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How did Solon warn Athenians about Peisistratus’s rise to tyranny?
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Solon
Solon, statue in the Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.
Upon returning to Athens after his travels, Solon observed that his friend Peisistratus appeared to be maneuvering to establish himself as a tyrant. Solon issued urgent warnings to the Athenian citizens regarding these intentions, but his concerns were disregarded and dismissed by many as the ravings of a madman.1
In response to this dismissal, Solon famously replied with a poetic warning: "A little time will show the citizens my madness, / Yes, will show, when truth comes in our midst." His prediction proved accurate, as Peisistratus successfully seized power as tyrant in 560 BCE.1