι, Alkmaionidai; Attic: Ἀλκμεωνίδαι, Alkmeonidai) or Alcmaeonids (/ˌælk.miː.ˈoʊ.nɪdz/) were a wealthy and powerful noble family of ancient Athens, a branch of the Neleides who claimed descent from the mythological Alcmaeon, the great-grandson of Nestor.
In the 7th to late 5th centuries BC, the Alcmaeonidae played a significant role in the developments and events that occurred in Athens. Such developments included overthrowing an Athenian tyrant, helping to lay the foundations of Athenian democracy, and having generals for Athens during the Peloponnesian War. The Alcmaeonidae were mentioned frequently throughout Herodotus' The Histories, and many played a key role in shaping Athens. The first prominent Alcmaeonid was Megacles, who was exiled from the city and given a curse on him and his family. Furthermore, there was Cleisthenes, who became known as "the father of Athenian democracy" by numerous scholars and historians. Another famous Alcmaeonid was Pericles, whom Thucydides would later call "the first citizen of Athens," as well as Alcibiades, who switched sides numerous times during the Peloponnesian War, and would end up being the last of the notable Alcmaeonidae. The main aristocratic rival of the Alcmaeonidae in the 6th and 5th centuries BC were the Peisistratids.
Unlike many aristocratic families at the time, the Alcmaeonidae were not named after a mythological founder, but rather from a historical figure. In this case, the founder was Alcmaeon, father of Megacles. Similar to other aristocratic families however, was that the Alcmaeonidae did employ the tradition of reusing the name of the maternal or paternal grandfather in the family. As a result, there are numerous Megacles, Alcmaeon, and Cleisthenes names in this family. The first noteworthy Alcmaeonid was Megacles, son of Alcmaeon, who was the Archon Eponymous of Athens in the 7th century BC.
As the Chief Archon during the Cylonian Affair (c. 632 BC), Megacles violated the sacred laws of suppliants by murdering Cylon's followers. Cylon, an Olympic victor, attempted a coup, and his followers sought sanctuary at the altar of Athena on the Acropolis. Megacles promised them safety during their trial, but once they left the altar, he had them murdered. This violated the sacred laws of suppliants (hikesia). The resulting curse (miasma or agos) was a tangible concept of religious defilement that was believed to cling to Megacles and his descendants, the Alcmaeonids. Megacles, along with his family was exiled, to the point where buried Alcmaeonidae bodies were dug up and removed from the city limits.
Still bearing the weight of the familial “curse”, Alcmaeon sought to restore his family's name and authority. An opportunity would arise when Croesus, the famously wealthy King of Lydia, sought Greek intermediaries between himself and the Oracle of Delphi. Alcmaeon would be chosen as an ambassador between Croesus and the religious site. Alcmaeon was rewarded for a successful mission and was allowed to “take as much gold as he could carry”, leading to the myth of “gold stuffing” that would permeate within the Alcmaeonidae family. This provided financial and political capital paving the way for Alcmaeonids to return to prominence in Athens.
During the tyranny of Pisistratus, a member of the influential Peisistratids family, and rival clan to the Alcmaeonidae, the aforementioned Megacles married his daughter to the tyrant. The tyrant, however, refused to have children with her, and Megacles along with his allies banished him. Later the Alcmaeonids would claim to have been exiled following Pisistratus' return in 546 BC, so as to distance themselves from possible accusations of complicity, but epigraphic evidence in fact proves that Cleisthenes was archon for the year 525–24 BC. Megacles was able to marry (for a second or third time) Agarista, the daughter of the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. They had two sons, Hippocrates and another Cleisthenes, this one the reformer of Athenian democracy. Hippocrates' daughter was Agariste, the mother of Pericles.
The Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes overthrew Hippias, the son and successor of Pisistratus, in 508 BC. Herodotus claimed in his The Histories that the Alcmaeonidae specifically hated tyranny, and that they were more esteemed and highly honored than any other clan for ridding Athens from it. Cleisthenes had bribed the oracle at Delphi (which the Alcmaeonidae had helped to build while they were in exile) to convince the Spartans to help him, which they reluctantly did. He was, at first, opposed by some who felt the famous curse made the Alcmaeonidae ineligible to rule; the Spartan king Cleomenes I even turned against Cleisthenes and the latter was briefly exiled once more. However, the citizens called for Cleisthenes to return, as Cleisthenes achieved support from the masses due to his calls for a more democratic system against his rival Isagoras, thus giving more power to the people, and the restored Alcmaeonids were responsible for laying the foundations of Athenian democracy.
A few of the contributions that the Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes helped develop in Athens included the shifting of political organization from the four traditional tribes, which were based on family relations and which formed the basis of the upper class Athenian political power network, into ten tribes according to their area of residence (their deme), which would form the basis of a new democratic power structure. Additionally, through Cleisthenes' reforms, the people of Athens endowed their city with isonomic institutions—equal rights for all citizens (though only men were citizens)—and established ostracism as a punishment. He also established sortition—the random selection of citizens to fill government positions rather than kinship or heredity, a true test of real democracy. He reorganized the Boule, created with 400 members under Solon, so that it had 500 members, 50 from each tribe. He also introduced the bouletic oath, "To advise according to the laws what was best for the people". Scholars have credited Cleisthenes with "completing (Athenian) democracy", taking the reforms of his predecessors and expanding upon them to further ensure Athenians could coexist with one another and thus abandoning separatist traditions.
