Phye's Procession : Culture, Politics and Peisistratid Rule

Abstract

In his account of Peisistratos' tyranny, Herodotos relates a notorious incident. After the tyrant had been expelled by the combined efforts of his opponents Megakles and Lykourgos, the renewed rivalry between the victors set Megakles to enter into an agreement with the erstwhile loser. In order to impress the Athenian population, Megakles and Peisistratos dressed up a tall, handsome woman named Phye as the goddess Athena by donning her with arms and armour, put her into a chariot and at her side Peisistratos and Megakles went to Athens. Messengers had prepared the city to receive the spectacular visitors, claiming that Athena herself honoured Peisistratos by bringing him back to Athens and that the Athenians should likewise honour and welcome him back into town. The Athenians believed this masquerade to be true, offered prayer to Athena and accepted Peisistratos for the second time. Herodotos introduces this story with a confession of being puzzled by it himself. Never before had he come across a trick that depended so much on people's credulity. And although the Athenians were known to be the most sharpwitted of all the Greeks, they were completely taken in. He does not offer an explanation as to why the Athenians proved so naive, but proceeds 10 tell his story. Accounts of the incident continued to circulate.