Peisistratus' exiles and the strategic international network

Abstract

From ancient sources, we learn that typically, a politician condemned to exile would withdraw to private life, waiting for the period of interdiction to end. For Pisistratus, on the contrary, sources tell us that during his exiles, he distinguished himself by conducting intense activity, both politically and economically.My contribution aims to demonstrate, in particular, how the periods of exile were exploited by the future tyrant of Athens to intensify his expansionist activity. The fruits of this activity, detached from the actions of the city and configured as a ‘private' initiative, were made available to the entire citizenry upon ‘return' to the city and proved to be particularly valuable for the growth of the city of Athen.