Hub AI
Alcmaeonidae AI simulator
(@Alcmaeonidae_simulator)
Alcmaeonidae
The Alcmaeonidae (/ˌælk.miː.ˈɒn.ɪd.iː/; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμαιωνίδαι, Alkmaionidai; Attic: Ἀλκμεωνίδαι, Alkmeonidai) or Alcmaeonids (/ˌælk.miː.ˈoʊ.nɪdz/) were a wealthy and powerful noble family of ancient Athens, a branch of the Neleides who claimed descent from the mythological Alcmaeon, the great-grandson of Nestor.
In the 7th to late 5th centuries BC, the Alcmaeonidae played a significant role in the developments and events that occurred in Athens. Such developments included overthrowing an Athenian tyrant, helping to lay the foundations of Athenian democracy, and having generals for Athens during the Peloponnesian War. The Alcmaeonidae were mentioned frequently throughout Herodotus' The Histories, and many played a key role in shaping Athens. The first prominent Alcmaeonid was Megacles, who was exiled from the city and given a curse on him and his family. Furthermore, there was Cleisthenes, who became known as "the father of Athenian democracy" by numerous scholars and historians. Another famous Alcmaeonid was Pericles, whom Thucydides would later call "the first citizen of Athens," as well as Alcibiades, who switched sides numerous times during the Peloponnesian War, and would end up being the last of the notable Alcmaeonidae. The main aristocratic rival of the Alcmaeonidae in the 6th and 5th centuries BC were the Peisistratids.
Unlike many aristocratic families at the time, the Alcmaeonidae were not named after a mythological founder, but rather from a historical figure. In this case, the founder was Alcmaeon, father of Megacles. Similar to other aristocratic families however, was that the Alcmaeonidae did employ the tradition of reusing the name of the maternal or paternal grandfather in the family. As a result, there are numerous Megacles, Alcmaeon, and Cleisthenes names in this family. The first noteworthy Alcmaeonid was Megacles, son of Alcmaeon, who was the Archon Eponymous of Athens in the 7th century BC.
As the Chief Archon during the Cylonian Affair (c. 632 BC), Megacles violated the sacred laws of suppliants by murdering Cylon's followers. Cylon, an Olympic victor, attempted a coup, and his followers sought sanctuary at the altar of Athena on the Acropolis. Megacles promised them safety during their trial, but once they left the altar, he had them murdered. This violated the sacred laws of suppliants (hikesia). The resulting curse (miasma or agos) was a tangible concept of religious defilement that was believed to cling to Megacles and his descendants, the Alcmaeonids. Megacles, along with his family was exiled, to the point where buried Alcmaeonidae bodies were dug up and removed from the city limits.
Still bearing the weight of the familial “curse”, Alcmaeon sought to restore his family's name and authority. An opportunity would arise when Croesus, the famously wealthy King of Lydia, sought Greek intermediaries between himself and the Oracle of Delphi. Alcmaeon would be chosen as an ambassador between Croesus and the religious site. Alcmaeon was rewarded for a successful mission and was allowed to “take as much gold as he could carry”, leading to the myth of “gold stuffing” that would permeate within the Alcmaeonidae family. This provided financial and political capital paving the way for Alcmaeonids to return to prominence in Athens.
During the tyranny of Pisistratus, a member of the influential Peisistratids family, and rival clan to the Alcmaeonidae, the aforementioned Megacles married his daughter to the tyrant. The tyrant, however, refused to have children with her, and Megacles along with his allies banished him. Later the Alcmaeonids would claim to have been exiled following Pisistratus' return in 546 BC, so as to distance themselves from possible accusations of complicity, but epigraphic evidence in fact proves that Cleisthenes was archon for the year 525–24 BC. Megacles was able to marry (for a second or third time) Agarista, the daughter of the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. They had two sons, Hippocrates and another Cleisthenes, this one the reformer of Athenian democracy. Hippocrates' daughter was Agariste, the mother of Pericles.
The Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes overthrew Hippias, the son and successor of Pisistratus, in 508 BC. Herodotus claimed in his The Histories that the Alcmaeonidae specifically hated tyranny, and that they were more esteemed and highly honored than any other clan for ridding Athens from it. Cleisthenes had bribed the oracle at Delphi (which the Alcmaeonidae had helped to build while they were in exile) to convince the Spartans to help him, which they reluctantly did. He was, at first, opposed by some who felt the famous curse made the Alcmaeonidae ineligible to rule; the Spartan king Cleomenes I even turned against Cleisthenes and the latter was briefly exiled once more. However, the citizens called for Cleisthenes to return, as Cleisthenes achieved support from the masses due to his calls for a more democratic system against his rival Isagoras, thus giving more power to the people, and the restored Alcmaeonids were responsible for laying the foundations of Athenian democracy.
A few of the contributions that the Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes helped develop in Athens included the shifting of political organization from the four traditional tribes, which were based on family relations and which formed the basis of the upper class Athenian political power network, into ten tribes according to their area of residence (their deme), which would form the basis of a new democratic power structure. Additionally, through Cleisthenes' reforms, the people of Athens endowed their city with isonomic institutions—equal rights for all citizens (though only men were citizens)—and established ostracism as a punishment. He also established sortition—the random selection of citizens to fill government positions rather than kinship or heredity, a true test of real democracy. He reorganized the Boule, created with 400 members under Solon, so that it had 500 members, 50 from each tribe. He also introduced the bouletic oath, "To advise according to the laws what was best for the people". Scholars have credited Cleisthenes with "completing (Athenian) democracy", taking the reforms of his predecessors and expanding upon them to further ensure Athenians could coexist with one another and thus abandoning separatist traditions.
Recent media