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Cylon (also spelled Kylon) was an Athenian associated with the first reliably dated event in Athenian history, the Cylonian affair.
Cylon, one of the Athenian nobles and a previous victor of the Olympic Games, attempted a coup in 632 BC with support from Megara, where his father-in-law Theagenes was tyrant. The oracle at Delphi had advised him to seize Athens during a festival of Zeus, which Cylon understood to mean the Olympics. However, the coup was opposed, and Cylon and his supporters took refuge in Athena's temple on the Acropolis. Cylon and his brother escaped, but his followers were cornered by Athens' nine archons. According to Plutarch, they were persuaded by the archons to leave the temple and stand trial after being assured that their lives would be spared.
In an effort to ensure their safety, the accused tied a rope to the temple's statue and went to the trial. On the way the rope (again, according to Plutarch) broke of its own accord. The Athenian archons, led by Megacles, took this as the goddess' repudiation of her suppliants and proceeded to stone them to death (on the other hand, HerodotusHerodotus of Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum in Turkey) was an ancient Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC? c. 430 BC/ 420 BC?). Overview Herodotus wrote a history of the Persian invasion of Greece in the early fifth century B. known sim, 5.71, and ThucydidesThucydides (between 460 and 455 BC 395 BC) was an ancient Greek historian. Thucydides was a wealthy Athenian noble and the son of Olorus the King of Thrace. His wealth came from his family's goldmines at Scapte Hyle on the Thracian coast. Thucydides was c, 1.126, do not mention this aspect of the story, stating that Cylon was simply killed after being convinced that he would not be harmed).
Megacles and his genos, the AlcmaeonidaeThe Alcmaeonidae or Alcmaeonids were a powerful noble family of ancient Athens who claimed descent from the mythological Alcmaeon. The first notable Alcmaeonid was Megacles, who was archon eponymous of Athens in the 7th century BC. He was responsible for, were then exiled from the city for violating the laws against killing suppliants. The Alcmaeonidae were cursed with a miasma ("stain" or "pollution"), which was inherited by later generations, even after the genos retook control of Athens.