The Athenian Constitution   

one may see who will reckon up the years of the life of each of
them, and the dates at which they died. After the death of
Pisistratus
his sons took up the government, and conducted it on the same
system. He had two sons by his first and legitimate wife, Hippias
and Hipparchus, and two by his Argive consort, Iophon and
Hegesistratus, who was surnamed Thessalus. For Pisistratus
took a wife
from Argos, Timonassa, the daughter of a man of Argos, named
Gorgilus;
she had previously been the wife of Archinus of Ambracia, one of the
descendants of Cypselus. This was the origin of his friendship with
the Argives, on account of which a thousand of them were brought
over by Hegesistratus and fought on his side in the battle
at Pallene.
Some authorities say that this marriage took place after his first
expulsion from Athens, others while he was in possession of the
government.

Part 18

Hippias and Hipparchus assumed the control of affairs on grounds
alike of standing and of age; but Hippias, as being also naturally
of a statesmanlike and shrewd disposition, was really the head of
the government. Hipparchus was youthful in disposition, amorous, and
fond of literature (it was he who invited to Athens Anacreon,
Simonides, and the other poets), while Thessalus was much junior in
age, and was violent and headstrong in his behaviour. It was from
his character that all the evils arose which befell the house. He
became enamoured of Harmodius, and, since he failed to win his
affection, he lost all restraint upon his passion, and in addition
to other exhibitions of rage he finally prevented the sister of
Harmodius from taking the part of a basket-bearer in the Panathenaic
procession, alleging as his reason that Harmodius was a person of
loose life. Thereupon, in a frenzy of wrath, Harmodius and
Aristogeiton did their celebrated deed, in conjunction with a number
of confederates. But while they were lying in wait for Hippias in
the Acropolis at the time of the Panathenaea (Hippias, at
this moment,
was awaiting the arrival of the procession, while Hipparchus was
organizing its dispatch) they saw one of the persons privy
to the plot
talking familiarly with him. Thinking that he was betraying them,
and desiring to do something before they were arrested, they rushed
down and made their attempt without waiting for the rest of their
confederates. They succeeded in killing Hipparchus near the
Leocoreum while he was engaged in arranging the procession,
but ruined
the design as a whole; of the two leaders, Harmodius was
killed on the
spot by the guards, while Aristogeiton was arrested, and perished
later after suffering long tortures. While under the torture he
accused many persons who belonged by birth to the most distinguished
families and were also personal friends of the tyrants. At first the
government could find no clue to the conspiracy; for the current
story, that Hippias made all who were taking part in the procession
leave their arms, and then detected those who were carrying secret
daggers, cannot be true, since at that time they did not bear arms
in the processions, this being a custom instituted at a later period
by the democracy. According to the story of the popular party,
Aristogeiton accused the friends of the tyrants with the deliberate
intention that the latter might commit an impious act, and
at the same
time weaken themselves, by putting to death innocent men who were